19 interesting facts about Greenland

19 interesting facts about Greenland

We share the most interesting facts about Greenland, collected during a visit to the spectacular polar region

My last trip to Greenland was full of ups and downs – literally and figuratively. My mountain and valley adventures trekking the Arctic Circle Trail were exciting, but also bitterly disappointed when I wasn't able to complete the hike due to a wildfire.

However, my spirits were lifted by a captivating night camping at the Russell Glacier, followed by an unplanned side trip to Ilulissat. I was rejuvenated by a series of exciting excursions including a visit to the Eqi Glacier, a Midnight Sun Iceberg boat ride and many hikes around the Icefjord.

Greenland is one of the most wondrous travel destinations on earth. It is home to a spectacular landscape found only in the most extreme regions of the planet: the polar regions. However, unlike Antarctica, Greenland is much more accessible; Flights from Copenhagen in Denmark take less than five hours to reach Kangerlussuaq.

My time in Greenland was intense and stormy, but still great. Few destinations can boast such magnificent scenery and pure, unadulterated wilderness.

Below I share the most interesting facts about Greenland that I learned during my extraordinary visit.

Interesting facts about Greenland

1. Grönland gehört zu Dänemark. Es ist ein von Dänemark abhängiges Gebiet mit begrenzter Selbstverwaltung und einem eigenen Parlament. (Quelle: BBC)
2. Es wird angenommen, dass die ersten Menschen um 2500 v. Chr. in Grönland ankamen. Die DNA-Analyse einer in Nordgrönland entdeckten Haarprobe ist vermutlich 4.500 Jahre alt. (Quelle: New York Times)
3. Erik der Rote gründete um 982 die erste europäische Siedlung auf Grönland. Er nannte das Land Grönland, da er glaubte, dass es für zukünftige Siedler attraktiver klang. (Quelle: Britannica)

alt="Eric the Red aboard a Viking ship near Greenland">Carl Rasmussen/Public DomainEric the Red aboard a Viking ship near Greenland

1. Grönland ist größer als Mexiko, hat aber eine winzige Bevölkerung von etwa 57.000 Menschen. Im Gegensatz dazu leben in Mexiko fast 130 Millionen Menschen. (Quelle: CIA World Factbook)

2. Greenland is also the least populated area in the world. It has only 0.03 people per square kilometer of land. (Source: World Bank)

3. Apart from continental landmasses such as Afro-Eurasia, America, Antarctica and Australia, Greenland is the largest island in the world. (Source: BBC)

4. Over 80% of Greenland's landmass is covered by an ice cap (or ice sheet). It is the largest ice mass in the Northern Hemisphere, second only to the Antarctic ice mass. (Source: Britannica)

alt=“Interesting facts about Greenland – the Ilulissat Icefjord”>Murattellioglu/ShutterstockThe Ilulissat Icefjord seen from a helicopter

1. Grönlands Eisschild schmilzt aufgrund des Klimawandels mit beispielloser Geschwindigkeit. In den letzten Jahren sind Hunderte Milliarden Tonnen Eis verloren gegangen, was dazu führte, dass die Eiskappe zurückging und der globale Meeresspiegel stieg. (Quelle: BBC)

2. In 2019, Donald Trump expressed interest in purchasing Greenland for the United States. He was widely mocked for his ill-advised comments, with the Greenland government responding: "Greenland is obviously not for sale" and the Danish government saying: "This must be an April Fool's joke... but completely out of season." (Source: The Guardian)

3. Greenland's national animal is the polar bear. The country's coat of arms shows a bear on a blue shield. (Source: World Atlas)

alt=“A polar bear on ice”>james_stone76/shutterstockGreenland's national animal is the polar bear

1. Grönland ist eigentlich Teil der zweitgrößten Wüste der Erde. Die beiden größten befinden sich in den Polarregionen: die antarktische Polarwüste und die arktische Polarwüste. Beide Gebiete erhalten so wenig Niederschlag, dass sie als Wüsten eingestuft werden. Es gibt viel Schnee, aber keinen Regen. (Quelle: National Geographic)

2. Inuit hunters in Greenland invented kayaks, originally building them out of seal skin. The word kayak comes from the Greenlandic word “qajaq”. (Source: Visit Greenland)

old=““>Atlas & BootsKayakers in Disko Bay

1. In ähnlicher Weise stammen Iglus aus Grönland. Die kuppelförmigen Behausungen sind aus Schneeblöcken gebaut. (Quelle: Britannica)

2. There are very few intercity roads and no railways in Greenland, so cities on the coast are connected by plane or ferry. (Source: Visit Greenland)

3. In 2015, a new study announced that Greenland was once truly green. Using data from a 3,053 m long core of ice and bedrock collected in 1993, the study suggests that Greenland was completely ice-free at some point in the last 1.25 million years. (Source: Science Magazine)

4. It is possible to see the famous midnight sun in Greenland. This is a natural phenomenon that only occurs in the summer months in locations north of the Arctic Circle or south of the Arctic Circle. During these periods the Sun remains visible at local midnight. I observed the midnight sun during my visit to Ilulissat, which is 350 km north of the Arctic Circle. (Source: The Telegraph)

alt="Interesting facts about Greenland's Midnight Sun">Atlas & BootsThe famous midnight sun

1. Dog sledding or “mushing” has a long history in Greenland. Therefore, there are strict crossing regulations for sled dogs. No other breeds are allowed in the sled dog area and if sled dogs leave the area they cannot return. (Source: Visit Greenland)

2. There is even an Arctic dog sled patrol in the military. The Slædepatruljen Sirius (Sirius Sled Patrol) is Denmark's elite naval dog sled unit. It patrols large areas of Greenland's inaccessible wilderness. (Source: BBC Earth)

3. Finally, one of the most interesting facts about Greenland is that it is one of several countries that are considered transcontinental (countries that lie on more than one continent). Geographically, Greenland is part of North America because it lies on the North American tectonic plate. Politically, the country is recognized as part of Europe. (Source: World Atlas)

Mission statement: Atlas & Boots

      .