Inuit/Inupiaq | About World Languages By Irene Thompson | Updated June 17, 2014 by Irene Thompson Tunngasugit – Welcome The term Inuit (plural of Inuk ‘man’) refers to a group of indigenous peoples of the circumpolar regions of Alaska, Canada, and Greenland. The term is also used for the continuum of language varieties spoken by the Inuit people. Inuit is a group of five closely related languages that belong to the Eskimo branch of the Eskimo-Aleut language family. Three of these languages, spoken in Canada and Greenland, are referred to as Inuktitut. Two languages, spoken in Alaska, are referred to as Inupiatun ( Ethnologue ). The Inuit people themselves use different names to refer to their own languages. The term Eskimo is a derogatory word in Algonquian that means ‘eater of raw flesh’. The nomadic Inuit people are thought to have originated in northeastern Siberia and to have began to migrate eastward across the Bering Straits to Alaska and then across northern Canada to Greenland in widely separated groups around 2,000 BC.

As a result, rather than being a single language, Inuit is a continuum of varieties that are not readily comprehensible at their geographical extremes. Inuit Inuit varieties have a different status, depending on the country where they are spoken: Greenland The largest group of Inuit speakers lives in Greenland and Denmark (57,000). In Greenland, the official form of Inuit, is one of the official languages of the state (along with Danish ). It is called Kalaallisut. Canada In Canada, the word Inuktitut is used to refer to all Canadian varieties of Inuit. Inuktitut is recognized as the official language of the Nunavut Territory (along with English and French) and the Northwest Territories (along with English, French, and several other indigenous languages). It also has legal recognition in Nunavik – a part of Quebec – where it is recognized in the Charter of the French Language as the official language of instruction for Inuit schools. It also has some recognition in Nunatsiavut – the Inuit area of Labrador. Inuit is used in print and electronic media in Canada and Greenland.

Inuit Circumpolar Conference has a commission dedicated to the preservation of Inuit and the development of a common writing system for the language. U.S. Inuit has no official status in Alaska. All Inuit varieties have a number of dialects associated with their geographical location. Structure Sound system Almost all dialects of Inuit have only three basic vowels that can be either short or long. Vowel length makes a difference in word meaning. In Nunavut standard Roman orthography long vowels are written as a double vowel. This rule is not always true for Alaskan dialects and some areas of Greenland. Vowel sequences are limited to two adjacent vowels. Position of stress in a word affects word meaning. Grammar Like other Eskimo-Aleut languages, Inuit languages are polysynthetic , i.e., grammatical functions are represented by a strings of suffixes attached to roots and stems. As a result, Inuit languages have many long words that are equivalent to whole sentences in analytical languages such as English.

For example, the Inuktitut word tusaatsiarunnanngittualuujunga ‘I can’t hear very well‘ is made up of the elements tusaa ‘hear’ + tsiaq ‘well’ + junnaq ‘able to’ + nngit ‘not’ + tualuu ‘very much’ + junga ‘lst person singular, present, indicative, non-specific’ (example from Wikipedia ). All Inuit languages are Ergative-Absolutive . This means that subjects of intransitive verbs and objects of transitive verbs are marked with the Absolutive case, while subjects of transitive verbs are marked with the Ergative case. This differs from Indo-European languages that mark the subject of both transitive and intransitive verbs with the Nominative case and the object of transitive verbs with the Accusative case. Grammar Nouns Nouns are marked for case and number. Most varieties of Inuit have three numbers (singular, dual , and plural). There is no gender marking. Pronouns The pronominal system of Inuit consists of personal, interrogative, and demonstrative pronouns.

Inuit has two forms of the third person pronoun: one that corresponds to the third person in European languages, and an obviative form. This helps to disambiguate the antecedent of ‘his’ in a sentence such as ‘Tommy gave Billy his ball.’ Verbs Inuit verbs have a highly developed system of grammatical marking. A single inflected verb can constitute a sentence, e.g.,quviasuktunga ‘I am happy’ (quviasuk ‘happy’ + –tunga ‘1st person singular’.) Verbs fall into two categories: specific and nonspecific. There are many verbs, however, that belong to both categories. Specific verbs have definite objects. They take suffixes that indicate the grammatical person of both the subject and the object, but not their grammatical number. Verbs carry inflections for person and number of both subject and object. Inuktitut verbs start with a root morpheme and end with a suffix that indicates the grammatical person of its subject, e.g., pisuk ‘walk’ + tunga ‘1st person singular’ = pisuktunga ‘I am walking’.

There are up to 8 different moods, including indicative , imperative , interrogative , optative , and several forms of subjunctive . Aspect is expressed lexically through derivation, rather than grammatically. There are three tenses: present, past, and future. While Indo-European languages tend to make tense distinctions in terms of before or after some specific event, Inuktitut makes a number of somewhat fuzzy distinctions depending on how far into the past or the future the event took or will take place. In English, this distinction requires additional words to place the event in time, but in Inuktitut the tense marker itself carries much of that information, e.g., tikip– ‘arrive’ +niaq– ‘later today’ + –tuq ‘3rd person singular non-specific’ = tikimniaqtuq ‘he is arriving later’ (example from Wikipedia ). The normal word order is Subject-Object-Verb. Vocabulary Inuit has a tendency not to borrow words from other languages, but to build them from native elements, e.g., sukatunik titiraut ‘fax’, literally, ‘fast letters’. New words are typically formed from native and borrowed roots by the addition of various suffixes.

The vocabularies of different varieties show different influences. For instance, varieties spoken in Siberia have borrowed words rom Russian (e.g., sabaakax ‘dog’ from Russian sobaka. Inuktitut spoken in Canada uses many English words, while Inuktitut in Greenland shows extensive influence of Danish. Top Until relatively recently, Inuit was not written. The first attempt to write the language was made by Moravian missionaries in Greenland and Labrador in the mid-18th century. In the 1870’s, Edmund Peck, an Anglican missionary, adapted the Cree syllabary for writing Inuit. Other missionaries, and later Canadian and American government linguists, adapted the Latin alphabet to the dialects of the Mackenzie River delta, the western Arctic islands and Alaska. Today, Inuit is written with the Latin alphabet in Greenland, Alaska, Labrador, the Mackenzie River delta in the Northwest Territories, and in part of Nunavut. In most of Nunavut and in northern Quebec, Inuit is written using the Inuit syllabary that has official status in Nunavut, alongside the Latin alphabet. Syllabaries are also used officially in Quebec.

