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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Television and radio
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