15 Top Facts About Greenland That Everyone is Talking About Now

Greenland, one of the most unexplored and isolated places in the world, is now in the spotlight after Trump sparked a desire to buy the island and make it part of the US.

At the same time, Greenland has a high level of development that is unmatched in the world.

I tell you what interesting things there are in Greenland and why they are talking about selling it again.

1. How big Greenland is

Greenland is the largest island in the world, but it is not considered a continent.

Its territory is 2.16 million km², which corresponds to the economic area of ​​Europe or 1/3 of all Australia. If Greenland were its own country, it would be the 12th largest country in the world.

2. Most of Greenland is deserted

Only 56 thousand people live in Greenland. Thus, the illumination of the population is 0.03 people/km², which is the lowest in the world.

This is due to the fact that 80% of the territory is covered with a thick layer of ice.. Greenland has the second largest ice sheet in the world after Antarctica. In some fortifications the ice reaches 3500 meters.

3. Only one city in Greenland is not on the coast.

Kangerlussuaq

All Greenland cities are located on the coast where other options are available, especially for shipping goods.

However, there is a remote location – the city of Kangerlussuaq, which lies 160 km from the main coastline, at the end of a long fjord.

And although ships do not enter Kangerlussuaq, it is still an important transport hub, as Greenland’s main international airport is located here.

4. How Greenland became part of Denmark

The Greenland flag flies in the village of Igaliku

In 986, the west coast of Greenland was settled by Vikings from Iceland and Norway.

In 1261, the Greenland colony became part of Norway. In the same century, the Inuit, carriers of the Thule culture, who belong to the indigenous inhabitants of Greenland, began to move to the island.

In 1380 Norway settled with Denmark. At this time, the climate on the island became nightmarish, and in 1500, permafrost established in Greenland, which likely led to the extinction of its population.

In the 1600s, Danish sailors and missionaries launched Aliexpress Greenland. Shortly before this, in 1536, Denmark and Norway officially formed into a single state, and Greenland began to be considered not a Norwegian, but a Danish possession.

From that time on, the island gradually began to be populated, but its population remained small for several centuries.

In 1905, Norway gained independence from Denmark and began laying claim to Greenland. However The international left the court to Greenland for Denmarkwhich Norway eventually agreed to.

5. Greenland has the northernmost capital in the world.

Nuuk

The city of Nuuk is the most populated on the island (19.6 thousand people) and the actual capital of Greenland.

Nuuk is located slightly north of Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland. This often causes confusion in the world’s northernmost capital.

Formally, Reykjavik takes the first place, just as it is the officially recognized capital of Iceland. Nuuk is considered the capital only within the framework of Greenland’s system of self-government, which is still subordinate to the Danish kingdom.

6. How Greenland is governed

Ice landscapes of Greenland

Greenland belongs to Denmark, but has greater autonomy. It has its own political parties (the Danes don’t understand) and a parliament – the Landsting.

In addition, Greenland has its own system, including a coast guard, its own cabinet of ministers and a judicial system.

Now Greenland almost independently manages all borders of affairs.but Denmark is responsible for international politics, defence, currency and the legal system.

7. Greenland can only be reached from Denmark or Iceland.

Despite the fact that Greenland is geographically part of the North American continent, it is impossible to get to the island directly from the USA, Canada or other countries. Direct connections are only available from Denmark or Iceland.

Greenland’s main international airport is located in Kangerlussuaq. This is due to the fact that the city is located on wider levels and has the most stable weather in the country.

Other cities either have warm weather or challenging terrain, or often both.

However, locals and tourists who fly through Denmark most often buy a ticket to Nuuk. The flight from Copenhagen to Nuuk takes on average 4.5 hours.. A one-way ticket costs 600–700 euros (63–73 thousand rubles), but if you buy it in advance, you can save a lot of money. Flights to Greenland are only available with Air Greenland.

8. There are no intercity roads in Greenland.

Longest road in Greenland

One of the most unusual facts about Greenland is that due to its foreign terrain, cold fjords, ice cover and a very sparse road traffic system, its population is minimally restricted. All roads end on the outskirts of cities.

