Short facts about the geography of Greenland

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:

Arctic Region

Area:

total:  2,175,600 sq km land:  2,175,600 sq km (341,700 sq km ice-free, 1,833,900 sq km ice-covered) (est.)

Area - comparative:

slightly more than three times the size of Texas

Land boundaries:

0 km

Coastline:

44,087 km

Maritime claims:

continental shelf:  200 NM or agreed boundaries or median line exclusive fishing zone:  200 NM or agreed boundaries or median line territorial sea:  3 NM

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:

zinc, lead, iron ore, coal, molybdenum, gold, platinum, uranium, fish, seals, whales, hydropower, possible oil and gas

Land use:

arable land:  0% permanent crops:  0% permanent pastures:  1% forests and woodland:  0% other:  99% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:

NA sq km

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

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

Source: World Factbook