Where is Greenland?

Greenland is located in the North America region at latitude 71.7069 and longitude -42.6043 and is part of the North American continent.

The DMS coordinates for the center of the country are:

• 71° 42' 25'' N
• 42° 36' 15'' W

You can see the location of Greenland on the world map below:

Maritime Borders

Greenland has no land borders; it is surrounded by the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, with Baffin Bay separating it from Canada.

Greenland Key Facts

Country	Greenland
Coordinates	Latitude: 71.7069 Longitude: -42.6043
Country Codes	Alpha 2: GL Alpha 3: GRL
Country Flag Emoji	🇬🇱
Int. Phone Prefix	+299
Capital city	Nuuk
Continent Subcontinent	North America North America
Country Area	2166086 sq km
Population 2023	56,836 World Rank: 201
Median Age	34
Life expectancy	70
Major languages	Greenlandic (Kalaallisut, official), Danish
UTC/GMT Time	Number of time zones: 4 UTC-02:00
Internet TLD	.gl
Biggest Airport	Nuuk International Airport (GOH)
Average temperature	-7 °C 19 °F
Administrative Divisions	5 municipalities
Political system	Self-governing autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark

Greenland Economy Facts

World Bank Income Group	High income
World Bank Region	Europe & Central Asia
Currency	Danish krone (DKK)
GDP in 2023	$3.33 (billions of USD) World Rank: 179
GDP per capita in 2023	$58,499 World Rank: 21
Major Industries / Economic Sectors	Fishing and seafood processing, public administration, tourism, hunting, mining (emerging), hydropower
Top 5 Import Countries	Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands, Germany, Norway
Top 5 Export Countries	Denmark, China, Japan, Latvia, Germany

Biggest Cities in Greenland

Here are the largest cities in Greenland based on data:

City	Population
Nuuk	19,604
Sisimiut	5,582
Ilulissat	4,670
Qaqortoq	3,050
Aasiaat	3,069

Map of Greenland with the Largest Cities

Other Countries in the North America Region

• Where are the United States of America?
• Where is Bermuda?
• Where is Canada?
• Where is Mexico?
• Where is Saint Pierre and Miquelon?

Geography

Greenland is the world’s largest island, lying between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, northeast of mainland Canada and northwest of Iceland. Although it is geographically part of the North American continent, it has been politically tied to Europe for centuries through the Kingdom of Denmark.

Roughly 80% of Greenland is covered by a permanent ice sheet — the second largest body of ice on Earth after Antarctica — which confines almost all of its small population to ice-free pockets along the coast. The capital, Nuuk, sits on the milder southwestern shore.

Spanning more than 2.1 million square kilometres but home to only around 56,000 people, Greenland is the least densely populated territory in the world.

Is Greenland a country?

Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. Since adopting self-government in 2009, it has controlled most of its own domestic affairs — including natural resources, justice and policing — while Denmark handles defence and foreign policy and provides an annual block grant. Greenlanders are Danish (and EU-area) citizens, though Greenland itself left the European Communities in 1985 and is not part of the EU. The territory has a clear constitutional path to full independence should its people vote for it.

Greenland in the North Atlantic and Arctic

Greenland’s nearest neighbours are Canada to the west, across the narrow Nares Strait and Baffin Bay, and Iceland to the southeast across the Denmark Strait. Its northern tip is among the closest land masses to the North Pole.

Climate

Greenland has an Arctic to subarctic climate. Coastal towns like Nuuk average a few degrees below freezing over the year, while the interior ice cap is among the coldest places on Earth. Summers are short and cool along the southwest coast.

Economy

Greenland’s high-income economy is overwhelmingly dependent on fishing and seafood, which dominate its exports, supplemented by public spending and a large annual block grant from Denmark. Tourism and mining are seen as future growth areas.

Administrative divisions

Greenland is divided into five municipalities — Sermersooq (which contains Nuuk), Kujalleq, Qeqqata, Avannaata and Qeqertalik — plus the vast, largely uninhabited Northeast Greenland National Park. Most towns are coastal and connected by sea and air rather than roads.

Related Locations

Where is Denmark? Greenland's sovereign state within the Kingdom of Denmark.

Where is Iceland? Greenland's neighbour to the southeast across the Denmark Strait.

Where is Canada? The North American mainland to Greenland's west.