Interesting facts few people know about Greenland

With its picturesque landscape, Greenland is a tourist destination that every traveler wishes to visit. This remote land holds many interesting things that very few people know about.
Not as green as the name “Greenland”

In Viking legends, Greenland was described as a lush, green, fertile land. However, today “Whiteland” would be a more accurate name because about 85% of the country is covered in ice and snow.

No railway

Covering over 2 million square kilometres, Greenland is huge, but the regions are not connected by road or rail. All travel between towns is done by plane, boat, helicopter, snowmobile or dog sled.

Greenlanders are not Eskimos

Despite living in the same cold lands, Greenlanders are not Eskimos, and they would be quite offended if they were called that. The native name of Greenland is Kalaallit, in the native language Kalaallisut.

Lots of gems

Greenland has huge reserves of precious stones such as rubies and sapphires, which surprises visitors to this barren land of ice and snow. In the future, gemstone mining is predicted to surpass fishing to become Greenland's largest industry.

The US once tried to buy Greenland

In 1946, the United States tried to buy Greenland from Denmark, but the European country refused to sell the island to the Americans. In 1979, Greenland was granted self-government.

Nuuk Capital

The capital and largest city in Greenland is Nuuk (meaning “cape”), with a population of around 17,000. It is home to the University of Greenland, an art museum, a sports stadium, a cultural center, the Greenland National Library, and the country's international airport.

Cars are not popular

There are an estimated 2,570 cars in the entire country of Greenland. But due to a lack of transport connections, most of these cars are parked in the capital Nuuk. Instead, boats are the most common form of transport used by the country's residents.

The weather is very cold

This is not really surprising since the country is 85% covered in ice and snow. July is the only month where temperatures actually exceed freezing, but it rarely goes above 10 degrees Celsius.

Midnight Sun

This is a fascinating natural phenomenon that occurs in the summer in Greenland. The “Midnight Sun” occurs at latitudes north of the Arctic Circle, and you will not see darkness during the summer. From late April to late August, visitors can see the Sun during the day and night in Greenland.

Great place to see the aurora

Although Greenland’s winters can be long and dark, it’s a great opportunity to see the aurora borealis. From September to mid-April, you can see the aurora on any clear night. The area has little light pollution, so the aurora’s colors are incredibly vivid./