What is the capital of Greenland?

The capital of Greenland is Nuuk.

What is the population of Greenland?

Greenland has a population of about 56,831, the #206 largest of 225 countries in YearMaps. Source: World Bank, 2025.

How big is Greenland?

Greenland covers 2.17M km², ranking #14 by area.

Which countries border Greenland?

Greenland shares a land or maritime border with Canada, Norway, Iceland.

What is the largest city in Greenland?

Nuuk is the largest city in Greenland, with a metropolitan population of about 14,798.

What is the highest mountain in Greenland?

The highest summit recorded for Greenland in YearMaps is Gunnbjørn Fjeld at 3,694 m (12,119 ft). Summits on a border are counted for both countries.

Greenland Map — Cities, Rivers & History

Interactive Map of Greenland

3.6

Centred on Nuuk at 64.1983° N, 51.7327° W. Use the layer panel to switch on rivers, dams, ports, peaks and historical borders.

About Greenland

Greenland is an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark and is the largest of the kingdom's three constituent parts by land area, the others being Denmark proper and the Faroe Islands. Citizens of Greenland are citizens of Denmark. They are thus citizens of the European Union (EU), although Greenland is not part of the EU. It is the world's largest island and lies between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. It shares a small 1.2-kilometre (0.75 mi) border with Canada on Hans Island. The capital and largest city is Nuuk. Kaffeklubben Island off the northern coast is the world's northernmost undisputed point of land – Cape Morris Jesup on the main island was thought to be so until the 1960s. Economically, Greenland is heavily reliant on aid from Denmark, which has averaged 5.4 billion kr. (€724 million) annually in the period 2019–2023, amounting to more than 20% of the territory's gross domestic product.

Though a part of the continent of North America, Greenland was politically and culturally associated with the European kingdom of Norway from 986 until the early 15th century. From the 18th century, following the union of Denmark and Norway and the establishment of the Nuuk settlement, Greenland gradually became associated with Denmark. Greenland has been inhabited at intervals over at least the last 4,500 years by circumpolar peoples whose forebears migrated there from what is now Canada. Norsemen from Norway settled the uninhabited southern part of Greenland beginning in the 10th century (having previously settled Iceland), and their descendants lived in Greenland for 400 years until disappearing in the late 15th century. From the late 15th century, the Portuguese attempted to find the northern route to Asia, which ultimately led to the earliest cartographic depiction of the coastline. In the 17th century, Dano-Norwegian explorers reached Greenland again, finding their earlier settlement extinct and reestablishing a permanent Scandinavian presence.

When Denmark and Norway separated in 1814, Greenland was transferred from the Norwegian to the Danish crown. The 1953 Constitution of Denmark ended Greenland's status as a colony, integrating it fully into the Danish state. In the 1979 Greenlandic home rule referendum, Denmark granted home rule to Greenland. In the 2008 Greenlandic self-government referendum, Greenlanders voted for the Self-Government Act which transferred more power from the Danish government to the local Naalakkersuisut (Greenlandic government).

Summary adapted from Wikipedia: Greenland (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Geography and Climate of Greenland

Greenland, the world's largest island, is about 80% ice capped. The Inuit came to Greenland from North America in a series of migrations that stretched from 2500 BC to the11th century. Vikings reached the island in the 10th century from Iceland; Danish colonization began in the 18th century, and Greenland became part of the Kingdom of Denmark in 1953. It joined the European Community (now the EU) with Denmark in 1973 but withdrew in 1985 over a dispute centered on stringent fishing quotas. Greenland remains a member of the EU's Overseas Countries and Territories Association. The Danish parliament granted Greenland home rule in 1979; the law went into effect the following year. Greenland voted in favor of self-government in 2008 and acquired greater responsibility for internal affairs when the Act on Greenland Self-Government was signed into law in 2009. The Kingdom of Denmark, however, continues to exercise control over several policy areas on behalf of Greenland, including foreign affairs, security, and financial policy, in consultation with Greenland's Self-Rule Government.

