From Greenland’s vast size and diversity of landscape to her welcoming people and vibrant city, it’s a staggering place on so many levels. For the adventure traveller, few places compare – go now before the crowds get there!
Greenland is huge – at over 2 million sq kilometres it’s the world’s largest island and the 12th largest country.
82% of Greenland is covered by the ice sheet, yet its close knit population of just 56,000 would fit on a single soccer field.
Viking Erik the Red discovered it in the 10th century, optimistically naming it ‘Greenland’ to encourage his fellow Norsemen to join him
Geographically it’s part of North America, however politically it’s much more closely aligned to Europe
With few roads and no trains, all travel across Greenland is only by plane, boat, helicopter, snowmobile or dogsled.
What to expect
The landscape does not disappoint, but Greenland is not a museum – modern society is a surprising mixture of traditional and modern. Most people outside the capital live in smaller coastal communities in cheerfully painted houses, nearly everyone is on Facebook and subsistence for many still plays an important part in the diet.
However, they are still outdoor people at heart with a great love of fishing, hunting and being out with their dog team. Life for many is still tough – particularly during the long winter months when communities can be cut off for up to seven months – but this is accompanied by a cheerful and hospitable attitude.
Geography
82% of Greenland is covered by a massive ice sheet that in places is almost two miles (3.2km) thick and around the edges you can gaze up at ice cliffs that are 100,000 years old. The landscape features stunning fjords, glaciers and tundra, with many mountains rising to well over 10,000 feet.
Most of Greenland is covered by an ice sheet that’s more than 3km deep.
The country’s relatively few inhabitants are scattered along the thin ribbon of coastline, with about 16,500 of them – around a quarter of the total – living in the capital, Nuuk. The whole northeast region Greenland is a national park – 100 times bigger than Yellowstone and about the same size as France and Spain combined. It’s by far the world’s largest.
Climate
It’s obviously cold, but the weather is far more complicated than this – you must be prepared for surprises, not least as conditions can change suddenly.
Being so large there are considerable variations from one region to another. Also there can be a big difference depending on whether you’re inland or out at sea, on the coast or exposed out on the tundra.
The mean 24 hour temperature remains below +10° C (50° F) in June, July and August in just about every town in Greenland, whilst all places are below freezing from November through to April. The sun doesn’t set from May 25th to July 25th – the time of the Midnight Sun – and in the summer months there are several places where day temperatures can exceed 20° C (68° F).
People
With a population of 56,000 people – all living around the coast, mostly in West Greenland – Greenland is the least densely populated territory on the planet. Outside the capital, most people live in tight knit communities of 50-500 people, often cut off from their nearest neighbours by distance and a lack of connecting roads. The local store has supplies that are shipped or flown in, but hunting and fishing are an essential part of daily life and remain a big part of the culture.
Approximately 89% of the population are Greenlandic Inuit, descended from the Thule people who began colonizing the island around 900 AD and who introduced both the kayak and dog sled. Since the way of life was traditionally nomadic and there’s no shortage of land – the concept of land ownership simply doesn’t exist in Greenland.
Wildlife
Roaming Greenland’s tundra and ice are polar bears, musk ox, reindeer, arctic fox and mountain hares. The shoreline and waters are visited by, or home to, five different species of seals, 15 types of whale, plus walrus. And birdlife include white-tailed eagles, ptarmigan, fulmars, auk, duck and geese – with 60 species breeding in the region.
Having said this, the chance of seeing much wildlife can be slim in many areas. Hunting for food is a regular part of Greenlandic life, so wildlife tends to be shy. Other parts of the Arctic provide better opportunities for seeing wildlife – though there are plenty of opportunities to get close to sled dogs.
History
The first people arrived here about 4-5,000 years ago, travelling east across the frozen strait and arriving at Thule in northern Greenland. At least half a dozen other waves of immigrants followed and today’s locals are descended from those who migrated here around the 9th century AD. The Norseman Eric The Red arrived around 982, returning to Iceland three years later with stories of a “green land”. His salesmanship successfully attracted many settlers and various Viking settlements survived in the south for about 400 years.
In the 17th century, European whale hunters regularly came ashore and in the 18th missionaries and traders from Denmark and Norway settled the coast. In 1814 Greenland became a Danish colony, was recognised as an autonomous country in 1953 and became self-governing in 2009. Full independence is a dream of many locals, however the country is still heavily dependent on Denmark.
Fishing is the mainstay of Greenland’s economy, and the country is the world’s largest supplier of cold-water shrimps. In recent years, tourism has taken off as increasing numbers of adventurous travellers are drawn to Greenland.
