Regions and territories: Greenland

Greenland is the world's largest island. Formerly a province of Denmark, it gained the status of an autonomous Danish dependent territory with limited self-government as well as its own parliament in 1979.

Denmark is in charge of foreign affairs and defence policy and contributes two thirds of its budget revenue, the rest coming mainly from fishing. Denmark is also Greenland's main trading partner.

Overview

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The climate in Greenland is extremely harsh. More than 80% of the island is covered by an ice cap which is 4km thick in places.

Uummannaq locals enjoy perpetual daylight for two months each year

Many of the Eskimo (Inuit) people survive by hunting and fishing and are struggling as fish stocks become depleted. The island's population is only 57,000. Inhabitants face severe social problems, notably unemployment, alcoholism and HIV/Aids.

Recent environmental studies have raised fears that global warming is causing Greenland's ice cover to melt increasingly fast and that this could have serious implications for future sea levels and ocean currents unless the process is rapidly halted and then reversed.

US plans for a national missile defence system have highlighted the strategic importance of Greenland. The Americans have expressed interest in using their Cold War radar base at Thule in the north of the island as part of this defence system.

Dozens of Inuit families were forced off their lands in 1953 to allow expansion at the base. Many Greenlanders would like to see it closed down. Others see economic reasons for keeping it.

A substantial proportion of Greenland's population favours independence. However, the former colonial power, Denmark, has the final say on the matter.

In 2008 Greenlanders voted in a referendum for more autonomy. The deal gave them greater control over their energy resources and granted the native Inuit language Kalaallisut (Western Greenlandic) official status in place of Danish. The Danish subsidy is to continue.

At early elections called for June 2009 in order to decide how to implement the new home-rule arrangement, the pro-independence Inuit Ataqatigiit party beat the Social Democratic Siumut party. The latter had governed for 30 years.

Facts

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• Territory: Greenland
• Status: Self-governing part of Denmark
• Population: 57,000 (UN, 2008)
• Capital and largest town: Nuuk (Godthab)
• Area: 2.17m sq km (840,000 sq miles)
• Major languages: Greenlandic, Danish
• Major religion: Christianity
• Life expectancy: 64 years (men), 70 years (women) (UN 2003)
• Monetary unit: 1 Danish krone = 100 ore
• Main exports: Fish, fish products, hides and skins
• GNI per capita: n/a
• Internet domain: .gl
• International dialling code: +299

Leaders

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Queen: Margrethe II of Denmark

Prime minister: Hans Enoksen

Hans Enoksen continues as prime minister in a coalition government following general elections in November 2005.

Greenland's parliament meets in Nuuk

His social democratic Siumut party won 10 seats in the 31-seat Greenland parliament and has reached a coalition agreement with the pro-independence left-wing Inuit Brotherhood which has seven seats and the centre-right Atassut party which has six.

The last elections in December 2002 in which Siumut also won 10 seats were followed by three years of fractious government involving a series of coalitions, the most recent of which ended in wrangling over alleged misuse of funds by two ministers.

The 2005 elections were called early when budget negotiations collapsed.

Prime minister-designate: Kuupik Kleist

Mr Kleist led the left-wing pro-independence Inuit Ataqatigiit (Community of the People - IA) party to victory in the June 2009 parliamentary elections, which Prime Minister Enoksen had called early in order to decide who would implement the new autonomy arrangement.

Mr Kleist is expected to be named prime minister in June. He announced that he planned to form a coalition with the smaller Atassut (Sense of Community) and Independents (Kattusseqatigiit) parties.

Born in 1958, Mr Kleist has served in various civil-service posts and taught journalism. He was appointed director of Greenland's foreign office in 1996 and sat as an IA member of the Danish parliament from 2001 to 2007, when he became party leader.

Media

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Kalaallit Nunaata Radio (KNR) - the Greenland Broadcasting Company - provides public radio and TV services across the entire island. Broadcasting in Greenlandic and Danish, it is the main source of news and entertainment.

Private local TV and radio stations operate under the auspices of an umbrella body, STTK. Digital pay TV is available in Nuuk. Danish public radio is rebroadcast.

There are no daily newspapers. The major titles - a weekly and a bi-weekly - publish in Greenlandic and Danish. Weather conditions can delay distribution.

The Greenlandic government controls media legislation. Officially, press freedom is guaranteed. But the independence of local journalists has been questioned, with several cases of media workers coming under apparent political pressure.

The press

• Atuagagdliutit/Gronlandsposten (The Greenland Post) - published twice weekly
• Sermitsiaq - weekly

Television and radio

• Kalaallit Nunaata Radio (KNR) - public TV and radio broadcaster
• Nuuk TV - private
• Nuuk FM - private radio