19 interesting facts about Greenland

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We share the most interesting facts about Greenland, which were collected when visiting the spectacular polar region

My last trip to Greenland was characterized by ups and downs - literally and in a figurative sense. My mountain and valley adventures during Trekking on the Arctic Circle Trail were exciting, but also bitterly disappointed when I couldn't end the hike because of a running fire.

However, my mood was raised by a captivating night camping on the Russell glacier, followed by an unplanned detour in Ilulisse. I was rejuvenated by a number of exciting excursions, including a visit to the EQI glacier, a boat trip with midnight sun-iceberg and many hikes around the ice fjord.

Greenland is one of the most miraculous travel destinations on earth. It is home to a spectacular landscape that can only be found in the most extreme regions of the planet: the polar regions. In contrast to Antarctic, Greenland is much better accessible; Flights from Copenhagen in Denmark need less than five hours to reach Kangerlussuaq.

My time in Greenland was intense and stormy, but still great. Only a few travel destinations can boast such a great landscape and pure, unadulterated wilderness.

In the following I share the most interesting facts about Greenland that I found out during my extraordinary visit.

interesting facts about Greenland

  1. Greenland belongs to Denmark. It is an area dependent on Denmark with limited self -government and its own parliament. (Source: BBC)

  2. It is assumed that the first people around 2500 BC. BC arrived in Greenland. The DNA analysis of a hair sample discovered in Northern Greenland is probably 4,500 years old. (Source: New York Times)

  3. Erik der Rede founded the first European settlement in Greenland around 982. He called the country of Greenland because he believed that it sounded more attractive for future settlers. (Source: Britannica)

    4. alt = “Eric the Red on board a Viking ship near Greenland”> Carl Rasmussen/Public Domain Eric The Red on board a Viking ship near Greenland

    1. Greenland is larger than Mexico, but has a tiny population of around 57,000 people. In contrast, almost 130 million people live in Mexico. (Source: Cia World Factbook)

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

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

    4. Over 80 % of the Greenland land mass are covered by an ice cap (or ice cream blanket). It is the largest ice mass in the northern hemisphere, the second largest after the Antarctic ice mass. (Source: Britannica)

      5. alt = "Interesting facts about Greenland-the Ilulissat-Eisfjord"> Murattellioglu/Shutterstock The Ilulissat-Eisfjord seen from a helicopter

      1. Greenland's ice sheet melts at the game of climate change at an unprecedented speed. Hundreds of billions of tons of ice have been lost in recent years, which caused the ice cap and the global sea level rose. (Source: BBC)

      2. in 2019 Donald Trump was interested in the purchase of Greenland for the USA. He was widely mocked for his rash comments, whereby the Greenland government replied: "Greenland is obviously not for sale" and the Danish government said: "That must be an April joke ... but completely outside the 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: Weltatlas)

        4. alt = “an polar bear on ice”> james_stone76/Shutterstock Greenland's national animal is the polar bear

        1. Greenland is actually part of the second largest desert on earth. The two largest are in the polar regions: the Antarctic Polar Desert and the Arctic Polar Desert. Both areas receive so little precipitation that they are classified as deserts. There is a lot of snow, but no rain. (Source: National Geographic)

        2. Inuit hunters in Greenland invented kayaks and originally built them from Robbenfell. The word kayak comes from the Greenland word "Qajaq". (Source: Visit Greenland)

          3. alt = “”> Atlas & Boots kayak drivers in the discount

          1. Iglus come from Greenland in a similar way. The dome -shaped dwellings are made of snow blocks. (Source: Britannica)

          2. In Greenland there are very few intercity streets and no railways, so cities on the coast are connected to aircraft or ferries. (Source: Visit Greenland)

          3. 2015 announced a new study that Greenland was once really green. Using data from a 3,053 m long core of ice and base, which was collected in 1993, the study suggests that Greenland has eventually been completely ice -free in the past 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 at places north of the Arctic Circle or south of the Arctic Circle. During this period, the sun remains visible around local midnight. I watched the midnight sun during my visit to Ilulissat, which is 350 km north of the Arctic Circle. (Source: The Telegraph)

            5. alt = "Interesting facts about Greenland's midnight sun"> Atlas & Boots The famous midnight sun

            1. dog sled trips or "mushing" have 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-Schlittenpatrouille) is Denmark's elite dog sled unit of the navy. It patrolled large areas of the inaccessible wilderness of Greenland. (Source: BBC Earth)

            3. After all, one of the most interesting facts about Greenland is that it is one of several countries that are considered transcontinental (countries that are more than one continent). Geographically, Greenland belongs to North America because it is located on the North American tectonic plate. Politically, the country is recognized as part of Europe. (Source: Weltatlas)

              4. Mission statement: Atlas & Boots 
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