Geography

Greenland's most significant physical feature is its massive ice sheet. It covers more than 700,000 square miles (1,813,000 square kilometers), or more than 80 percent of Greenland's total land area. At its deepest point the ice is 10,000 feet (3,000 meters) thick. The snow that falls onto its surface is compressed into ice layers that continually push outward toward the sea. The large masses of ice that move slowly across the land surface are called glaciers. At many places along the coast, chunks of ice break off the glaciers and flow into the sea as icebergs.

The climate of Greenland is Arctic. The island is subject to intense cold and fierce blizzards, which sometimes begin very suddenly. The average winter temperatures range from 21° F (-6° C) in the south to -31° F (-35° C) in the north. Summers are cool, with average temperatures of 45° F (7° C) or below across the island.

Plants and animals

Because of Greenland's icy landscape and cold climate, plants can grow only in limited parts of the island. The vegetation consists mostly of grasses, lichens, and small shrubs and trees. Polar bears wander throughout the island, and reindeer live on all the ice-free land. Musk oxen are common in the southwestern part of the island. Greenland's other animals include Arctic foxes, snow hares, and the rodents called lemmings. Seals and whales live in the surrounding waters.

People and culture

Native Greenlanders make up four fifths of the population. They are mainly of Inuit (Eskimo) origin, but they also have some European ancestors. About one sixth of the people are immigrants from Denmark. Almost everyone lives in small towns along the coast. The official languages are Danish and Greenlandic, an Inuit language.

Despite Denmark's Western influence, many of the island's people continue to practice traditional Inuit cultural activities. Folk arts, especially soapstone carving and drum dancing, remain popular.

Economy

Greenland relies on financial aid from the Danish government for more than half of its income. The island's economy is also heavily dependent on fishing. The chief industrial products are frozen, tinned, dried, and smoked fish, and shrimp are the leading export. Agriculture is possible on only about 1 percent of the island's area. Hay and garden vegetables are grown. The ice-free land is used mainly as pasture for sheep and reindeer, which are raised for meat, milk, and wool. In the north, seals, polar bears, and foxes are hunted for their meat and skins.

History

The Inuit are believed to have crossed from North America to Greenland in a series of migrations from 4000 BC to AD 1000. In 982 Erik the Red, a Norwegian Viking, sailed to Greenland from Iceland. After living on the island for three years, he returned to Iceland to tell people of the new land. He called it Greenland to encourage people to settle there. In 986 he led a group of Icelanders to Greenland, and they started a colony on the island. In 1261 the colony came under Norwegian rule. The colony died out in the 15th century.

The island was rediscovered late in the 16th century. Beginning with the Englishman Martin Frobisher, European explorers made frequent voyages up the Greenland coast. In 1721 the Danish-Norwegian clergyman Hans Egede began a colony. When the united kingdom of Denmark and Norway was split in 1814, Denmark kept Greenland as a colony.

While the Germans occupied Denmark during World War II (1939–45), Greenland came under the protection of the United States. The Danes resumed rule of Greenland after the war. The Greenlanders complained about Danish policies concerning the island, including one that gave a Danish company total control over trade. In 1953 Greenland ceased to be a colony and became part of the Kingdom of Denmark. The island began sending two members to the Danish parliament. In 1979 Greenland became self-governing, with its own parliament. But Denmark continued to control the island's foreign affairs. Population (2001 estimate), 56,300.