Greenland
 Geography
Greenland is the largest island
in the world. Its northerly location, at the point where the Atlantic
meets the Arctic Ocean, means that Greenland is surrounded principally
by cold ocean currents, so the coasts are constantly being cooled. This,
combined with the radiation of cold from the inland ice, gives Greenland
its arctic climate.
The ice cap or inland ice covers
1,833,900 square km, equivalent to 85 percent of Greenland's total area,
and extends 2,500 km (1,553 miles) from north to south and up to 1,000
km from east to west. At its center, the ice can be up to 3 km thick,
representing 10 percent of the world's total fresh water reserves. If
all the ice were to melt, the world's oceans would rise seven meters.
Climate
Greenland is often associated
with cold and darkness and it can, of course, get very cold. However,
there is also plenty of light and, although the polar darkness often
reigns (in Qaanaaq, the sun doesn't rise for a whole three months!), it
is never totally dark. Greenland enjoys more hours of summer than
anywhere down south, but the weather is nowhere near as warm, even
though the light is much more intense. Greenland summers won't give you
an all-over tan, but your face and neck will turn a beautiful shade of
brown.
The climate of Greenland is generally
dry, and this means that the same temperature feels very different in
Greenland from what it does in Europe. 10 - 15 C (50 - 60F) seems very
warm, while -10C (-50F) seems a very pleasant temperature.
People
People have lived on Greenland
for about 5, 000 years, the earliest belonging to what are called the
Independence I , Saqqaq, and Independence II cultures. They migrated
from North America, used stone tools, and were the first to successfully
adapt to the island's severe conditions. Following the Independence II
migration, a people known as the Dorset arrived, and it is from them
that the oldest myths and legends of Greenland's modern day Inuit people
are derived. The Thule, who are closely related to the Inuit, arrived in
about 900 AD, just before the first Norsemen began settling on the
eastern and southern coasts. Today, 80 percent of the island's people
are Inuit; the rest are Danish.
Recent History
Backed by the Danish kind, Hans
Egede, a Norwegian priest, organized a successful expedition to
Greenland in 1721. This expedition began the colonial age, which lasted
until the constitutional amendment of 1953. Since then, Greenland has
had a home-rule government under normal Danish rule, and (like the Faroe
Islands) Greenland also became entitled to send two representatives to
the Folketing, or Danish Parliament.
As Danish citizens, the Greenlandic
people now had ordinary civic right and their general state of health
and educational facilities was radically improved.
Flora and Fauna
The richest plant growth is found
in the sub-arctic belt, which includes only the very southernmost part
of Greenland and the inner fjords. The greater part of Greenland,
however, has diverse mountain vegetation, reminiscent of northern
Scandinavia. In the driest inland areas, the vegetation is similar to
that found in the mountainous regions of central North America.
Among the many different types of whale
in the waters of Greenland are the fin whales, blue whales, humpbacks,
narwhal, white whales, lesser rorquals, sperm whales and pilot whales.
On a whale watching trip, it isn't unusual to see two different species,
and meeting a humpback with a tail up to 5 meters wide is an experience
to be remembered.
Northern Lights and
Midnight Sun
The Northern Lights appear all
year round, but they are most impressive in the autumn months. They can
also be seen in March and they "disappear" in the light summer
nights.
The midnight sun is another magnificent
Greenland phenomenon which is encountered north of the Arctic Circle.
Daylight can be enjoyed round the clock, depending on how far north you
are. For example, in Uummannaq, the midnight sun is present from the
16th of May to July 28th and during that time "normal" methods
of working out what time it is are more or less useless. It is light
around the clock.
Traveling to
Greenland
Greenland is reached by air from Copenhagen or
Reykjavik.
Call 1-800-223-7226
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