Greenland is home to huge ice floes, and unfortunately, global warming is melting Greenland’s glaciers. But there is so much more to Greenland than huge floes of ice! These ancient lands, or these ancient glaciers, have a long history.
1- Greenland’s currency is the Danish krone.
The official languages of the island are Greenlandic and Danish. But English is also quite common in Greenland.
2- The biggest helpers of hunters in Greenland are still “sled dogs”
However, the number of sled dogs that are part of this ancient culture is decreasing day by day. Because less costly and less maintenance “tools” are replacing sled dogs.
3- There are no roads connecting residential areas here
There are 74 settlements in Greenland with populations ranging from 100 to 17,000. But no regions are connected in any way! Transportation between regions is mostly provided by small planes or boats.
4- Greenland can only be reached via Denmark and Iceland
5- Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, is the northernmost capital in the world.
6- The Inut language name of Greenland is “Inuit Nunaat”
Inuit Nunaat means “Land of the People”.
7- Island is in North America but part of Europe
Because European culture has been dominant on the island, especially Denmark, for centuries. For this reason, the island is considered to be a part of Europe culturally and politically.
8- The number of people living in Greenland is only 56,000!
So, Greenland has the lowest population in the world by area!
9- The majority of the people living on the island today are Inuit!
88 percent of the island’s population is of Inuit ancestry! The rest are largely of European descent. Inuit means “Greenlander” in the Inuit language.
10- The first human settlement on the island was established about 4,000 years ago!
According to historians, for the first time in 2500 BC, a human society made the home of the difficult geography of Greenland! However, these people disappeared after a while. In the 10th century, another people from North America settled in the land of the glaciers. The descendants of the community that settled on the island in the 13th century are the natives of the island today: Inuit!
11- More than 10 billion tons of ice has been lost in Greenland since 2003 due to global warming.
12- The longest day of the year, “21 June” is celebrated as an official holiday.
13- There are 3 different regions in Greenland that are on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The Ilulissat Ice Fjord was listed in 2004. The area called Kujataa is the oldest known agricultural area in the arctic region! This ancient land has been on the world heritage list since 2017. The area on the island, named Aasivissuit – Nipisat, has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2018.
14- There are almost no trees in Greenland
Because the island is a huge ice desert! Some people have tried to reforest the island, but they have not been successful.
15- There are Viking ruins in Greenland dating back thousands of years
Especially the southern and western parts of the island are home to many Viking ruins
16- Although covered with glaciers, it can be extremely hot in the summer
Especially in July, in a clear and windless weather, the temperature can rise up to 20 degrees Celsius.
7- 80% of the island is covered with glaciers!
In addition, the thickness of some ice floes in Greenland can reach up to 3,500 meters!
18- An autonomous region of the Kingdom of Denmark
Greenland was a Danish colony until 1953. In 1953 it became a county of Denmark! It gained a semi-autonomous government status in 1979. Greenland, whose autonomy powers were expanded with the popular vote in 2008, gained a fully autonomous status.
19- Greenland, the largest non-continental landmass in the world
With an area of more than 2 million square kilometers, Greenland is also the largest island in the world!