In Greenland, the traditional Latin script is official and is widely used in public life. The Latin script is used to write Inupiaq in Alaska. However in some parts of Canada, the Inuit syllabary is used. Below is Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in two Inuit scripts. Greenlandic Inuktitut Immikkoortoq 1. Inuit tamarmik inunngorput nammineersinnaassuseqarlutik assigiimmillu ataqqinassuseqarlutillu pisinnaatitaaffeqarlutik. Solaqassusermik tarnillu nalunngissusianik pilersugaapput, imminnullu iliorfigeqatigiittariaqaraluarput qatanngutigiittut peqatigiinnerup anersaavani. Article 1 All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. Did You Know? English has borrowed a number of words from Inuit languages.

Among them are the following: Borrowed word Fondly, Greenland Loosens Danish Rule - The New York Times The New York Times Europe |Fondly, Greenland Loosens Danish Rule Search Continue reading the main story Photo Some of Greenlands 58,000 people in Nuuk on Sunday at a ceremony giving the country powers of self-governance. Credit Narayan Mahon for The New York Times NUUK, Greenland — The thing about being from Greenland, said Susan Gudmundsdottir Johnsen, is that many outsiders seem to have no clue where it actually is. “They say, ‘Oh, my God, Greenland?’ It’s like they’ve never heard of it,” said Ms. Johnsen, 36, who was born in Iceland but has lived on this huge, largely frozen northern island for 25 years. “I have to explain: ‘Here you have a map. Here’s Europe. The big white thing is Greenland.’ ” But Greenland, with 58,000 people and only two traffic lights, both of them here in the capital, is now securing its place in the world.

On Sunday, amid solemn ceremony and giddy celebration, it ushered in a new era of self-governance that sets the stage for eventual independence from Denmark , its ruler since 1721. The move, which allows Greenland to gradually take responsibility over areas like criminal justice and oil exploration, follows a referendum last year in which 76 percent of voters said they wanted self-rule. Many of the changes are deeply symbolic. Kalaallisut, a traditional Inuit dialect, is now the country’s official language, and Greenlanders are now recognized under international law as a separate people from Danes. Thrillingly, the Greenlandic government now gets to call itself by its Inuit name, Naalakkersuisut — the first time in history, officials said, that the word has been used in a Danish government document. Advertisement Continue reading the main story “It’s a new relationship based on equality,” said Greenland’s new, charismatic prime minister, Kuupik Kleist, speaking of the balance of power between Greenland and Denmark. He compared the situation to a marriage in which the wife was bossing around her henpecked husband.

“From today,” he said, “the man in the house has as much say as the wife.” But this is a delicate time, full of hope and trepidation in equal measure. Few Greenlanders graduate from college. The country is rife with social problems like alcoholism, unemployment and domestic violence. Infrastructure improvements are punishingly expensive and desperately needed in a place where, for instance, people travel by boat or plane because there are no roads connecting towns. Meanwhile, global warming is rapidly melting the mighty icecap that covers some 80 percent of Greenland’s 840,000 square miles. Although that is destroying traditional hunting livelihoods, it also brings new opportunities for exploring and exploiting what could be vast reserves of oil and minerals deep beneath Greenland’s surface and in the waters around it. Under the new self-government agreement, Greenland will get half of any proceeds from oil or minerals. The other half will go to Denmark, to be deducted from the grant of 3.4 billion kroner, or $637 million, that it gives Greenland each year. The hope is that eventually the subsidy can cease altogether and Greenland will be ready for independence.

The prospect of Greenland’s benefiting from what may be a lucrative oil and mineral business raises an obvious question: What’s in it for Denmark? “It’s not a question about money,” the Danish prime minister, Lars Lokke Rasmussen, said in an interview here. “This is a question of respecting Greenlandic people and giving them the right to decide their own destiny.” Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box. Invalid email address. Please re-enter. You must select a newsletter to subscribe to. Sign Up Privacy Policy The right to self-determination, particularly for indigenous people like Greenland’s Inuit, more commonly known as Eskimos, was a recurring theme this weekend. Two exotically dressed visitors from Norway’s Sami Parliament, which represents the country’s reindeer herders, appeared at a trade exposition here on Saturday, marveling at how far the Greenlanders had come. “They’re many steps farther along than we are,” said Marianne Balto, Parliament’s vice president.

“It gives hope to the Sami people.” Advertisement Continue reading the main story Iceland’s president, Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, was there, looking at it from the other side, recalling how his country ended hundreds of years of Danish rule with independence in 1944. Bent Liisberg, a lawyer from Norway, which was owned for hundreds of years by Denmark and then by Sweden, had much the same perspective. On Sunday, he was carrying a backpack from which protruded a little Greenlandic flag, its red-and-white design representing the sea, sky and sun. “This is a great day for small nations,” he said. Nuuk is a curious city, where old, brightly colored wooden houses built by the original Danish settlers coexist with rows of down-on-their-heels apartment buildings that are almost Soviet in their soullessness. Its harbor is impossibly quaint and its views breathtakingly beautiful; its center is indifferently maintained and virtually paralyzed by traffic at 8 o’clock every morning, when the workday begins. It has 15,000 residents, and many seemed to be out and about at 7:30 a.m., when the procession down to the harbor for the self-government celebrations began.

It snowed the day before — giving a strange feeling at a time of year when there is virtually no darkness — but on Sunday the sun blazed across the water. Representatives from 17 countries and territories, including the United States and the Faroe Islands (also owned by Denmark), were there. Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, wearing a traditional Inuit costume with shorts made of seal fur and a short, beaded shawl, solemnly handed over the official self-government document to the chairman of Greenland’s Parliament. For Greenlanders, who can feel like second-class citizens in Denmark, the new arrangement bolsters a national pride they almost didn’t know they had. “It is nothing that we will feel on a day-to-day basis, but the symbolic value of this gives people so much more confidence,” said Peter Lovstrom, 28, who works at the national art museum in Nuuk. He said it was impossible to feel rancor toward Denmark, given all of the intermarriage and connections between the countries. “We all get along. We have to get along,” Mr. Lovstrom said.

