Greenland, one of the most unexplored and isolated places in the world, is now in the spotlight due to Donald Trump expressing his desire to buy the island and make it part of the United States.
At the same time, Greenland is a unique place that has no analogues in the world.
We tell you what interesting things there are in Greenland and why they are talking about selling it again.
1. How big is Greenland
Greenland is the largest island in the world, but it is not considered a continent.
Its territory is 2.16 million km², which is comparable to the area of the entire Western Europe or 1/3 of 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 population density is 0.03 people/km², which is the lowest in the world.
This is due to the fact that 80% of the island is covered with a thick layer of ice. Greenland has the second largest ice sheet in the world after Antarctica. In some places the ice thickness reaches 3500 meters.
3. Only one city in Greenland is not on the coast.
Kangerlussuaq
All of Greenland’s cities are located on the coast to facilitate communication with other countries, especially for food deliveries.
However, there is an exception – the city of Kangerlussuaq, which is located 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
From 986, the west coast of Greenland was inhabited 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 are considered the indigenous inhabitants of Greenland, began to move to the island.
In 1380 Norway united with Denmark. By this time, the climate on the island began to deteriorate, and by 1500, permafrost had established itself on Greenland, which likely led to the extinction of its population.
In the 1600s, Danish sailors and missionaries began visiting Greenland. Shortly before this, in 1536, Denmark and Norway officially united 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 Court of Justice left Greenland to 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 determining the northernmost capital of the world.
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Formally, Reykjavik takes first place, 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 Danish ones do not operate) and a parliament – the Landsting.
In addition, Greenland has its own law enforcement system, including a coast guard, its own cabinet of ministers and a judicial system.
Now Greenland almost independently manages all internal affairsbut Denmark is responsible for international politics, defense, 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 a wide plain and has the most stable weather in the country.
Other cities either have unstable weather or difficult 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 (63-73 thousand rubles), but if you buy it much in advance, you can save a lot of money. Flights to Greenland are operated only by 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 rugged terrain, deep fjords, ice cover and very small population, the road system is extremely limited. All roads end on the outskirts of cities.
In many small settlements you won’t see a single car, but you can see a lot of boats on the shore. 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 primarily 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 island remains without communications.
Another problem is the high cost of communication. There is only one operator in Greenland – Tusass. Most popular tariffwhich includes 20 GB of mobile Internet, costs 499 Danish kroner per month (approximately 7 thousand rubles). The tariff 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. On the Greenland ice sheet, temperatures do not rise above 0 °C all year round, and in winter they can drop to -60 °C.
On the coast the climate is also unstable. 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 persist almost all year round. However, even in places where there is noticeable warming, temperatures are not sufficient for the earth to warm up and become fertile.
12. Greenland was once completely different
In English, the name Greenland is translated as “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 attractive name would encourage people to move to the island more actively.
However, according to scientists, Greenland really was green more than 2.5 million years ago. There is also research showing that frozen soil was preserved under a thick layer of ice in Greenland.
13. Whales and seals are caught in Greenland
Fishing is the main industry in Greenland. The country imports almost everything except fish, seafood and some animals caught on the island, such as whales and seals.
For each administrative region, quotas are set for catching fish, whales and seals. This helps prevent overfishing and preserve the ecosystem.
Some species, such as the blue whale, 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 for export to other countries. In the same year, approximately 4,200 small cetaceans were taken.
14. Greenland has the most important minerals
Greenland is very rich in minerals, both expensive and scarce.
A 2023 study found that 25 of the 34 minerals designated as “critical raw materials” by the European Commission are found in Greenland. The island has graphite, copper, nickel, zinc, gold, diamonds, iron ore, titanium, tungsten and uranium.
Oil, natural gas and uranium mining in Greenland is prohibited for environmental reasons, and mining development is hampered by bureaucracy and opposition from indigenous peoples.
All this leads to the fact that natural resources remain untouched.
15. How many times have they 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.
Specifically, Donald Trump spoke with such an offer in 2019 and 2024, but both times Denmark refused, saying that “Greenland is not for sale.”
If the United States were able to acquire Greenland, it would become the second largest country in the world, second only to Russia. In addition, the purchase would give them access to vast reserves of natural resources and provide complete control over the military base (the US currently leases the land for the base).
Brief summary
Greenland is the largest island in the world, most of which is covered with ice. There are no intercity roads on the island, and residents move between cities mainly by boats.
The United States has repeatedly offered to buy Greenland, but Denmark, which owns the island, has so far refused.
Source: www.iphones.ru
