Greenland is a self-governing part of the Kingdom of Denmark in Arctic North America. Its capital is Nuuk.
North America and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Nuuk; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGreenland is dominated by a vast ice sheet, with most ice-free land around the coastal margins. Mountains, fjords and rocky shores form the setting for settlements. The interior ice and the inhabited coast are very different environments.
At Ilulissat, a major glacier feeds icebergs into a fjord. Other coastal areas have tundra vegetation and relatively dry ground during the short summer. The island’s enormous size and north-to-south extent create substantial regional differences.
Most of Greenland has Arctic conditions, with colder weather inland and farther north. Coastal summers are cool, while winters are long and cold.
Seasonal sea ice, glaciers and long periods of darkness or daylight strongly shape conditions. Tundra plants grow during a short season. Changes in ice affect marine waters, coastal access and the physical landscape.
Two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red, with a large disk set slightly to the left; the top half of the disk is red, and the bottom is white
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · Danish Prime Minister’s Office · Greenland self-government
Icebergs fill the fjord below the Greenland ice sheet.
Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Low vegetation near Ilulissat shows the ice-free fringe of the island.
Photo: josef knecht · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Greenlandic is the official language. Kalaallisut, the western variety, is the basis of the standard language, while Tunumiisut in the east and Inuktun in the far north have distinct forms.
Danish remains widely used in administration, education and some households, and English is learned as an additional language. Greenlandic belongs to the Inuit language family and is unrelated to Danish.
Inuit settlement and Norse history preceded Danish colonization. Greenland became an integral part of Denmark in 1953, gained home rule in 1979 and expanded self-government in 2009 after a referendum. It remains within the Kingdom of Denmark; self-government is not the same as independence.
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · Danish Prime Minister’s Office · Greenland self-government
Fishing and seafood processing dominate goods exports. Public services and the Danish block grant play major roles, while tourism and mineral development attract investment. The large ice sheet and distances between settlements shape transport and economic activity.
Fishing, seafood processing, public services and tourism are major activities.
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · Danish Prime Minister’s Office · Greenland self-government
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
| Year | People | Thousands of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 46,400 | 46.400 |
| 1980 | 50,200 | 50.200 |
| 1990 | 55,600 | 55.600 |
| 2000 | 56,185 | 56.185 |
| 2010 | 56,534 | 56.534 |
| 2020 | 56,367 | 56.367 |
| 2025 | 56,831 | 56.831 |
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 1,490,388,563 | 1.490 |
| 1991 | 1,488,697,500 | 1.489 |
| 1992 | 1,412,599,749 | 1.413 |
| 1993 | 1,341,575,186 | 1.342 |
| 1994 | 1,421,055,061 | 1.421 |
| 1995 | 1,474,041,621 | 1.474 |
| 1996 | 1,496,589,112 | 1.497 |
| 1997 | 1,518,572,904 | 1.519 |
| 1998 | 1,636,383,513 | 1.636 |
| 1999 | 1,658,930,987 | 1.659 |
| 2000 | 1,776,741,578 | 1.777 |
| 2001 | 1,799,289,052 | 1.799 |
| 2002 | 1,781,814,765 | 1.782 |
| 2003 | 1,860,749,974 | 1.861 |
| 2004 | 1,989,264,212 | 1.989 |
| 2005 | 2,088,478,601 | 2.088 |
| 2006 | 2,204,508,100 | 2.205 |
| 2007 | 2,256,367,786 | 2.256 |
| 2008 | 2,395,498,418 | 2.395 |
| 2009 | 2,416,242,292 | 2.416 |
| 2010 | 2,458,184,032 | 2.458 |
| 2011 | 2,445,978,671 | 2.446 |
| 2012 | 2,480,080,343 | 2.480 |
| 2013 | 2,447,881,939 | 2.448 |
| 2014 | 2,563,963,822 | 2.564 |
| 2015 | 2,499,113,023 | 2.499 |
| 2016 | 2,616,120,348 | 2.616 |
| 2017 | 2,617,499,780 | 2.617 |
| 2018 | 2,633,808,517 | 2.634 |
| 2019 | 2,708,402,651 | 2.708 |
| 2020 | 2,715,195,047 | 2.715 |
| 2021 | 2,759,563,890 | 2.760 |
| 2022 | 2,814,880,888 | 2.815 |
| 2023 | 2,839,256,686 | 2.839 |
A self-governing part of the Kingdom of Denmark. The elected Inatsisartut is the parliament, and Naalakkersuisut is the government. Greenland administers many domestic matters; some powers, including defence, remain with the Kingdom.
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · Danish Prime Minister’s Office · Greenland self-government
Three questions about Greenland.
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · Danish Prime Minister’s Office · Greenland self-government
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.