Location: Northern North America, island between the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Canada.
Climate: Arctic to subarctic; cool summers, cold winters.
Terrain: Flat to gradually sloping icecap covers all but a narrow, mountainous, barren, rocky coast.
Highest point: Gunnbjorn Fjeld 3,694 m.
Lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m.
Coastline: 44,087 km.
Land borders: Total: 0 km.
Natural resources: Coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, molybdenum, diamonds, gold, platinum, niobium, tantalite, uranium, fish, seals, whales, hydropower, possible oil and gas.
Land use: Agricultural land: 0.6% (2023 est.); arable land: 0% (2022 est.); permanent crops: 0% (2022 est.); permanent pasture: 0.6% (2023 est.); forest: 0% (2023 est.); other: 99.4% (2023 est.)
Natural hazards: Continuous permafrost over northern two-thirds of the island.
Geographic note: Dominates North Atlantic Ocean between North America and Europe; sparse population confined to small settlements along coast; close to one-quarter of the population lives in the capital, Nuuk; world's second largest ice sheet after that of Antarctica, covering an area of 1.71 million sq km (660,000 sq mi), or about 79% of the island, and containing 2.85 million cu km (684 thousand cu mi) of ice (almost 7% of the world's fresh water)
Languages: Greenlandic, Danish, English.
Religions: Evangelical Lutheran, traditional Inuit spiritual beliefs.
Ethnic groups: Greenlandic 88.1%, Danish 7.1%, Filipino 1.6%, other Nordic peoples 0.9%, and other 2.3% (2024 est.)
Economy: High-income, self-governing Danish territorial economy; non-EU member but preferential market access; dependent on Danish financial support; exports led by fishing industry; growing tourism and interest in untapped mineral deposits; relies on hydropower for fuel.

From the CIA World Factbook (public domain), archived edition of 2026-01-22. The Factbook is no longer updated, so figures reflect that edition.

Greenland in Numbers

Population: 56,831
GDP: US$3.3 billion
GDP per person: US$58,499
Life expectancy: 70.3 years
Population growth: -0.01% a year
Population density: 0 per km²
Urban population: 88.6%
Surface area: 410,449 km²
Forest cover: 0.0%
Access to electricity: 100.0%
Internet users: 69.5%

Indicators from World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0). The year under each figure is its reference year.

Greenland in Depth

History

In prehistoric times, Greenland was home to several successive Palaeo-Inuit cultures known primarily through archaeological finds. The earliest entry of the Palaeo-Inuit into Greenland is thought to have occurred about 2500 BC. From about 2500 BC to 800 BC, southern and western Greenland was inhabited by the Saqqaq culture. Most finds of remains from that period have been around Disko Bay, including the site of Saqqaq, for which the culture is named.

From 2400 BC to 1300 BC, the Independence I culture existed in northern Greenland. It was a part of the Arctic small-tool tradition. Towns including Deltaterrasserne appeared. About 800 BC the Saqqaq culture disappeared, and the Early Dorset culture emerged in western Greenland and the Independence II culture in northern Greenland.

Geography

Greenland is the world's largest non-continental island and the third largest area in North America after Canada and the United States. It lies between latitudes 59° and 83°N, and longitudes 11° and 74°W, with over 80% of its land mass north of the Arctic Circle. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Greenland Sea to the east, the North Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, the Davis Strait to the southwest, Baffin Bay to the west, and the Nares Strait and Lincoln Sea to the northwest. The nearest countries are Canada, with which it shares a maritime border to the west and southwest across Nares Strait and Baffin Bay, as well as a shared land border on Hans Island; and Iceland to the southeast.

Economy

The single most important factor in the economy is financial aid from Denmark, mainly in the form of the bloktilskud (block grant). In 2024, the bloktilskud was 4.3 billion kr, amounting to a third of the public revenue. On top of this, the Danish state covered the expenses for i.a. judiciary and defence, which together were estimated to amount to over 1 billion kr. For the period from 2019 to 2023 Danish financial aid to Greenland averaged 5.4 billion kr. (€724 million) a year, amounting to more than 20% of the territory's GDP, up from 3.6 billion kr. in 2009.