“But I feel a bit more Greenlandic now.” Correction: June 24, 2009 An article on Monday about Greenland’s moves toward eventual independence from Denmark misstated the Danish currency equivalent of the $637 million annual subsidy that Denmark gives to Greenland. It is 3.4 billion kroner, not 3.4 million. A version of this article appears in print on , on Page A4 of the New York edition with the headline: Fondly, Greenland Loosens Danish Rule. Order Reprints | Today's Paper | Subscribe Refworld | World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Denmark : Inuit (Greenlanders) World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Denmark : Inuit (Greenlanders) Publisher 2008 Cite as Minority Rights Group International, World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Denmark : Inuit (Greenlanders), 2008, available at: [accessed 16 December 2016] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content.

Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Profile Three-quarters of the immense land surface of Greenland is covered by permanent ice and is unsuitable for permanent settlement. The majority of the island's population are Greenlandic, comprising three linguistic groups: Kalaallit along the west coast; Inughuit in the north (the world's most northerly indigenous inhabitants); and Iit on the east coast. Greenlanders generally call themselves collectively Kalaallit and refer to their land as Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenlanders' Land). Historical context The first groups of nomadic migrants came to Greenland about 4,500 years ago; early settlers were mainly hunters of land mammals, but later migrants also harvested sea resources. European settlement began in about CE 985. In the eighteenth century small trading stations were established along the west coast, and in 1776 the Danish government formed the Royal Greenland Trade Company, which had a monopoly on Greenland trade until 1950. The Inuit population was converted to Lutheran Christianity in the eighteenth century, but records remain of Inuit cosmology and moral codes.

A complex series of taboos ensured regulation of human activity in relation to the environment. The early Danish colonizers were paternalistic and protective towards their Inuit subjects, enabling most Inuit to retain their small-scale subsistence economy. Economic modernization partly began as a result of climate warming during the early nineteenth century, which made a transition from hunting to commercial fishing possible. In 1953 Greenland's colonial status was abolished, and it became an integral part of the Kingdom of Denmark. A large- scale development programme began. Inuit were encouraged to migrate from 'unprofitable' settlements in the outlying areas to west coast towns. Rapid urbanization resulted in the break-up of Inuit kinship and other customary networks, as well as in increasing immigration of Danes and growing Inuit politicization and demands for home rule. The Greenland Home Rule Act was passed in 1978 and implemented in 1979. The right of the Danish Parliament to decide Greenland affairs was transferred to the Greenland Landsting, an elected legislative authority composed almost entirely of resident Greenlanders. Current issues Administrative functions are delegated to the Landsstyre, the government body.

Home-rule government areas of responsibility include economic affairs, trade and industry, education, health, social affairs and the environment. The Danish government maintains control of defence, foreign affairs, policing and the administration of justice. In 1994 the Greenland Home Rule Administration set up the Greenlandic Legal Commission to review and recommend revisions for the territory's justice system. The Greenland authorities aspire to greater independence from Denmark generally. The official language of the territory is West Greenlandic (Kalaallit), an Inuit language. It is taught in schools and used in broadcasting, administration, church services, literature and newspapers. Both Danish and West Greenlandic are official languages of instruction, and Greenlandic is not in danger of disappearing. Radio Greenland, run by the Inuit, broadcasts in Greenlandic. As a result of the achievement of home rule, a national Inuit identity has emerged. Yet Inuit face a range of economic, social, health and environmental problems. While they enjoy constitutionally protected rights, their traditional way of life is threatened by both economic modernization and international campaigns led by animal rights activists against their traditional forms of subsistence hunting, which remain crucial in the north and east.

The impact of global warming is also posing a serious danger to the Inuit way of life. Rising sea levels, melting ice and the disappearance of animals which the Inuit rely on to sustain them, are just some of the effects that are already apparent. In February 2007, a delegation of Inuit from Greenland, US, Canada and Russia, argued before the Inter-American Court on Human Rights that the US's failure to contain greenhouse gases, put it in breach of its obligations under the American Convention on Human Rights. Greenland's real per capita GDP is roughly half that of Denmark and many Inuit are unemployed. In the mid-1980s over- fishing caused serious problems for the economy. Danish subsidies are needed to buy Danish commodities and to pay the Danes who do the skilled work. Inuit also suffer from high rates of suicide and psychological disorder, and have an infant mortality rate five times higher than in Denmark. Changing dietary habits may account for many of their health problems. Substance abuse is common, especially among younger people, as is alcoholism and the spread of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases are a matter of increasing concern. Copyright notice: © Minority Rights Group International. All rights reserved.

Culture of Greenland - history, people, clothing, women, beliefs, food, customs, family, social Culture of Greenland Kalaallit Nunaat (used by Inuit Greenlanders) Orientation Identification. Greenland was probably originally settled by descendants of the present Inuit culture, who identify the island as Kalaalit Nunaat—meaning "land of the people"—in their native language. It received the name Greenland from Norse explorer Eiríkur Rauðe Þorvaldsson (known today as Erik the Red). He sailed from Iceland to the island in 982 C.E. and spent the next three years farming a plot of land along the southern coastline. He returned to Iceland in 986, intent on encouraging others to settle the rugged island. With this in mind, he referred to the island as Greenland, reasoning that a pleasant name would be more likely to attract settlers. Several colonies subsequently were established in Greenland, but these failed to survive. In 1605 King Christian IV of Denmark claimed Greenland for his kingdom. It remained a colony of Denmark until 1953, when it received county status. This change also gave Greenlanders full Danish citizenship.

