Greenland has a parliamentary self‑government system within the constitutional monarchy of the Kingdom of Denmark.

Basic government type

  • Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, not a fully independent state.
  • It operates as a parliamentary representative democracy with its own parliament and government handling most internal affairs.

Who is head of state and head of government?

  • The head of state is the King of Denmark (currently King Frederik X), since Greenland is part of the Danish realm.
  • The head of government in Greenland is the premier (Naalakkersuisut Siulittaasuat), who leads the cabinet called Naalakkersuisut.

Parliament and elections

  • The Greenlandic parliament is called Inatsisartut; it has 31 members elected by proportional representation for four‑year terms.
  • Governments are usually coalition governments because of the multi‑party system.

Powers and autonomy

  • Under the Self‑Government Act (in force since 2009), Greenland controls most domestic policy areas, while Denmark retains responsibility for things like foreign affairs, defense, and monetary policy.
  • Greenland also elects two members to the Danish Parliament (Folketing), linking its self‑government to decision‑making at the kingdom level.

In short, when asking “what kind of government does Greenland have,” the answer is: a self‑governing parliamentary democracy under the Danish constitutional monarchy.