Hemscott: Greenland to vote on wider autonomy from Denmark

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Greenland to vote on wider autonomy from Denmark

Greenland will hold a referendum on wider autonomy later this year, a first step towards independence from Denmark, the head of the local government Hans Enoksen said on Thursday. 'The referendum will take place on November 25,' the Greenland leader told AFP following talks in Copenhagen with Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen. In the event of 'yes' vote, the broadened autonomy would take effect on June 21, 2009, Enoksen said.

Greenland, which has been a semi-autonomous Danish territory since 1979, would take over control of new unspecified policy areas which are currently decided by Copenhagen. Foreign policy, defence, police and judicial affairs are presently decided by the Danish capital. Broader autonomy would 'constitute the first step toward full independence which is very important to us but which still appears to be a long way off,' Enoksen said. Greenland is closely tied to Europe, specifically Iceland, Norway, and Denmark. In 1978, Denmark granted home rule to Greenland, making it an equal member of the Rigsfællesskab. Greenland is the world's largest island by area (as Australia is considered a continent rather than an island). Greenland has a population of 57,100 (2005),[16] of whom 88% are Inuit or mixed Danish and Inuit. The remaining 12 % are of European extraction, mainly Danish. The majority of the population is Evangelical Lutheran. Nearly all Greenlanders live along the fjords in the south-west of the main island, which has a relatively mild climate. Greenland today is critically dependent on fishing and fish exports; the shrimp fishing industry is by far the largest income earner. Despite resumption of several interesting hydrocarbon and mineral exploration activities, it will take several years before production can materialize. The state oil company NUNAOIL was created in order to help develop the hydrocarbon industry in Greenland. Tourism is the only sector offering any near-term potential and even this is limited due to a short season and high costs. The public sector, including publicly owned enterprises and the municipalities, plays the dominant role in Greenland's economy. About half the government revenues come from grants from the Danish Government, an important supplement to the gross domestic product (GDP). Gross domestic product per capita is equivalent to that of the weaker economies of Europe. The major airport is Kangerlussuaq Airport on the West coast at Kangerlussuaq. Intercontinental flights connect mainly to Copenhagen. As of May 2007, Air Greenland has also initiated a seasonal route to and from Baltimore in the United States.