Facts about Greenland

How much do you know about Greenland? Would you like to learn a bit more about this beautiful country? Are you looking into booking a tour, but want some more information? We got you, here below we have some facts and information about Greenland.

Did you know that an Icelandic murderer that was exiled from Iceland in the 900’s gave Greenland its name? The murdered is Erik the Red and the reason he gave the country the name Greenland or “Land of the People” was to attract new settlers to the country. The southern part of Greenland, where Erik the Red settled is in fact green to this day. Erik the Reds son, Leif Erikson is said to be the first to find North America.

Greenland is the largest island in the world, that is not a continent on its own. It is actually a part of North America.

Greenland is a part of the Danish Kingdom, however Denmark granted Home Rule to Greenland in 1979 and the Self Rule was expanded in 2009. With the Self Rule the Greenlandic Government  has more decision power and responsibilities.

Greenland’s National Day is the 21st of June, the summer solstice.

The capital is Nuuk. About a quarter of the whole population lives there.
Nuuk is the northernmost capital in the world, just a few kilometers more north than Iceland’s capital, Reykjavík.

Due to Greenland’s size, the country is located both north and south of the Arctic Circle.

There are 3 time zones in Greenland.

1. Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) or Eastern Greenland Summer Time (EGST)  – UTC +0
2. Western Greenland Summer Time (WGST) – UTC -2
3. Atlantic Daylight Time (ADT) – UTC -3

Greenland has the largest national park in the world. The national park is located in the entire north-east of Greenland. The park was establish in 1974 but did expand to the size it is today in 1988. The national park is a sanctuary for arctic wildlife.

You can only fly to Greenland from Denmark and Iceland, the tow airlines that fly over are Air Greenland and Icelandair.

Greenland’s population is approximately 56.000-57.000.

Did you know that it is considered impolite to call the native Greenlanders Eskimos? If not, now you do! It is better to address the natives as either Kalaallit or Inuit, which means Greenlander. When looking at the population today, about 88% are from Inuit and Danish or pure Inuit decent. The rest are either Danish or European. This is a fact that you should remember when visiting Greenland.

The Inuits from Asia came in the 13th century, they are the ones that have a lasting Inuit bloodline in Greenland today.

Going between towns in Greenland is either by air traffic or a boat. There are roads in the towns, but the rest of the island’s expanse remains untouched by urbanization. Because there are no roads between towns there are only around 3000 registered cars in the country.

Greenland has a few international airports, though the main international airport is not located in the capital. It is located in Kangerlussuaq.

The national dish of Greenland is a meat soup called Suaasat. The meat in the soup is either seal, seabird, whale or reindeer, along with broth and protein. The meat is cooked in bay leaves, aromatic ingredients and onions to create an iconic dish.

Have you ever looked at Greenland’s Coat of Arms? It has a blue shield with a polar bear in it. The blue shield represents the Atlantic Ocean and the Arctic, while the polar bear symbolizes the faun that thrives the country.

The native language in Greenland, Greenlandic, comes from idioms. That makes it kind of difficult to learn and translate.

Some words in English are actually originally from Greenlandic, for example igloo and kayak.

In Greenland there are 3 UNESCO World Heritage sites.

1. Ilulissat Icefjord on the west coast of Greenland
2. Kujataa Greenland in South Greenland
3. Aasivissuit-Nipisat at the Arctic Circle in West Greenland

In the Ilulissat Icefjord is Sermermiut, one of the most popular destinations in Greenland. Sermermiut is a “ghost town” and a part of UNESCO World Heritage sites in Ilulissat Icefjord.. The town goes back 4500 years with the early Corset and Thule Inuit cultures that settled there.

There are 3 Greenlandic micro breweries

1. Godthaab Bryghus, located in Nuuk. This brewery is the largest of local producers.
2. Qajaq Brewery, located in Narsaq in South Greenland.
3. Immiaq Brewery, located in Ilulissat in Disko Bay.

The United States wanted to buy Greenland from Denmark in the 20th century. The US offered Denmark 100 million USD, Denmark declined the offer. In todays money the amount is somewhere around 1.3 billion dollars. This is not the only time the US tried to buy Greenland from Denmark. Donald Trump also expressed interest in buying the country, Greenland’s ministry of Foreign Affairs made it clear to Trump that they country is not for sale, they are however open to business deals.