Population, language, education and culture
Greenland has a population of almost 57,000, of which approximately 15,000 live in the capital of Nuuk. The second-largest town is Sisimiut with a population of around 5,400. The main part of the population lives in the few large towns in Central and South Greenland. The majority of the population, around 89%, are ethnic Greenlandic and the remaining 11% are mainly ethnic Danes, but many other nationalities are also represented.

Greenland used to consist of 18 municipalities, which have been converted into four new ones. The current population distribution is as follows: around 8,000 live in South Greenland, 21,000 in East-Western Greenland, 10,000 in Central Greenland, and 18,000 in Northern Greenland. The village and settlement population is less than 10,000.

Greenlanders call themselves Kalaaleq, with the plural form Kalaallit, and there are three sub ethnic groups: West Greenlanders, which account for about 92%; East Greenlanders, about 6.6%; and Polar Eskimos, about 1.4%.

Language
The Greenlandic language Kalaallisut belongs to the Eskimo-Aleut language family and is spoken in various dialects by the Inuit in Canada, Alaska and the Russian peninsula Chukotka. Besides the main language, two distinct Inuit dialects are found in Greenland – the East Greenlandic and the Polar Eskimo.

Education
Children start nine years of compulsory schooling when they are six years old. At the end of this schooling, pupils take an exam that will admit them to upper secondary education. There are several types of upper secondary education, and the exams correspond to exams in Denmark. Among institution of higher education can be mentioned the Institute for Journalistic, Teachers Training College, Pedagogical Training College, Centre for Arctic Technology and the University of Greenland. There is free access to education for everyone.

Culture
The cultural identity of the Greenlanders has roots in the traditional Inuit hunting communities, which is why nature, Arctic animals, kayaks, dog sleighs and mythical figures are often used as motifs in paintings, literature, music and many other forms of artistic expression. However, the population also has genetic and cultural roots in the Nordic countries, especially Denmark. Today imported food is used widely to supplement Greenlandic food, but national delicacies can still be bought at the open markets, especially meat from reindeer, musk ox, seal, whale, fish and birds, etc. One of the most appreciated, but also expensive, delicacies is the mattak, whale skin that is eaten raw.

The Greenland Centre for Performing Arts in Nuuk was opened in 1997, as a joint project between the Greenland Government, the Nuuk Municipal Council and the Nordic Council of Ministers. The Centre houses a cafe, a theatre, an exhibition hall and conference facilities.

More than 85% of the population are members of the established Evangelical-Lutheran church. In the settlements, a chapel usually attached to the settlement school handles church affairs. For reli-gious ceremonies and other special occasions the Greenlanders wear national costume.

National symbols
June 21 has since 1985 been the Greenlandic national day. The day marks the summer solstice and is chosen for that reason. The name of the Greenlandic flag is Erfalasorput, which means Our Flag. The Greenlandic coat of arms, Nanoq, consists of a blue shield with a polar bear on its hind legs, its left paw raised ready to attack. Jens Rosing is the artist of the Cote of Arms, as well as he is the artist of the Nersornaat, which is a distinction awarded for meritorious services.