GDP in 2023 was DKK 22.9 billion, and GDP per capita was DKK 405,000, equivalent to that of the average economies of Europe. The economy performed well in the early 2020s, despite the pandemic, energy crisis and war in Europe.

Demographics

In 2025, Greenland had a population of 56,542. Of these, 49,738 people, or 88% of the population, were born in Greenland, while the remaining 6,804 were born outside Greenland. That year, 19,905 people resided in Nuuk. Nearly all Greenlanders live along the fjords in the south-west of the main island, which has a relatively mild climate, especially considering the high latitude upon which it lies.

Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Greenland (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Greenland: Key Facts

Key facts about Greenland
Currency	Danish krone
Official language	Greenlandic
Head of state	Frederik X of Denmark
Head of government	Jens-Frederik Nielsen
Form of government	parliamentary monarchy
Calling code	+299
Internet domain	.gl
Highest point	Gunnbjørn Fjeld

Facts from Wikidata Q223 (CC0).

History of Greenland: Empires and States

The atlas records 2 polities whose mapped territory included part of Greenland, from Greenland in 1741 CE to 2024 CE. They are listed in the order they first appear.

Polities that held Greenland, in chronological order
Polity	Period here	Extent
Greenland	1741–1940 CE	A large part
Denmark	1946–2024 CE	A large part

Historical Maps of Greenland

Greenland on the world map in each year one of these states held it:

Derived by testing mapped cities against dated territorial polygons. Dates are when the polygons cover this place, not the polity's whole lifespan, and polities absent from the source dataset are not listed.

Visiting Greenland

Greenland (Greenlandic: Kalaallit Nunaat; Danish: Grønland) is the world's largest non-continental island, in the Arctic far north-east of North America. For thousands of years this icy landmass has been inhabited by Arctic peoples. In the 10th century, it was settled by Vikings (or at least a small part of it was), and to this day it is part of the Danish Realm.

Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Greenland (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Largest Cities in Greenland

22 cities recorded. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.

Largest Cities in Greenland
#	Name	Population	Region	Role
1	Nuuk	14,798	Kommuneqarfik Sermersooq	Admin-0 region capital
2	Sisimiut	5,227	Qeqqata Kommunia	Populated place
3	Ilulissat	4,413	Qaasuitsup Kommunia	Populated place
4	Qaqortoq	3,224	Kommune Kujalleq	Populated place
5	Paamiut	1,862	Kommuneqarfik Sermersooq	Populated place
6	Tasiilaq	1,829	—	Populated place
7	Qasigiannguit	1,341	Qaasuitsup Kommunia	Populated place
8	Uummannaq	1,299	—	Populated place
9	Upernavik	1,129	Qaasuitsup Kommunia	Populated place
10	Qaanaaq	616	Qaasuitsup Kommunia	Admin-1 capital
11	Kangerlussuaq	556	Qeqqata Kommunia	Populated place
12	Ittoqqortoormiit	469	Kommuneqarfik Sermersooq	Populated place
13	Kullorsuaq	450	—	Populated place
14	Kulusuk	286	Kommuneqarfik Sermersooq	Populated place
15	Tasiusaq	250	—	Populated place
16	Nuussuaq	204	Qaasuitsup Kommunia	Populated place
17	Kangersuatsiaq	200	—	Populated place
18	Narsarsuaq	145	Kommune Kujalleq	Populated place
19	Savissivik	66	—	Populated place
20	Timmiarmiut	10	Kommune Kujalleq	Populated place
21	Nord	10	Nationalparken	Populated place
22	Qeqertasuaq	10	Qaasuitsup Kommunia	Populated place

Highest Mountains in Greenland

4 mountains recorded. Ranked by summit elevation above sea level. A summit on a border is listed under both countries.

Highest Mountains in Greenland
#	Name	Elevation	Feet	Region
1	Gunnbjørn Fjeld	3,694 m	12,119 ft	North America
2	Mount Forel	3,360 m	11,024 ft	North America
3	Summit Station	3,238 m	10,623 ft	North America
4	Perserajoq	2,259 m	7,411 ft	North America

Ports in Greenland

17 ports recorded. Ranked by approach channel depth, the figure that limits which ships can call. Harbours link to their write-up on the page of the sea or coast they lie on.

