GreenLand – 20 Facts about Largest Island in the World

Greenland is a land of massive scale and unique culture. While many know it’s “icy” and Iceland is “green,” the reality of life on the world’s largest island is far more fascinating.

Here are 20 facts about Greenland that highlight its unique identity:

geography and nature

1. it is the world’s largest island: excluding continents, greenland holds the top spot. it is roughly three times the size of texas or about the same size as western europe.

2. it has the lowest population density: with only about 56,000 people living in a massive territory, it is the most sparsely populated place on earth.

3. 80% is covered by an ice sheet: this ice cap is the second largest in the world after antarctica. in some places, the ice is over 3 kilometers (2 miles) thick.

4. the largest national park in the world: the northeast greenland national park covers nearly 1 million square kilometers—making it larger than about 100 different countries.

5. home to the world’s longest-living vertebrate: the greenland shark lives in the frigid surrounding waters and can survive for over 400 years.

6. you can soak in hot springs while watching icebergs: on the island of uunartoq, natural hot springs stay at a balmy 37°c (99°f) year-round, even as massive icebergs float by in the distance.

7. it’s technically part of north america: geographically, greenland sits on the north american tectonic plate, though politically and culturally it has been tied to europe (specifically denmark) for centuries.

culture and daily life

8. no roads connect the towns: because of the rugged terrain and massive fjords, there are no highways between settlements. people travel by plane, helicopter, boat, or dogsled.

9. only two traffic lights exist: both are located in the capital city, nuuk. for the rest of the country, they simply aren’t necessary.

10. more boats than cars: since the ocean is the primary highway, most families own a boat before they would ever consider buying a car.

11. strict “no other dogs” laws: north of the arctic circle and in east greenland, it is illegal to bring in any other breed of dog. this is to protect the purity of the greenlandic sled dog, a breed that has worked the ice for thousands of years.

12. the name was a marketing stunt: the viking explorer erik the red was exiled from iceland and named the land “greenland” specifically to entice settlers to join him, despite its icy nature.

13. houses are traditionally color-coded: historically, colors indicated the building’s function: red for churches and stores, yellow for hospitals, blue for fish factories, and green for telecommunications.

14. the birthplace of the “kayak”: the word comes from the greenlandic qajaq. it was originally a hunting vessel made of driftwood and seal skins, custom-tailored to the hunter’s body.

unusual traditions and language

15. the longest word: greenlandic is a polysynthetic language, meaning words are built by adding suffixes to a root. a famous example is nalunaarasuartaatilioqateqqusaasut, which roughly translates to “those who were told to work together on building a telegraph.”

16. kiviak is a winter delicacy: this traditional dish involves stuffing hundreds of small birds (auks) into a seal skin, burying it under a rock, and letting it ferment for several months.

17. christmas trees are imported: because greenland has no natural forests, christmas trees must be shipped in from denmark. locals often leave their decorations up until january 6th (the twelfth night).

18. the “midnight sun” lasts for months: in the northernmost towns, the sun does not set from late may until late july. conversely, they experience “polar night” where the sun doesn’t rise at all in mid-winter.

19. the “titanic glacier”: the sermeq kujalleq glacier is one of the fastest-moving in the world. it is widely believed that the iceberg that sank the titanic originated from this specific glacier.

20. ice golf is a real sport: every year, the town of uummannaq hosts the world ice golf championship on a course carved directly into the sea ice, complete with “whites” instead of “greens.”

The largest island in the world is Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, covering over 2.1 million square kilometers north of Canada, known for its vast ice cap. It’s significantly larger than the second-largest island, New Guinea, and is distinct from continents like Australia, making it the biggest landmass surrounded by water that isn’t classified as a continent.