In 1979, Greenland became a self-governing part of the Danish realm after passage of a popular referendum. But it is still subject to the Danish constitution, and Denmark continues to manage the island's external affairs in areas such as defense. Greenland is currently composed of three administrative divisions: West Greenland (Kitaa in Greenlandic), East Greenland (Tunu), and North Greenland (Avannaa, also known as the Thule District). Today, about 80 percent of Greenland's population is of Inuit or mixed Inuit/Danish heritage. Most of the remainder are of Danish descent, although a small number trace their heritage back to other regions of Europe. Modern Greenland has undoubtedly been shaped by European values and perspectives, but the island nonetheless features unique Inuit and European cultures that are distinct from one another. These differences in social customs and attitudes do bring tensions, but Greenlanders are united by the commonly held challenges of cold climate and isolation, as well as a genuine affection for the land on which they live. Location and Geography. Greenland is the largest island in the world. It is located 17 miles northeast of Canada's Ellesmere Island, between the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic.

The northern tip of Greenland is approximately 460 miles (740 kilometers) from the North Pole, making it the northernmost country on the planet. It is approximately 1,660 miles (2,670 kilometers) long from its northern to southern tips, and is about 650 miles (1,050 kilometers) across at its widest point. The total land area of Greenland is about 804,000 square miles (2,175,600 square kilometers), about three times the size of Texas, but 85 percent of the island's land surface is covered by ice. The country includes about 24,800 miles (40,000 kilometers) of coastline. Greenland is a forbidding, rugged land that nonetheless possesses a stark beauty. Much of the island's interior lies beneath a vast ice cap that in some places is up to 9,800 feet (3,000 meters) thick. Over the years, the weight of all this ice has reshaped the island's interior into a concave, bowl-like basin that has actually sunk below sea level in several areas.

The white surface of this vast ice cap is relieved only by the occasional peaks of mountains (nunataks in Greenlandic) jutting into the sky. Glaciers from this great mass of ice extend through mountain valleys and ravines to reach coastline fjords at many points. At the terminuses of these drainages, thousands of icebergs—many of monstrous size—are formed every year. The inhospitable interior of the island relegates the entire population of Greenland to its rugged coastlines. Most settlements are on the west and Greenland southwest coast, including the capital city of Nuuk. This city, originally founded in 1721, is the island's oldest Danish settlement and by far the largest community in Greenland. It holds about 14,000 of the nation's entire population of 59,000 people. The climate in Greenland is subarctic, with short, cool summers and bitterly cold winters. Along the fjords of the southwest coast, where most Greenlanders live, temperatures average 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius) during the height of summer. But the temperature falls to a mean of 18 degrees Fahrenheit (-8 degrees Celsius) during wintertime.

Temperatures are much colder in the northern interior. Hours of sunlight vary dramatically from season to season in Greenland, three-quarters of which lies north of the Arctic Circle. During the summer, Greenland becomes a land of the "midnight sun," with weeks of 24-hour daylight all along its length and breadth. In fact, northern Greenland receives three months of continual daylight during this time. During the winter, however, Greenland's southern ramparts receive only a meager supply of daylight (several hours each day) and the far north is plunged into darkness for several weeks, bracketed by a month of brief, hazy twilight on either end. Demography. The total population of Greenland was estimated at 59,300 (31,390 men and 27,910 women) in July 1998. Approximately 26 percent of the total population is 14 years old or younger, while 6 percent are 65 years and over. The remaining 68 percent are between the ages of 15 and 64.

Life expectancy for the total population is 69.46 years (65.29 years for men, 73.65 years for women). About 80 percent of Greenland's population is of Inuit or mixed Inuit and Danish-Norwegian heritage. The rest are of European ancestry. In addition to Nuuk (population 14,000), population centers on Greenland include Holsteinsborg (Sisimiut in Greenlandic), Jakobshavn (Ilulissat), Narsaq (Narssaq), Julianehåb (Qaqortoq), and Ammassalik (Angmagssalik). Greenlandic communities are widely dispersed across the country, and roadways connecting these villages and towns are nonexistent. Transportation within Greenland is via dogsled, snowmobile, coastal ferry, and helicopter. Linguistic Affiliation. Greenlandic is the official language of the island. It is an Inuit dialect with regional differences (east and west Greenlandic dialects are different in a number of notable respects).

"Greenlandic is a polysynthetic language, in which entire ideas are expressed in a single word by addition of prefixes and suffixes to a root subject," note Deanna Swaney and Graeme Cornwallis in Iceland, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands. "Hence the impossible-looking mega-syllabic words which intimidate foreigners with their sheer length when written on a page . . . Some outsiders who've lived for years in Greenland still don't have a grasp of the language." In addition, nearly every citizen of Greenland knows the Danish language. Symbolism. The national flag of Greenland appears as two equal horizontal bands of white and red (with the white on top), broken up by a large circle located slightly to the left of center. The top half of this disk is red, while the bottom half is white. The line dividing the circle in two is aligned with the line that divides the two horizontal bands, creating a single line that extends across the length of the flag. Greenland is also awash in cultural symbols and slogans that reflect the history and values of traditional Inuit communities. Many of these symbols are closely related to the environment and/or the natural world, which has sustained the Inuit peoples for hundreds of years.

History and Ethnic Relations Emergence of the Nation. It is believed that Greenland's first inhabitants arrived on the island about 4,500–5,000 years ago (probably from Ellesmere Island). But these early Inuit peoples disappeared from the land about 3,000 years ago for unknown reasons. They were followed by another Stone Age eskimo culture known as the Dorset Culture. This nomadic hunting culture lasted from about 600 B.C.E. C.E. before disappearing. In the tenth century, the Thule Culture spread across Greenland. This culture, which developed early kayaks, harpoons, and dogsleds, either absorbed or supplanted existing eskimo cultures. Anthropologists agree that Greenland's modern Inuits are descended from the Thule. Thule influence spread across the island during the same time that Norse explorers first investigated its coastlines. About 900, a Norwegian named Gunnbjørn Ulfsson became the first European to set foot on Greenland. He was followed more than 80 years later by Eiríkur Rauðe Þorvaldsson (Erik the Red), who organized the first Viking settlements on the island.

