How people live in the land of eternal ice, Greenland

Did you know that the word ‘Greenland’ in English, ‘Greenland’, is literally translated as ‘green land?’ But, apparently, it could easily be called ‘Whiteland’ or ‘white land’, such is the amount of ice in this country (actually, an autonomous territory belonging to Denmark) so close to the North Pole.

It is possible that the Viking Eric or Érik the Red, who christened the region the ‘green land’, was mistaken or lied in hopes of attracting more people to the island. Or that, a thousand years ago, the climate was warmer.

But we know for sure that life in Kalaallit Nunaat (as Greenland is called by its inhabitants) can be tough, but it is particularly beautiful! There, you can not only kayak and admire the Northern Lights, but you can also brew your craft beer, play soccer and swim.

O awesome.club brings some interesting data about this icy island, so you know the positive side of visiting it.

As we have already mentioned, it is an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. Geographically, Greenland is part of North America, so it is not a member of the European Union. This is also due to a popular consultation in which residents were against a fish and shrimp catch quota imposed by the European Union.

Greenlanders have their own flag and their parliament the ‘landsting’. The main leaders are Prime Minister Kim Kielsen and High Commissioner Mikaela Engell. The judicial system, mining, financial control and many other spheres are controlled by Greenland, while international relations and defense remain in the hands of Denmark.

This photo shows Queen Margaret II of Denmark with her husband Prince Henry during an official visit to Greenland. In honor of the event, the royal couple donned the national costume of the Greenlanders, and the women’s version is much more colorful than the men’s. The wide collar pattern symbolizes the northern lights, and the color of the Kamik boots means the queen is married. Single women wear white Kamiks.

Greenland is the largest island in the world, with 4 time zones. Most of the island (about 81%) is not habitable due to the extreme cold. The climate on the island is arctic even in the ice-free coastal areas. But the weather is softened considerably because of a warm current in the southwest of the island.

And, of course, there is the spectacle of the northern lights! And the sky, clean and dark for lack of big cities, is ideal for stargazing. In the photo, it is possible to see one of the attractions of this region: a natural pool, which we will also talk about later.

Today, in Greenland’s largest city and also its capital, around 17,000 people live, which, by world standards, is a very small number. With the size of a small town in the interior of Brazil, almost everyone knows each other.

Despite its small size and provincial appearance, atypical for a capital, Nuuk has all the benefits of civilization: Internet, cell phones, shops and cafes where you can pay by card; museums, a church, as well as a football stadium and educational and medical institutions.

The capital is located in the less cold part of the island, and the sea there does not freeze all year round, which creates favorable conditions for fishing. In summer, the temperature can reach 21ºC, even though it can snow at any time of the year. But, as you can see, the residents, including the youngest, are not afraid of the cold arctic summer and sunbathe peacefully. It is common to see them in public places on sunny days.

In Greenland, there are only roads inside populated areas. If you need to go from one city to another, you must have transport by sea or by air, in helicopters or planes. The flights are operated by the local airline, Air Greenland, which also runs regular flights to the capital of Denmark, Copenhagen.

In the northern regions of the island another type of transport is also used, dog sleds. For this, there are specific warning signs on the roads. Dog sledding is not only a traditional means of transport, it is also a popular and very interesting attraction for tourists.

About 90% of the inhabitants of Greenland are Eskimos, or Inuit – people who also occupy Alaska and northern Canada. The remaining 10% are Danish or European. The main language of the island is Greenlandic, but Danish is also common. Also, many, especially young people, master English.

Check out this young woman’s outfit: it’s the same official outfit that the Queen of Denmark, at the beginning of our post, was wearing. Islanders wear these costumes on days of important events, such as in honor of national and religious festivals, graduation from an educational institution or a wedding.

Traditionally, the main economic activities on the island have always been hunting, fishing and the manufacture of amulets and handicrafts. More recently, mining, tourism, and consulting services have gained importance—especially because of the ease of using the Internet. Professions in the field of medicine and education are popular.

It is known that in neighboring Iceland, there are no mosquitoes: due to its climate, the larvae simply do not have time to develop. Consequently, there are no adult specimens. It is imagined that, due to the proximity between these 2 countries, there are also no mosquitoes in Greenland.

However, in the Greenlandic summer, surprisingly, there are many (many!) mosquitoes. And they are big and aggressive!

It is for this reason that tourists need to bring a good insect repellent, or even think about a more severe protection, like a mosquito net.

Interestingly, the reason for the appearance of these sources, in Greenland, is not volcanic activity, as in Iceland, but the friction of the Earth’s tectonic plates. The most famous hot spring there is on the island of Uunartoq, and it is perfectly suited for water activities: its temperature is 38ºC! This wonderful natural basin is believed to have been discovered by the Vikings approximately a thousand years ago.

And here there is another natural view: as a result of the melting of glaciers, a kind of blue rivers were formed. You can go kayaking, the traditional boat of the arctic peoples. The island’s water is very clean, so you can drink it straight from the tap, without having to filter or boil it.

The subject of agriculture on this island is quite complicated. Local farmers have adapted to only a few crops, but there is no abundance, because of the cold. Therefore, fruits and vegetables are purchased abroad, and not, of course, they are cheap. Among the more exotic dishes, there is matak (a Greenlandic gum), made from whale blubber skin, and kiviak, seal meat stuffed with birds and buried in the ground to ferment.

Other expensive products are tobacco and alcohol. There are several restrictions especially regarding alcohol: on Saturdays, alcoholic beverages are not sold after 1 pm. On weekdays, the restriction starts after 18:00 or after 18:00. There, also, there is a brewery of its own, opened in 2006 in the city of Narsaq. The Greenland Brewhouse brand uses local glacial water to brew the beer and is exported to Denmark.

Medical care, including dentistry, is free for all residents of the country. The largest medical institution is Dronning Ingrids Hospital in Nuuk. It is equipped with everything needed, but in the most difficult cases, the patient can be transported by air to Denmark. The flight takes about 4 hours.

All islanders are entitled to receive higher education at the expense of the government, anywhere in North America or Europe, or at the University of Greenland itself (pictured). There is also a university for teacher training, a faculty of medicine and other educational institutions.

As in Brazil, the most popular sport there is football, and there are officially 5,000 people registered as players, which constitutes almost 10% of the island’s total population! The most promising team to date is Nuuk’s “B-67”, which has already won 12 national football championships.

There it is very difficult to find flat areas suitable for a football field, and it is almost impossible to build a stadium with full coverage of natural grass. Teams are content with an artificial turf or with no cover at all, as in a Uummannaq stadium. There are also not many accommodations for the public: instead of flooring, it is necessary to accommodate directly on the rocks adjacent to the football field.

Despite the controversies, we can’t deny that the “green island” lives up to its name: look at the green in Nuuk in the hot season! Perhaps the Viking Eric the Red didn’t distort reality so much when he proclaimed that this icy island would be like an all green country.