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1. The worlds largest island
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-Map of Greenland
Did you know we sell maps of greenland
2. No roads
Despite having a land size of 2.16 million square kilometres, there are no roads or railway system that connect settlements to one another. There are roads within the towns, but they end at the outskirts. All travel between towns is done by plane, boat, helicopter, snowmobile or dogsled. Boats are by far the most popular mode of transportation and you’ll often see locals out cruising the fjords every summer.
3. History goes back 4.500 years
According to historians, the first humans were thought to have arrived in Greenland around 2500 BC. The group of migrants apparently died out and were succeeded by several other groups who migrated from North America. At the beginning of the 10th century, Norsemen from Iceland settled the uninhabited southern part of Greenland, but they disappeared in the late 15th century. The Inuit migrated here from Asia in the 13th century and their bloodline survived to this day. Most Inuit Greenlanders are their direct descendants, and continue to practise some of the centuries-old traditions.
“Humans have inhabited Greenland for more than 4,500 years.”
Did you know we publish books from Greenlandic authors
4. Inuit Culture
Today, 88% of Greenland’s population are Inuit (predominantly Kalaallit) or mixed Danish and Inuit. The remaining 12% are of European descent, mainly Danish. Truth be told, Greenlanders actually don’t appreciate being called ‘eskimos’; the proper name for them is Inuit or Kalaallit, which actually means ‘Greenlander’ in the native Inuit language, Kalaallisut. The Inuit Greenlanders identify strongly with Inuits in other parts of the world, like Canada and Alaska, and they actually share some similarities in their languages as well.
5. Multilingual Nation
The majority of the population in Greenland speaks both Greenlandic (mainly Kalaallisut) and Danish. The two languages have been used in public affairs since the establishment of home rule in 1979. Today, the young generation learn both languages, as well as English, in school. The Greenlandic language is an interesting language with a long history, and it’s closely related to the Inuit languages in Canada, such as Inuktitut. “Kayak” and “igloo” are Greenlandic words that have been adopted directly by other languages.
6. Midnight sun
Every year, the sun does not set from May 25th to July 25th, and it stays visible throughout the entire day and night. The midnight sun, as it is called, is a pretty cool natural phenomenon that everyone needs to experience at least once in their lifetime. June 21, the longest day of the year, is the summer solstice and a national holiday in Greenland. You’ll find locals out basking in the sun or enjoying a barbecue out in nature.
7. A vibrant city
Almost one-quarter of Greenland’s population lives in the capital city of Nuuk. Vibrant and funky, the city is the biggest, most cosmopolitan town on the island and it packs in quite a lot of museums, hip cafes and fashion boutiques for its small size. To get an introduction to the country, be sure to visit the National Museum of Greenland, the Katuaq Cultural House as well as Nuuk Art Museum. Backed by a panorama of mountains, the city is perched at the mouth of a giant fiord system, making for easy day trips into the fiords and surrounding nature.
Qujanaq milugiaq atuarpoq - Thanks for reading
1. Ilulissat Ice-fjord
Justifiably Greenland's most visited area and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004, this amazing berg-strewn section of coast in Disko Bay is where huge glaciers "calve," an expression meaning that icebergs break off from the glaciers and float out into the coastal waters. This is a perfect place, if you're lucky enough to get the timing right, to witness this awe-inspiring natural spectacle, which-unlike other ice-fjords in Greenland-can be watched from land.
The immense glacier Sermeq Kujalleq, more than five kilometers wide and one kilometer thick, feeds into the bay and flows at a rate of about 25 meters (82 feet) a day. Be prepared for stunning vistas and nature at its most majestic.
While in Ilulissat, stop to see the collection of Greenland landscapes in the Emanuel A Petersen Art Museum.
2. Nuuk and the Greenland National Museum
Nuuk, the capital and administrative center of Greenland, has a population of around 16,000 and is especially popular with visitors for the Greenland National Museum. Its collections of hunting equipment, kayaks, carvings, and Viking finds paint a vivid picture of life here from the earliest times.
The 500-year-old mummies of women and children (discovered in 1978) are so well preserved that some of the facial tattoos and various colors of the clothing material are still recognizable. The museum also hosts regular exhibitions of geology and the arts.
Nuuk is the departure point for tours of the Godthåb Fjord, one of Greenland's most beautiful regions, and the atmospheric buildings of the old colonial harbor are well worth seeing.
Address: Hans Egedes Vej 8, Nuuk
3. Uunartoq Hot Springs
Hot springs are found throughout Greenland, but on the uninhabited island of Uunartoq, the springs are the perfect temperature for bathing. Here, three naturally heated springs merge into a small pool, where you can immerse yourself surrounded by icebergs and stunning mountain peaks.
Uunartoq is a short boat ride from the town of Ilulissat. There are literally thousands of springs elsewhere in Greenland, most notably on Disko Island, whilst on the easterly side of the country there are around a hundred more.
4. Tasiilaq, East Greenland​​
Although it has just 2,000 inhabitants, Tasiilaq is the largest town in East Greenland. It lies on the island of Ammassalik, about 100 kilometers south of the Arctic Circle. Set amid breathtaking scenery on a fjord surrounded by soaring mountains and bisected by a small river, Tasiilaq should be high up on any visitor's agenda.
The Flower Valley behind the town is a popular place for short or long hikes. Popular winter activities are skiing trips and dog-sled tours. In summer, activities include hiking, climbing, helicopter rides over the ice sheet and glaciers, sea kayaking between icebergs on the fjord, whale watching, and fishing. As Tasiilaq remains one of the most isolated settlements on Earth, expect an experience like no other.
5. Qaanaaq - up north!
Polar explorers and poets have long romanticized Qaanaaq as the world's supreme point, and philosophers of the past called it the Ultima Thule - or the edge of the known world. Greenlanders call the area Avanersuaq, the great north, and Qaanaaq is truly part of Greenland's northernmost areas, but the city is also far from out of reach. In other words, you do not have to be an extreme adventurer to experience Qaanaaq, though it must be said that a healthy dose of positive openness helps anyone on their way to these edges.
In Qaanaaq, informal everyday conversations can suddenly turn into boat trips and dog sledding trips with local fishermen, and such experiences can replace other destinations' more organized tour offers. In this way, established plans give way to series of days, where every afternoon becomes the door to new adventures that are rare and usually surprising.