Ports in Greenland
#	Name	Channel Depth	Class	Sea	Max Vessel
1	Paamuit (Frederikshab)	45.7 m	Small	Arctic Canada, Hudson Bay & Greenland	medium vessels
2	Qasigiannguit-Christianshab	42.1 m	Very Small	Arctic Canada, Hudson Bay & Greenland	medium vessels
3	Illulissat (Jakobshavn)	34.7 m	Small	Arctic Canada, Hudson Bay & Greenland	medium vessels
4	Kusanartoq	31.1 m	Small	Arctic Canada, Hudson Bay & Greenland	medium vessels
5	Nuuk	16.5 m	Small	Arctic Canada, Hudson Bay & Greenland	medium vessels
6	Gronnedal (Kangilinnguit)	5.5 m	Very Small	Arctic Canada, Hudson Bay & Greenland	medium vessels
7	Qutdleq	5.5 m	Very Small	Arctic Canada, Hudson Bay & Greenland	medium vessels
8	Nanortalik Havn	5.5 m	Very Small	Arctic Canada, Hudson Bay & Greenland	medium vessels
9	Narsaq	5.5 m	Very Small	Arctic Canada, Hudson Bay & Greenland	medium vessels
10	Maniitsoq	5.5 m	Very Small	Arctic Canada, Hudson Bay & Greenland	medium vessels

The other 7 (channel depth, class, sea, max vessel)

Attu · 5.5 m · Very Small · Arctic Canada, Hudson Bay & Greenland · medium vessels
Aasiaat · 5.5 m · Small · Arctic Canada, Hudson Bay & Greenland · medium vessels
Kajalleq Upernavik · 5.5 m · Very Small · Arctic Canada, Hudson Bay & Greenland · point_of_interest
Pituffik (Thule Air Base) · 5.5 m · Very Small · Arctic Canada, Hudson Bay & Greenland · large vessels
Sisimiut · 5.5 m · Small · Arctic Canada, Hudson Bay & Greenland · medium vessels
Narsarssuaq · 5.5 m · Very Small · Arctic Canada, Hudson Bay & Greenland · medium vessels
Qeqertarsuaq · 5.5 m · Small · Arctic Canada, Hudson Bay & Greenland · medium vessels

Largest Islands of Greenland

2 islands recorded. Ranked by mapped area. An island divided between countries is listed under each, with the area of the whole island.

Largest Islands of Greenland
#	Name	Area	Type
1	Greenland	343,888 km²	Island
2	Qeqertarsuaq	8,772 km²	Island

Greenland

Island · 343,888 km²

Greenland is an island in North America (Greenland), covering an estimated 343,888 km².

Greenland is an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark and is the largest of the kingdom's three constituent parts by land area, the others being Denmark proper and the Faroe Islands. Citizens of Greenland are citizens of Denmark. They are thus citizens of the European Union (EU), although Greenland is not part of the EU. It is the world's largest island and lies between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. It shares a small 1.2-kilometre (0.75 mi) border with Canada on Hans Island. The capital and largest city is Nuuk. Kaffeklubben Island off the northern coast is the world's northernmost undisputed point of land – Cape Morris Jesup on the main island was thought to be so until the 1960s. Economically, Greenland is heavily reliant on aid from Denmark, which has averaged 5.4 billion kr. (€724 million) annually in the period 2019–2023, amounting to more than 20% of the territory's gross domestic product.

Though a part of the continent of North America, Greenland was politically and culturally associated with the European kingdom of Norway from 986 until the early 15th century.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Greenland (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Feature class: Island
Mapped extent: 343,888 km²
Size rank: #28 of 445 islands
Region: North America
Subregion: Greenland
Coordinates: 75.7900°, -71.2023°

Summits:: Mount Odin (2,143 m), Mount Forel (3,360 m), Gunnbjørn Fjeld (3,694 m)
Ranges:: Ogilvie Mountains (North America), Brooks Range (North America)
Settlements:: Reykjavík (2,175 km), Fort McMurray (2,671 km), Tromsø (2,746 km)

View on the live map

More about Greenland

Geography

Greenland is the world's largest non-continental island and the third largest area in North America after Canada and the United States. It lies between latitudes 59° and 83°N, and longitudes 11° and 74°W, with over 80% of its land mass north of the Arctic Circle. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Greenland Sea to the east, the North Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, the Davis Strait to the southwest, Baffin Bay to the west, and the Nares Strait and Lincoln Sea to the northwest. The nearest countries are Canada, with which it shares a maritime border to the west and southwest across Nares Strait and Baffin Bay, as well as a shared land border on Hans Island; and Iceland to the southeast.

