Greenland - Government
Based on the etymolgy of Greenland, it was named by Norse navigator Erik THORVALDSSON (Erik the Red) in A.D. 985 to attract settlers to the island; the original Greenlandic name, Kalaallit Nunaat, means "land of the people". The Government system in this country is the parliamentary democracy (Parliament of Greenland or Inatsisartut) type and the different Administrative divisions includes: 5 municipalities (kommuner, singular - kommune); Avannaata, Kujalleq, Qeqertalik, Qeqqata, Sermersooq
National symbols
Polar bear.
The flag
The National flag of Greenland has .
Info
The National Anthem
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Info
More about the government of Greenland
| Date of Independence | none (extensive self-rule as part of the Kingdom of Denmark) |
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| National holiday | National Day, June 21 |
| Legal system | Denmark's laws apply in some areas, and Greenland's law for the remainder |
| International law organization participation | |
| Constitution | |
| History | Previous 1953 (Greenland established as a constituency in the Danish constitution), 1979 (Greenland Home Rule Act); latest 21 June 2009 (Greenland Self-Government Act) |
| Citizenship | |
| Executive Branch | |
| Chief of state | King FREDERIK X of Denmark (since 14 January 2024), represented by High Commissioner Julie Praest WILCHE (since May 2022) (2024) |
| Head of government | Prime Minister Jens-Frederik NIELSEN (since 28 March 2025) |
| Cabinet | Self-rule Government (Naalakkersuisut) elected by the Parliament (Inatsisartut) |
| Election/appointment process | the monarchy is hereditary; high commissioner appointed by the monarch; premier indirectly elected by Parliament for a 4-year term |
| Election results | 2025: Jens-Frederik NIELSEN (D) elected premier 2021: Mute B. EGEDE elected premier; Parliament vote - Mute B. EGEDE (Inuit Ataqatigiit) unanimous 2014: Kim KIELSEN elected premier; Parliament vote - Kim KIELSEN (S) 27.2%, Sara OLSVIG (IA) 25.5%, Randi Vestergaard EVALDSEN (D) 19.5%, other 27.8% |
| Legislative branch | |
| Legislature name | Parliament (Inatsisartut) |
| Legislative structure | Unicameral |
| Number of seats | 31 (directly elected) |
| Electoral system | Proportional representation |
| Scope of elections | Full renewal |
| Term in office | 4 years |
| Most recent election date | 4/6/2021 |
| Parties elected and seats per party | IA (12); S (10); N (4); D (3); A (2) |
| Percentage of women in chamber | 35% |
| Expected date of next election | 2025 |
| Judicial branch | |
| Highest court(s) | High Court of Greenland (consists of the presiding professional judge and 2 lay assessors) |
| Judge selection and term of office | Judges appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the Judicial Appointments Council, a 6-member independent body of judges and lawyers; judges appointed for life with retirement at age 70 |
| Subordinate courts | Court of Greenland; 18 district or magistrates' courts |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | |
| Chief of mission | Kenneth HØEGH, Head of Representation (since 1 August 2021) |
| Chancery | 3200 Whitehaven Street, NW Washington, DC 20008 |
| Telephone | [1] (202) 234-4300 |
| FAX | [1] (202) 328-1470 |
| Email address and website | [email protected] All Greenlandic Representations | Grønlands Repræsentation (grl-rep.dk); https://naalakkersuisut.gl/en/Naalakkersuisut/Groenlands-repraesentation-Washington |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | |
| Chief of mission | Consul Susan A. "Suzi" WILSON (since August 2025) |
| Embassy | Aalisartut Aqqutaa 47 Nuuk 3900 Greenland |
| Telephone | (+299) 384100 |
| Email address and website | [email protected] Homepage - U.S. Embassy & Consulate in the Kingdom of Denmark (usembassy.gov) |
| National heritage | |
| Total World Heritage Sites | 3 (2 cultural, 1 natural); note - excerpted from the Denmark entry |
| Selected World Heritage Site locales | Ilulissat Icefjord (n); Kujataa, Norse, and Inuit Farming (c); Aasivissuit–Nipisat, Inuit Hunting Ground (c) |
Key Political parties and their leaders in Greenland
Info
International organization participation
All Important Facts about Greenland
Want to know more about Greenland? Check all different factbooks for Greenland below.
