Greenland is a constituent country of the Kingdom of Denmark, with Nuuk serving as its capital. It was first inhabited by the Inuit during the 2500s BC, but Norwegian and Icelandic settlers began to settle on the island's western coast after 986. "Greenland" was named as a part of an elaborate land scam, with settlers being attracted by its promising name, which sounded more fertile and warm than "Iceland". In 1261, Greenland submitted to the Old Kingdom of Norway. The Norse colonies disappeared during the late 15th century due to the Black Death, and, in 1499, the Portuguese briefly explored and claimed the island. In the early 18th century, Danish settlers returned to Greenland, and Denmark-Norway affirmed sovereignty over the island. In 1953, Greenland was fully integrated into the Danish state, but it was granted home rule in 1979 and self-government in 2008; today, Denmark is only in control of Greenland's foreign affairs and defense, while all other matters are handled by Greenland's Inuit-majority government. In 2018, Greenland had a population of 55,877 people.
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