History

In prehistoric times, Greenland was home to several successive Palaeo-Inuit cultures known primarily through archaeological finds. The earliest entry of the Palaeo-Inuit into Greenland is thought to have occurred about 2500 BC. From about 2500 BC to 800 BC, southern and western Greenland was inhabited by the Saqqaq culture. Most finds of remains from that period have been around Disko Bay, including the site of Saqqaq, for which the culture is named.

From 2400 BC to 1300 BC, the Independence I culture existed in northern Greenland. It was a part of the Arctic small-tool tradition. Towns including Deltaterrasserne appeared. About 800 BC the Saqqaq culture disappeared, and the Early Dorset culture emerged in western Greenland and the Independence II culture in northern Greenland.

Demographics

In 2025, Greenland had a population of 56,542. Of these, 49,738 people, or 88% of the population, were born in Greenland, while the remaining 6,804 were born outside Greenland. That year, 19,905 people resided in Nuuk. Nearly all Greenlanders live along the fjords in the south-west of the main island, which has a relatively mild climate, especially considering the high latitude upon which it lies. Whereas the majority of the population lives north of 64°N in colder coastal climates, Greenland's warmest climates such as the vegetated area around Narsarsuaq are sparsely populated.

In terms of ethnicity, the population is estimated to be 89.5% Greenlandic Inuit, 7.5% Danish, 1.1% other Nordic and 1.9% other origins.

Economy

The single most important factor in the economy is financial aid from Denmark, mainly in the form of the bloktilskud (block grant). In 2024, the bloktilskud was 4.3 billion kr, amounting to a third of the public revenue. On top of this, the Danish state covered the expenses for i.a. judiciary and defence, which together were estimated to amount to over 1 billion kr. For the period from 2019 to 2023 Danish financial aid to Greenland averaged 5.4 billion kr. (€724 million) a year, amounting to more than 20% of the territory's GDP, up from 3.6 billion kr. in 2009.

Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Greenland (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Greenland: Key Facts

Key facts about Greenland
Area	2,166,086 km²
Population	56,609 (2023)
Highest point	Gunnbjørn Fjeld

Facts from Wikidata Q223 (CC0).

Visiting Greenland

Greenland (Greenlandic: Kalaallit Nunaat; Danish: Grønland) is the world's largest non-continental island, in the Arctic far north-east of North America. For thousands of years this icy landmass has been inhabited by Arctic peoples. In the 10th century, it was settled by Vikings (or at least a small part of it was), and to this day it is part of the Danish Realm.

Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Greenland (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Qeqertarsuaq

Island · 8,772 km²

Qeqertarsuaq is an island in North America (Greenland), covering an estimated 8,772 km².

Disko Island (Greenlandic: Qeqertarsuaq, Danish: Diskoøen) is a large island in Baffin Bay, off the west coast of Greenland. It has an area of 8,578 km2 (3,312 mi2), making it the second largest island of Greenland (behind the main island), and one of the 100 largest islands in the world. It is part of the Qeqertalik municipality, although it lies off the coast of southern Avannaata municipality, with mainland Qeqertalik a little to the south.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Disko Island (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Feature class: Island
Mapped extent: 8,772 km²
Size rank: #159 of 445 islands
Region: North America
Subregion: Greenland
Coordinates: 69.8210°, -53.7978°

Summits:: Mount Odin (2,143 m), Mount Forel (3,360 m), Gunnbjørn Fjeld (3,694 m)
Ranges:: Grampian Mountains (Europe), Cambrian Mountains (Europe)
Settlements:: Reykjavík (1,499 km), Sept-Îles (2,267 km), Corner Brook (2,331 km)

View on the live map

More about Qeqertarsuaq

Geography

The island has a length of about 160 km (100 mi), rising to an average height of 975 m (3,199 ft), peaking at 1,919 m (6,296 ft). The port of Qeqertarsuaq (named after the island, and also known as Godhavn) lies on its southern coast. Blæsedalen valley is north of Qeqertarsuaq.

