Greenland is politically part of the Kingdom of Denmark, although it has extensive self-government.
Greenland is the world’s largest island that is not a continent. It became a Danish colony in 1814 and received home rule in 1979. Self-government was expanded in 2009, giving Greenland authority over many domestic matters, while Denmark retains responsibility for areas such as foreign affairs, defence, and monetary policy.
Geographically, Greenland is part of North America and lies between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans. Around 80 percent of its surface is covered by the Greenland ice sheet, the second-largest ice body on Earth after Antarctica’s. Greenland’s population is concentrated mainly along the ice-free coast, and Nuuk is its capital. Greenland is not an independent sovereign state, a distinction that makes Denmark the canonical political answer.