Around 1000, Leif Eriksson, son of Erik the Red, brought Christianity to Greenland from Norway. Norse settlements prospered for about 500 years, thanks in large measure to continuing ties with Iceland and Norway. But these settlements eventually dissolved and disappeared. Their disappearance has been attributed to climatic changes and problems with the Thule tribes, but their demise remains largely shrouded in mystery. Europeans returned to Greenland in 1721, and in 1775 Denmark claimed the island as a colony. In 1953 a new Danish constitution made Greenland a part of Denmark, and financial aid to the island increased dramatically. In 1979, a popular referendum gave Greenland "Home Rule" status as a distinct nation within the Kingdom of Denmark. National Identity. Greenland features a blend of Inuit and Danish cultures. Many Greenlanders have expressed uneasiness with the increased "Westernization" of Greenland communities in recent years, and many efforts are underway to preserve and sustain traditional Inuit ways, which remain an essential part of the country's national identity.

But Greenland's long association with Denmark has benefited the island's inhabitants in many tangible ways, such as in raising standards of living and improving health care and education. Moreover, most Greenlanders of European descent are sensitive to the importance of preserving the historical culture and perspective of the Inuit people. Urbanism, Architecture, and the Use of Space Nearly all Greenlandic architecture is extremely utilitarian. Buildings and other structures emphasize functionality over form. Greenlandic homes are typically constructed of stone, sod, or wood. During the summers, some families live in tents made from furs or skins. Communities are typically tightly clustered together, for as Gretel Ehrlich remarked in National Geographic Adventure, "for the Eskimo, solitude is a sign of sheer unhappiness. It is thought to be a perversion and absolutely undesirable." Food and Economy Food in Daily Life. The typical Greenlandic diet is heavy on consumption of fish, potatoes, vegetables, and canned foods. Seal and polar bear meat is also a staple in many Inuit communities. Basic Economy.

Greenland's economic situation is comparable to that of mainland Europe, in terms of standard of living and unemployment (officially about 10 percent in the mid-1990s, with the public sector accounting for almost two-thirds of all jobs). Its annual gross national product exceeds $1 billion (U.S.), but about one-half of government revenues are received directly from the Danish government. Greenland suffered from recessionary economic conditions in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It has benefited from budget surpluses and low inflation in recent years, but fears that overfishing might trigger crippling fisheries depletion in the near future are growing. In northern and eastern Greenland, the economies of small and isolated Inuit villages are primarily based on subsistence hunting for meat and pelts (of polar bears and seals, most notably) and fishing. In addition, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) has granted Greenland special permission to engage in limited "aboriginal subsistence whaling" in recent years, which has benefited some Inuit communities. Land Tenure and Property.

Community ownership of land and common resources is the rule in Inuit communities, where interdependence is a necessity A person collecting ice for drinking water in Qaanaaq, Greenland. In Greenland's subarctic climate, temperatures average only fifty degrees at the height of summer, and only along the southwest coast. for survival. In fact, Inuit families that exceed "normal" living standards within their community typically distribute excess goods to poorer individuals. In non-subsistence communities such as the capital city of Nuuk, where European influences are more pronounced, private ownership protections are stronger. Major Industries. Greenland is heavily reliant on fishing and related industries for its economic wellbeing, and it has gained an international reputation for being a fierce protector of its fishing rights in recurring disputes with Canada and the European Union. Leading fisheries include shrimp, halibut, redfish, salmon, and haddock. Cod was formerly a leader, but its fisheries have been decimated by overfishing. Other important industries include agriculture (sheep, vegetables) and mining. Tourism is emerging as an important economic factor as well, although Greenland's remote location and short summers are hindrances in this regard. Trade. Most manufactured and consumer goods available in Greenland are imported from Denmark.

Fish and fish-related products account for approximately 95 percent of all of Greenland's exports. Leading trading partners are Denmark, Japan, Norway, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Division of Labor. Many Greenlandic communities continue to maintain a subsistence lifestyle, in which hunting and fishing skills are paramount. The fishing industry is the primary employer of both men and women in Greenland. Social Stratification Classes and Castes. Social stratification within Greenlandic communities is not a major factor, since families typically share both common ethnic backgrounds and similar economic circumstances. Political Life Government. Greenland has been a self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark since 1979 (Greenland holds two seats in the Danish parliament). It is divided into 18 separate municipalities. The executive branch of Greenland's government is a seven-member body, known as the Landsstyre, that is led by a prime minister. Other members of the Landsstyre administrate departments concerned with a wide variety of areas, including culture, housing, telecommunications, education, transportation, trade, and the environment (responsibilities in the area of foreign relations, defense, and currency remain with the Danish government).

Greenland's legislature consists of a 31-member parliament known as the Landsting. Members are elected on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms. Their responsibilities include electing Greenland's prime minister (usually the leader of the majority party). Leadership and Political Officials. Major political parties within Greenland include: Siumut ("Forward"), a moderate socialist party that champions Greenlandic independence within the Kingdom of Denmark; Inuit Ataqatigiit ("Inuit Brotherhood"), which wants complete independence from Denmark; and Atassut ("Solidarity"), which has called for closer ties with Denmark. In recent years, the island has been ruled by a Siumut-Atassut coalition. Social Problems and Control. Greenland maintains a system of local judicial courts, which hand out judgements based on a Greenlandic—not Danish—criminal code. This code, which reflects traditional Inuit beliefs about punishment, avoids imprisoning most people found guilty of criminal offenses. Instead, sentences usually consist of fines, compulsory counseling, or reform centers in particularly serious cases. Alcoholism is often cited as a significant social problem in Greenlandic communities.

This problem—common in many isolated Arctic communities around the world—is often blamed on cultural stress, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), and genetic intolerance of alcohol within the Inuit community (scientists have noted that Inuit people have lower supplies of important amino acids that break down alcohol). Greenland's government has tried to address this issue by imposing restrictions on hours in which alcohol may be sold, limiting purchases to people 18 years or older, and launching various education programs, but alcohol abuse remains a serious problem in many communities. Military Activity. The Danish military is responsible for protection of Greenland, which does not maintain its own force. Social Welfare and Change Programs Denmark bankrolls an extensive social welfare program that is administered by Greenland's government. Benefits include free health care and other social services. Gender Roles and Statuses Division of Labor by Gender. Gender roles in Inuit communities are interchangeable in many respects. Men and women share in many chores associated with their subsistence-oriented lifestyles, although responsibilities related to hunting and fishing still tend to be divided by gender (for instance, men typically do the actual hunting, while women attend to drying the meat, harvesting of the skins, etc.) The Relative Status of Women and Men.