The island is separated from Nuussuaq Peninsula in the northeast by the Sullorsuaq Strait. To the south of the island lies Disko Bay, an inlet bay of Baffin Bay.

History

Research indicates that nine large tsunamigenic landslides struck Sullorsuaq Strait in prehistoric times during the Holocene, seven of them from the southern coast of the Nuussuaq Peninsula and two others from the northern coast of Disko Island. Seven of the landslides apparently occurred between about 8020 BC and 6520 BC with unidentified tsunamigenic effects. The two most recent prehistoric landslides generated megatsunamis which struck Alluttoq Island, the first sometime around 5650 BC with a run-up height of 41 to 66 metres (135 to 217 ft), and another that struck around 5350 BC with a run-up height of 45 to 70 metres (148 to 230 ft).

Erik the Red paid the first recorded visit to Disko Island at some time between 982 and 985.

Geology

Mineral deposits, fossil finds and geological formations add to interest in the area. One of the interesting geological features is the native iron found at the island. A 22-ton (44,000 lbs; 20 tonnes) lump mixture of iron and iron carbide (cohenite) has been found. There are only a few places on earth where native iron is found which is not of meteoric origin.

There are numerous hot springs on the island. The microscopic animal Limnognathia, the only known member of its phylum, was discovered in the Isunngua spring.

Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Disko Island (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Qeqertarsuaq: Key Facts

Key facts about Qeqertarsuaq
Area	8,612 km²
Population	892
Surrounded by	Baffin Bay

Facts from Wikidata Q1228827 (CC0).

Mountain Ranges, Deserts and Landforms of Greenland

14 mountain ranges, deserts and other landforms recorded. Ranked by mapped area. Covers mountain ranges, deserts, plateaus, named glaciers, plains, basins, peninsulas and capes. One that crosses a border is listed under every country it lies in, with the area of the whole feature.

See all 14 mountain ranges, deserts and other landforms →

Mountain Ranges, Deserts and Landforms of Greenland
#	Name	Area	Type	Region
1	North America	27.05M km²	Continent	North America
2	Greenland Ice Sheet	1.03M km²	Glaciated areas	—
3	Greenland Ice Sheet	737,341 km²	Glaciated areas	—
4	Knud Rasmussen Land	221,471 km²	Geoarea	North America
5	King Christian X Land	29,410 km²	Geoarea	North America
6	King Frederik VIII Land	11,805 km²	Geoarea	North America
7	King Christian IX Land	8,932 km²	Geoarea	North America
8	Flade Isblink	8,238 km²	Glaciated areas	—
9	King Frederik VI Coast	2,860 km²	Coast	North America
10	King Wilhelm Land	2,636 km²	Geoarea	North America

States and Provinces of Greenland

2 first-level divisions with their own map.

Countries Bordering Greenland

Land and maritime neighbours.

More Maps in North America

Greenland: Quick Answers

What is the capital of Greenland?: The capital of Greenland is Nuuk.
What is the population of Greenland?: Greenland has a population of about 56,831, the #206 largest of 225 countries in YearMaps. Source: World Bank, 2025.
How big is Greenland?: Greenland covers 2.17M km², ranking #14 by area.
Which continent is Greenland in?: Greenland is in North America.
Which countries border Greenland?: Greenland shares a land or maritime border with Canada, Norway, Iceland.
What is the largest city in Greenland?: Nuuk is the largest city in Greenland, with a metropolitan population of about 14,798.
What is the highest mountain in Greenland?: The highest summit recorded for Greenland in YearMaps is Gunnbjørn Fjeld at 3,694 m (12,119 ft). Summits on a border are counted for both countries.