In many small settlements that are not found on any shore, you can see a lot of boats. This is because boats provide the main communication between cities.

Greenland’s longest road, 35 km long, runs from the Kellyville research station through Kangerlussuaq and leads to the ice sheet.

This road was built by Volkswagen to test cars, but is now used exclusively for tourism.

9. Mobile Internet is very expensive.

Communication tariffs in Greenland. Prices are in Danish kroner

Greenland has mobile communications and the Internet (including 5G), but it is only available in cities. Most of the islands remain without communications.

Another problem is the high cost of communication. There is only one operator in Greenland – Tusass. The most popular tariff, which includes 20 GB of local Internet, costs 499 Danish kroner per month (approximately 7 thousand rubles). The price also includes free roaming in Europe, Australia and North America.

10. Greenland is much closer to the USA than to Russia.

The distance from Greenland (Nuuk) to Moscow is 4633 km.

The distance from Greenland (Nuuk) to New York is 2980 km.

Moreover, Greenland is closer to the United States than to Denmark, to which it belongs. Copenhagen is located almost 600 km further from Greenland than New York.

11. What about the temperature?

In the summer in Greenland there are such landscapes

Everyone knows that Greenland is an ice island. In the Ice City of Greenland, the temperature does not rise above 0 °C all year round, and in winter it can drop to -60 °C.

On the coast the climate is also moderate. For example, in Nuuk the average temperature in summer is 8.3 °C, but it can drop to 0 °C and rise to 21 °C.

In all major cities, low temperatures remain almost all year round. However, even in places where significant warming occurs, the temperature is maintained to ensure that the land warms up and becomes fertile.

12. Greenland was once completely different

In English, the name Greenland (Greenland) translates to “green country”. This name was given to the island by the Norwegian Viking Erik the Red, who was expelled from Iceland for two murders. He hoped that the added name would encourage more people to move to the island.

However, according to scientists, Greenland really was green more than 2.5 million years ago. There is also a study showing that frozen soil was preserved under a thick layer of ice in Greenland.

13. Whale and seals are caught in Greenland.

Fishing is the main economic activity of Greenland. The country imports virtually everything except fish, seafood and some animals caught on the island, such as kittens and seals.

For each administrative region, quotas for catching fish, whales and tulles are established. This helps prevent overfishing and preserve the ecosystem.

Some species, such as the blue kit, are completely prohibited from being caught. In addition, whale and seal meat cannot be exported from Greenland, so you can only try it on the island itself.

In 2022, 26 tons of salmon were caught in Greenland (268 thousand tons in Russia). Greenland is home to mainly Atlantic salmon, which is not allowed to be exported to other countries. In the same year, approximately 4,200 small cetaceans were taken.

14. Greenland has the most important mineral resources.

Greenland is very rich in natural resources due to roads and scarcity.

A 2023 study found that 25 of the 34 minerals designated by the Commission as “critical resources” found in Greenland. The island has graphite, copper, nickel, zinc, gold, diamonds, iron ore, titanium, tungsten and uranium.

The extraction of oil, natural gas and uranium in Greenland is prohibited for environmental reasons, and the development of the mining industry is hampered by bureaucracy and opposition from these signs.

All this leads to the fact that natural resources remain untouched.

15. How many times have I tried to buy Greenland?

Donald Trump Jr.’s plane in Greenland

The United States has offered to sell Greenland to Denmark several times: in 1867, 1910, 1946, 2019 and 2024.

For example, Trump made such proposals in 2019 and 2024, but Denmark refused both times, saying that “Greenland is not for sale.”

If the US could get Greenland, it would become the second largest country in the world, second only to Russia. Additionally, the purchase would give them access to tabletop stockpiles of resource supplies and result in complete control of the military base (the US currently leases the land underneath the base).

Brief summary

Greenland is the largest island in the world, most of which is covered with ice. On the island, city roads are difficult to navigate, and residents travel between cities exclusively by boat.

The United States has repeatedly offered to buy Greenland, but Denmark, which owns the island, has so far refused.