Greenland. For many people it is an unknown area. This is partly because the country is very sparsely populated. This is mainly due to the fact that the country is largely uninhabitable due to the cold. Greenland also has its own national dishes, famous residents and national sports.
History of Greenland
Because Greenland is an unknown and sparsely populated island, little real history is known about it. The country owes its name to the Norwegian Viking ‘Erik the Red’. He was exiled in his own country and then set off on a journey west. This journey led him to a gigantic island, which he named Greenland. After Erik the Red was one of the first settlers to settle in Greenland, more followed. Suddenly, almost all colonies were abandoned around the 15th century, probably due to changing climatic conditions. Later, Greenland was recolonized by the Danes, after which Greenland fell under the administration of the Danish Kingdom. This lasted until 2009, the year in which Greenland gained almost complete self-government. In short, Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark.
Source: Tappert, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA-3.0)
What should I know about Greenland?
Population
Greenland has a population of around 58,000. This number of inhabitants consists of Eskimos (indigenous inhabitants of Greenland) and a large part of Danes.
Best line from the national anthem?
‘Nunarput, utoqqarsuanngoravit niaqqut ulissimavoq qiinik’. Or: ‘Our country, which has become so old that your head is covered with white hair’.
Most dangerous place in Greenland
Narsarsuaq Airport is one of the most dangerous airports in the world. Rode? The track is short, with a lake at the end. The airport is also located in a fjord. That makes landing dangerous, especially because of the risk of icebergs on the flight path.
National dish
Everything with whale in it. Bloke’s raw whale skin and whale fat (maktaaq) are even considered a delicacy in Greenland.
Most notable law?
It is not the law that is strange. It’s the way Greenlanders deal with it. For example, the prison in the capital Nuuk is actually a kind of hotel. At night, convicts sleep in a cell, but during the day they often go to work. Once a year, criminals are even allowed to go out with guns during the reindeer hunt.
Historic low point?
In the year 982, Erik the Red founded the first Scandinavian settlement on Greenland. And in the 15th century, Norwegian culture suddenly came to an end. The reason for the demise is still not entirely clear. A frequently heard explanation is the Little Ice Age, which made the climate in Greenland unliveable.
Most famous resident of Greenland?
Jesper Grønkjear: footballer for FC Copenhagen, and previously for Ajax and Chelsea, among others. Although it should be noted that he was born in Greenland, but lived in Denmark from the age of 4. The football players also play for the Danish and not for the Greenland football team.
National sport?
In the pub you test your strength with the locals with a game of aksaraq. You can compare it to arm shaking, but in this branch of pub sport you pull each other’s fingers. The Greenlanders also, out of necessity, do a lot of snow and ice sports.
National language
In Greenland, ‘Greenlandic’ is the national language. This language is also known as ‘Kalaallisut’. This language is the language of the original inhabitants of Greenland such as the Eskimos. In Greenland, Kalaallisut is spoken by the vast majority of the population and by a small part of the population in Denmark.
Did you know…
- There are 60 kilometers of asphalt roads and 4 traffic lights throughout Greenland.
- The population of Greenland is allowed to catch a maximum of 175 whales per year.
- There has been a Greenlandic national festival since 2009, to celebrate Greenland’s independence from Denmark.
- Almost all villages and settlements can be found along the south and west coast of Greenland, because the remaining area is so icy and cold that they are uninhabitable.
- That there are only 0.027 inhabitants per square kilometer in Greenland (in the Netherlands there are almost 400 people per square kilometer).
- That Greenland is politically part of Denmark, but geographically it is in North America.
- An official Ice Golf World Cup is held in Greenland every year.
- That almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a thick ice sheet.
- There is a 4 hour time difference in Greenland with the Netherlands.