Greenland Geography:
Location:
Northern North America, island between the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Canada
Geographic coordinates:
72 00 N, 40 00 W
Map references:
Area:
total:
2,166,086 sq km 410,449 sq km ice-free, 1,755,637 sq km ice-covered
land:
2,166,086 sq km
water:
NA
Area - comparative:
Slightly more than three times the size of Texas
Land boundaries:
total: 0 km
border countries: NA
Coastline:
44,087 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf: 200 NM or agreed boundaries or median line
territorial sea: 3 NM
exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM or agreed boundaries or median line
Climate:
Arctic to subarctic; cool summers, cold winters
Terrain:
Flat to gradually sloping icecap covers all but a narrow, mountainous, barren, rocky coast
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Gunnbjorn 3,700 m
Natural resources:
Coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, molybdenum, gold, platinum, uranium, fish, seals, whales, hydropower, possible oil and gas
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100%
(2001)
Irrigated land:
NA
Natural hazards:
Continuous permafrost over northern two-thirds of the island
Environment - current issues:
Protection of the arctic environment; preservation of the Inuit traditional way of life, including whaling and seal hunting
Environment - international agreements:
party to: NA
signed, but not ratified: NA
Geography - Note:
Dominates North Atlantic Ocean between North America and Europe; sparse population confined to small settlements along coast, but close to one-quarter of the population lives in the capital, Nuuk; world's second largest ice cap |