Inuit society has traditionally placed greater value on boys than girls, and these attitudes persist today. Marriage, Family, and Kinship Marriage. "Arranged" marriages are not unknown, but most unions are by choice. Most marriages are monogamous, but some men do maintain marriages with more than one wife at a time. Domestic Unit. Immediate family units are usually modest in size (average two children per family). Kin Groups. Extended families are very important in Greenlandic communities. These kin groups treat resources as communal property. For example, food obtained from hunting and fishing is generally divided up equally among families of a kin group. But Inuit families also form alliances outside their kin group. These alliances, which stem from historical—and present-day—concerns about survival, are carefully maintained through rituals of respect and gift-giving. Socialization Infant Care. Inuit place great importance on the time of year in which children are born. Winter children (axigirn) and summer children (aggirn) are greeted with very different birth rituals, ranging from first foods eaten to selection of garments to clothe them. Child Rearing and Education. As Greenlandic children grow older, they enjoy great freedom by Western standards.

"Greenlanders believe their children are born with complete personalities and are endowed as a birthright with the wisdom, survival instinct, magic and intelligence of their ancestors," explain Swaney and Cornwallis. According to this Laundry hanging at a farm in Jakobshavn. Most Greenlandic homes are constructed of stone, sod, or wood. traditional perspective emphasizing ancestral links, punishing children for misbehavior is an insult to their ancestors. Education is compulsory and free for all Greenlandic children between the ages of 6 and 15. Education standards are identical to those in place in Denmark. Once children complete their primary school education (where courses of instruction include the handling of firearms, an essential skill in many subsistence communities), secondary education is available at boarding schools. Vocational school training is also available. Many of these schools emphasize training youths for careers in the fishing industry, but classes in construction, business, and metalworking are also available. Greenland relies heavily on Danish teachers and administrators to keep their school system operational. Higher Education. Students who wish to continue their education at the university level usually attend college in Denmark. The lone university on the island is Greenland University (Ilisimatusarfik) in Nuuk.

Etiquette Greenlanders are friendly of temperament, albeit more restrained in their social interactions than most Westerners. Their strong sense of etiquette is guided by traditional Inuit beliefs and customs. Religion Religious Beliefs. The majority of the Greenlandic population is associated with the Lutheran Church, which is the national church of Denmark. But traditional Inuit spiritual beliefs remain strong in many of Greenland's remote communities. Rituals and Holy Places. Members of Greenlandic communities continue to practice a wide range of rituals handed down from their ancestors. These range from giving ritualistic thanks to bears, whales, and other creatures after they have been slain by hunting expeditions to taboos on mixing food and clothing associated with the winter months with those associated with the summer season. Death and the Afterlife. The Lutheran religion as practiced in Greenland and other nations is based on a belief in the ultimate authority of God. It places great importance on the life of Jesus and the authority of the Bible, and emphasizes the doctrine of salvation through faith. Communities are typically tightly clustered, and solitude is considered totally undesirable. Medicine and Health Care Free health care, subsidized by the Danish government, is available to all Greenlanders.

In most of Greenland's small, widely dispersed communities, however, this care is quite limited in scope. The largest hospital in Greenland is Queen Ingrid's Hospital in Nuuk. Secular Celebrations Secular holidays celebrated in Greenland include Labour Day (1 May), Danish Constitution Day (5 June), National Day (21 June), and New Year's Eve and Day. The Arts and Humanities Support for the Arts. Artists and writers in Greenland enjoy some official support from the Greenlandic and Danish governments, which see the arts as an important element of efforts to increase tourism. The greatest reason for the continued vitality of Greenlandic arts, however, is the Inuit communities' strong artistic tradition. Literature. Greenland's long tradition of oral storytelling (stories and songs) has always concerned itself primarily with explaining Inuit myths and standards of moral behavior, as well as the relationship between the Inuit people and the creatures (seal, bear, walrus, whale, fox, etc.) on which they relied for survival. This tradition remains a viable one in Greenlandic communities, and its most talented practitioners are respected figures. Written literature is less established in Greenland, but reading and writing are increasingly popular pastimes. Graphic Arts.

Greenland enjoys a distinguished place in the world of native graphic arts. Traditional Inuit clothing features intricate handmade designs, traditional materials, and festive colors. Inuit artists also specialize in the creation of tupilak, small wood or bone carvings of supernatural creatures or arctic animals that have their origins in the island's pre-Christian era. Performance Arts. As with most other artistic expression in Greenland, performance arts often focus on various aspects of the traditional Inuit hunting and fishing culture. But modern performance art is also present in Greenland in the form of pop music groups, modern dance, etc.

Bibliography Greenland: Geography, History, Politics, and More Status: Autonomous part of Denmark Chief of State: Queen Margrethe II (1972) High Commissioner: Mikaela Engell (2011) Prime Minister (Acting): Kim Kielsen (2014) Total area: 131,931 sq mi (341,701 sq km) Population (2014 est.): 57,728 (growth rate: 0.02%); birth rate: 14.53/1000; infant mortality rate: 9.42/1000; life expectancy: 71.82 Capital and largest city (2011 est.): Nuuk, 16,000 Monetary unit: Krone Languages: Greenlandic (East Inuit), Danish, English Ethnicity/race: Inuit 89%, Danish and other 11% (2009) Religion: Evangelical Lutheran, traditional Inuit spiritual beliefs National Holiday: Longest Day, June 21 Literacy rate: 100% Economic summary: GDP/PPP: (2

011 est.): $2.133 billion; $38,400 per capita.

