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Greenland: Quick Facts

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News •

As Greenland’s climate changes, a new project preserves memories of a fading past • Nov. 11, 2026, 12:08 AM ET (AP)
Greenland approves security deal with Denmark and US following months of Trump pressure • Nov. 3, 2026, 11:36 AM ET (AP)
Greenland opens new international airport to lure tourists as it eyes future independence • Nov. 2, 2026, 4:56 AM ET (AP)

Facts

Also Known As Kalaallit Nunaat • Grønland
Heads Of Government High Commissioner (for Denmark): Julie PrĂŚst Wilche; Prime Minister (for Greenland): Jens-Frederik Nielsen
Capital Nuuk
Population (2026 est.) 56,500
Head Of State Danish Monarch: Frederik X
Official Language Greenlandic
Official Religion Evangelical Lutheran (Lutheran Church of Greenland)
Official Name Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenlandic)1; (Greenland)
Total Area (Sq Km) 2,166,086
Total Area (Sq Mi) 836,330
Monetary Unit Danish krone (DKK)
Population Rank (2026) 210
Population Projection 2030 54,200
Density: Persons Per Sq Mi (2026) 0.7
Density: Persons Per Sq Km (2026) 0.3
Urban-Rural Population Urban: (2023) 87.8% • Rural: (2023) 12.2%
Life Expectancy At Birth Male: years • Female: years
Gni (U.S.$ ’000,000) (2019) 2,942
Gni Per Capita (U.S.$) (2019) 52,445
Political Status self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark with one legislative house (Parliament [31])2
1Called Grønland in Danish, an official language of Greenland prior to June 21, 2009.2A referendum approved in November 2008 endorsed the gradual expansion of Greenland’s autonomy from Denmark; the Greenland government assumed greater responsibility for local matters on June 21, 2009.

Photos and Videos

Greenland
Map of Greenland showing major geographic features, towns, and surrounding seas. The island is dominated by the Greenland Ice Sheet, with coastal settlements such as Nuuk, Upernavik, and Kangerlussuaq marked. Neighboring bodies of water include Baffin Bay, the Labrador Sea, Greenland Sea, and Denmark Strait. An inset globe highlights Greenland's location in the northern Atlantic.
Nuuk, Greenland
Map highlighting Greenland in orange, showing its location in the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans between Canada and Europe, with neighboring countries labeled, and the capital city Nuuk marked.
Tasiusaq, southern Greenland
Signpost in Kangerlussuaq
Greenland: Ilulissat Icefjord
Kangerdlugssuaq Glacier, eastern Greenland
Iceberg near Greenland
Ilulissat
Join a Climate-Change Research Team Collecting Samples from the Bottom of Greenland's Arctic Lakes
Sepia-toned map of Greenland, with the label Greenland highlighted in blue.
See All Videos, Images and Interactives →

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Map showing the extent of the Laurentide, Cordilleran, and Greenland ice sheets during the Wisconsin glaciation, roughly 100,000 to 11,000 years ago. The Laurentide Ice Sheet covers most of present-day Canada and parts of the northern United States in light blue, the Cordilleran Ice Sheet covers the Pacific Northwest in teal, and the Greenland Ice Sheet is marked in purple. Modern international and state or provincial boundaries are outlined for reference.
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ice sheet, Greenland
Map of Greenland showing major geographic features, towns, and surrounding seas. The island is dominated by the Greenland Ice Sheet, with coastal settlements such as Nuuk, Upernavik, and Kangerlussuaq marked. Neighboring bodies of water include Baffin Bay, the Labrador Sea, Greenland Sea, and Denmark Strait. An inset globe highlights Greenland's location in the northern Atlantic.
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