Greenlanders
Schoolchildren walk with their teacher in Ilulissat, Greenland, with icebergs from the Ilulissat Icefjord visible in the background. | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| c. 56,583 (2022 estimate) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Greenlandic diaspora: c. 19,505 | |
| Greenland | 56,583 |
| Denmark | 18,563 |
| United States | 352 |
| Norway | 293 |
| Faroe Islands | 163 |
| Iceland | 65 |
| Canada | 55 |
| Netherlands | 14 |
| Languages | |
| Greenlandic, Danish, English | |
| Religion | |
| Lutheranism (Church of Greenland) See Religion in Greenland | |
Greenlanders (Greenlandic: Kalaallit, Danish: Grønlændere), also called Greenlandics or Greenlandic people, are the people of Greenland. Most speak Greenlandic, an Eskaleut language. Greenlandic Inuit make up 85–90% of the people of Greenland.
Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Danish Realm, and its citizens hold Danish nationality. In 986, Erik the Red led Norse settlers to Greenland's southwest coast, where they coexisted with indigenous cultures. Greenland came under Norwegian rule in 1261 and later became part of the Kalmar Union in 1397. From the 16th to 18th centuries, European expeditions led by Portugal, Denmark–Norway, and missionaries like Hans Egede, sought Greenland for trade, sovereignty, and the rediscovery of lost Norse settlements, ultimately leading to colonization by Denmark.