Real growth rate: 3%. Inflation: 2.8% (2011 est.). Unemployment: 9.4% (2013 est.). Arable land: 0%. Agriculture: forage crops, garden and greenhouse vegetables; sheep, reindeer; fish . Labor force: 28,600 (2011 est.). Industries: fish processing (mainly shrimp and Greenland halibut); gold, niobium, tantalite, uranium, iron and diamond mining; handicrafts, hides and skins, small shipyards. Natural resources: zinc, lead, iron ore, coal, molybdenum, gold, platinum, uranium, fish, seals, whales, hydropower, possible oil and gas. Exports: $384.3 million (2010 est.): fish and fish products 89% (prawns 63%), metals 10%. Imports: $814.2 million (2010): machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, petroleum products. Major trading partners: Denmark, Japan, China, Sweden, Netherlands (2012).

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 18,900 (2012); mobile cellular: 59,455 (2012). Broadcast media: the Greenland Broadcasting Company provides public radio and TV services throughout the island with a broadcast station and a series of repeaters; a few private local TV and radio stations; Danish public radio rebroadcasts are available (2007). Internet hosts: 15,645 Internet users: 36,000 (2009). Transportation: Roadways: although there are short roads in towns, there are no roads between towns; inter-urban transport takes place either by sea or air (2012). Ports and harbors: Sisimiut Airports: 15 (2013). International disputes: managed dispute between Canada and Denmark over Hans Island in the Kennedy Channel between Canada's Ellesmere Island and Greenland; Denmark (Greenland) and Norway have made submissions to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental shelf (CLCS) and Russia is collecting additional data to augment its 2001 CLCS submission.

Major sources and definitions The Inuit are believed to have crossed from North America to northwest Greenland, the world's largest island, between 4000 B.C. and A.D. 1000. Greenland was colonized in 985–986 by Eric the Red. The Norse settlements declined in the 14th century, however, mainly as a result of a cooling in Greenland's climate, and in the 15th century they became extinct. In 1721, Greenland was recolonized by the Royal Greenland Trading Company of Denmark. Greenland was under U.S. protection during World War II, but it maintained Danish sovereignty. A definitive agreement for the joint defense of Greenland within the framework of NATO was signed in 1951. A large U.S. air base at Thule in the far north was completed in 1953. Under 1953 amendments to the Danish constitution, Greenland became part of Denmark, with two representatives in the Danish Folketing. On May 1, 1979, Greenland gained home rule, with its own local parliament (Landsting).

In November 2008, Greenland's voters approved a set of changes to give themselves more autonomy from Denmark, a step that could lead towards full independence. A ceremony in June 2009 marked the beginning of self-governance over areas like criminal justice and oil exploration. The official language of Greenland became Kalaallisut, a traditional Inuit dialect. The left-wing opposition party, Inuit Ataqatigiit, won parliamentary elections with 44% of the vote, defeating the Siumut party, who had governed for over 30 years. On April 5, 2013, Aleqa Hammond became Greenland's first female prime minister. After the 2013 elections, her party, Siumut, emerged as the largest. Over a year later, on Oct. 1, 2014, Hammond took a leave of absence due to an expense scandal. While under investigation, Hammond was replaced by Kim Kielsen. See also Encyclopedia: Greenland .

Nunavut travel guide - Wikitravel Time Zone UTC -5, UTC -6, and UTC -7 Nunavut ( Inuktitut : ᓄᓇᕗᑦ) [1] is an extensive territory in the far North of Canada , located east of the Northwest Territories (of which it used to be part), north of the Canadian provinces of Manitoba , Ontario and Quebec , and west of the Danish territory of Greenland . Nunavut comprises a large portion of the northern tip of the North American continent and a large number of islands on Hudson Bay and the Arctic Ocean. Alert on Ellesmere Island is the northernmost settlement in the world. Devon Island is the largest uninhabited island in the world although it does have a cemetery...the world's northernmost. Other destinations[ edit ] Resolute Bay - the 2nd most northern community in the world and a cultural tourist attraction. Flights available to Resolute Bay on Cornwallis Island can be taken from Iqaluit and Rankin Inlet .

Understand[ edit ] History Until the end of World War II The Canadian far north was seen as a barren and desolate place, inhabited by indigenous peoples and containing vast mineral resources that have yet to be exploited. At the end the Canadian government began to realize its strategic importance. In 1982, after much debate and arguement it was decided to divide the Northwest territories into Nunavut and the former. On April 1, 1999 Nunavut came into existence. Nunavut means our land in Inuktitut, the language of the Inuit. It is one of the most sparsely populated regions of the world - fewer than 30,000 people in an area the size of Western Europe. The immense territory includes most of Canada's Arctic Islands, from Baffin Island in the territory's southeast, where the capital Iqaluit is located, to Ellesmere Island a few hundred kilometers from the North Pole. The territory also includes all of the islands in Hudson Bay. A 'Stop' sign in Iqaluit . The official languages of Nunavut are Inuktitut , Inuinnaqtun, English and French .

Inuktitut is the first official language, and is spoken by nearly 70% of the population as a first language. Inuktitut is the traditional language spoken by the Inuit people, and is closely related to the Greenlandic language of Greenland . It is a somewhat hard language to learn for the English speaker, and most English speaking people won’t even be able to read it because it is written in its own unique script. Learning the script is actually relatively easy to do. English is widely spoken; around 25% of the population speak English as their native language, and most of the rest speak it as their second or third. French and Inuinnaqtun, being official languages, may also be useful. That being said, fewer than 400 people speak each language in Nunavut, and are thus not necessary for the casual traveller. Around 8% of the population of Nunavut do not speak English or French, hence in the more remote places an Inuktitut phrasebook may be necessary. Get in[ edit ] Access to civilization is only by air - there is no road or rail from the south, and consequently prices are rather expensive owing to the difficulty of shipping goods in.

