Greenland

Greenland (in Greenlandic: Kalaallit Nunaat, literal meaning: "Land of the human") is the world's largest island, about 84% ice-capped[?] (or ice-sheeted). The island was granted self-government in 1978 by the Danish parliament. The law went into effect the following year. The Queen of Denmark remains Greenland's Head of State, however.

The extreme north of Greenland is not covered by an ice cap (indicated as pale blue in the map to the right), because the air there is to too dry to produce snow, which is essential in the production and maintenance of an ice cap.

If the Greenland ice cap were to completely melt away, Greenland would most likely be an archipelago instead of an island-continent like Australia.

The capital is Nuuk (Godthåb).

The government pledged to hold a referendum on full independence in 2005.

See Danish colonization of the Americas

From the CIA World Factbook 2000.

External links

List of Placenames in Greenlandic and Danish (http://www.arctic.at/castaway/research/gro-names.html)

Nordic Council:

Nordic Countries | Europe

Greenland is also a place name in the State of New Hampshire in the United States of America. See Greenland, New Hampshire.

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