Nunavut territory includes all of the islands of the Hudson Bay and James Bay . From Chisasibi, Quebec (which is linked via the remote James Bay road to the rest of North America ), you aren't far from a couple of the many scattered uninhabited islands of Nunavut that can be reached in a short distance via boat or raft. Get around[ edit ] In the all the communities besides Iqaluit, ATVs and trucks are used during the short summer (when there is no snow). In the winter, snowmobiles are the main way of getting around. Dog sleds are also used but owning and maintaining a dog team can be a very costly endeavor. Getting to and from the different communities can only be done by air as there are very few roads the further north you get. Do[ edit ][ add listing ] Bird Watching -- Avid birdwatchers visiting Nunavut enjoy viewing exotic arctic avian species that are not found in temperate or tropical latitudes. The opportunities are extensive and exciting, including the chance to witness some of the largest nesting colonies on Earth.

Nunavut has over 100 species of birds, nearly all of which are migratory species — with only the raven, the snowy owl and the ptarmigan spending the winter in permanent residence. Eat[ edit ][ add listing ] There is a KFC express in Iqaluit. Some towns may offer small restaurants, or coffee shops. Try some traditional Inuit such as raw seal meat. For many Inuits, hunting is still the primary way of acquiring food, so many northern foods such as Arctic Char and Caribou meat can be bought from local hunters, and cooked. The main grocers are Co-Op, and Northern, a common grocery for Northern Territories. Because all food must be shipped in from planes, be prepared to pay unusually high prices for perishables, such as milk and fruit/vegetables. Drink[ edit ][ add listing ] The legal drinking age is 19. Keep in mind, there is a drinking problem in Nunavut. As such, alcohol laws are by far the strictest of any other province or territory in Canada. The Nunavut Liquor Commission (NLC) regulates the distribution, purchase, and sale of alcoholic beverages in the territory.

Before, there were no retail locations for purchasing alcohol, all purchases had be made by mail to the agency. But now alcohol can be purchased in government-run liquor stores, but there is only one licensed store available, and it's in Iqaluit . That being said, in order to obtain alcohol, you must send a fax to the NLC for approval before you can go to the store. If you're in a restricted community, the only legal option is to import. But even then, you must get a approval from the restricted community's alcohol education committee (AEC). And the AEC has the right to set the size of your order, so there's a unlikely chance of getting a box load of beer delivered to you, if you aren't denied. In many communities, such as Pangnirtung , alcohol is strictly banned. DO NOT bring bootlegged alcohol into Nunavut, fines have been increased to CAD100,000 for doing so. Greenland - Country Profile - Nations Online Project Info ___ Greenland Northern lights in Greenland. Northern lights or Aurora Borealis, a phenomen that appeares around the Earth's magnetic pole.

Auroras are produced when the solar wind hits the magnetosphere, the resulting ionization emits light of varying color and complexity. - Image: Mads Pihl Location map of Greenland A virtual guide to Greenland. Greenland is not a continent but the world's largest island. Its surface is about 80% ice-capped. Kalaallit Nunaat, the Inuit name for the island, is not an independent state but a self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark since 1979. Greenland shares maritime borders with Canada , Iceland , and Norway . Just about 56,100 (in 2016) people live on an area of 2,166,086 km², this makes Greenland the least populated place on Earth. The 12th largest country in the world is almost four times the size of France , or slightly more than three times the size of the U.S. state of Texas . Facts on Greenland - Naalakkersuisut Facts on Greenland Facts on Greenland For a concise and clear introduction to Greenland, we recommend reading Statistic Greenland's annual Greenland in Figures (2014) (pdf file).

Kalaallit Nunaat - Greenland Earlier the indigenous population, the Inuit called their country Inuit Nunaat meaning country of human beings. Today the country is called Kalaallit Nunaat –“Country of the Greenlanders”. The world's largest island with 2.166.086 km2 (which could cover the area from Norway to Sahara) situated on the northern American continent between the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Canada. The northernmost point of Greenland, Cape Morris Jesup, is only 740 km from then North Pole. The southernmost point is Cape Farewell, which lies at about the same latitude as Oslo, Norway. However, 85 % of the area is covered by the icecap meaning that only 15 % of the costal line is inhabitable. Population The population of Greenland is 56.648 with 14.719 inhabitants living in the capital Nuuk.

The second largest city is Sisimiut (5.344), followed by Ilulissat (4.512) and Qaqortoq (3.238) besides these four growth centers situated on the west coast there are 18 towns and 120 villages in which the rest of the population lives. Greenlandic settlements are defined by having inhabitants between 50 – 500. The people Approximately 4-5.000 years ago the first Eskimo migration took place and people living in Greenland today are descendents from the last migration (the Thule Culture) which took place around year 800 A.C. The Greenlanders call themselves “Kalaallit” and are an indigenous inuit people: Inuit meaning “human being”. They constitute 85 % of the population while the remaining are primarily Danes. During and after colonial times a proportion of the Inuit intermarried with Europeans, why a lot the Greenlanders today can number Inuit and Europeans among their ancestors. Religion The prevailing religion in Greenland is Protestantism and Greenland is an independent diocese in the Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church with a bishop appointed by Denmark.

However, there are other religions and faiths of beliefs such as the Roman Catholic Church, New Apostolic Church, the Evangelic Ebenezer, Bahá’í's and Jehovas Witnesses. Language The Greenlandic language is a polysynthetic language and belongs to the Eskimo-Aleutic languages. This means that it differs strongly from the Indo-European languages like French, English and German. West Greenlandic is the official language but there are distinct dialects spoken in Eastern and Northern Greenland. Greenland is a bilingual country in which Greenlandic is the main language and Danish is the other. In official context both languages can be used. Infrastructure The only way to travel to Greenland is by airplane, to one of the main gateways: Kangerlussuaq (Søndre Strønfjord) in the West or Narsarsuaq in the South both former American air bases. The flight time is approximately 4-5 hours. There are no roads between the towns on the coast so in order to get around locally you can travel with fixed wing planes, helicopters or by sea.

From Nanortalik in the South to Sisimiut in the North-west you can sail the whole year, while travel on the distance from Sisimiut and north starts, at the earliest, in May because of the frozen sea. The ships sail to towns and settlements along the coast and they carry passengers as well as cargo.

Question: Inuktitut and Danish are the official languages of which island country?
Answer: GREENLAND