Greenland: everything you need to know
The photographs of our collaborator, Niko Tsarev, after his expedition to Greenland They serve as a call to action.
Some snapshots that evoke the magic of, perhaps one of the most inhospitable and beautiful places on Earth , but also a serious warning to boaters: the ice here is now melting seven times faster than it was just thirty years ago, and last July record temperatures were reached for days, something unimaginable decades ago.
With the responsibility of the good traveler, here extreme due to the fragility of a barely inhabited land, we recommend that you dare to visit it in spring, when the cold hits hard, the sun lights up the days and incipient green shoots make you understand a little more why Erik the Red called it Greenland.
Here are all the facts you need to know about this fascinating territory.
adventure awaits us
Southwestern Greenland contains the oldest known rocks on Earth, dating from 3.7 to 3.8 billion years ago.
There is no right to own the land, everything is communal.
About two million seals they crowd the coast. At the end of August the Whales to greet.
In the year 982 Viking explorer and sailor Erik the Red , named for the murder of several people, was sailing west of Iceland and came across a huge island on which he settled.
80% of the population is of Inuit origin, while the remaining 20% is of Danish origin.
Greenland: the trip of a lifetime
- Inuit is a common name for the various peoples who inhabit the arctic regions of North America. The word means "the people".
- It has lost 3.8 billion tons of ice in a very short time, between 1992 and 2018, according to NASA and ESA data published last December.
- Its economy depends on fishing and the export of fish. Shrimp exports are the largest source of foreign exchange income, along with the issuance and sale of postage stamps.
In Danish means "Green Earth"
- The figures are alarming: defrosting is seven times faster now than it was in the early 1990s: from 25,000 million tons per year to 234,000 million tons per year.
-The swaasat is one of the typical dishes of Greenland, a soup that is made up of seal, whale, reindeer and onion, seasoned with salt and pepper.
- From Monday to Friday You can't buy alcohol after 6:00 p.m. On Saturday, only until 1:00 p.m. On Sundays its sale is prohibited.
One of the most inhospitable places on Earth
- There is only two sets of traffic lights , both on the same street in Nuuk.
- Its 56,000 inhabitants live in the coastal areas free of ice. The population density is 0.026 inhabitants per square kilometer. The "empty Greenland", yes.
The Inlandis or "inner ice" is a layer up to 3 kilometers thick that occupies 85% of the surface.
The Greenland Ice Sheet has enough water to raise sea level 7.4 meters.
Until 1953, only scientists authorized by Denmark could access the island
Does not exist neither McDonald's, nor Starbucks nor any chain fast food or famous cafe.
singer and actress Nive Nielsen , who starred in the movie The new World Along with Colin Farrell, she is one of the most famous Greenlanders.
- Jesper Grønkjær, former Atletico Madrid midfielder , was also born in Nuuk.
In July 2019, the Greenlandic ice cap lost 11,000 million tons , more than twice the daily average at the time of melting.
A basic sweater in Greenland costs 220 euros.
The highest temperature recorded in Nuuk is 24.4°C. The lowest, -50.8°C. The annual average is 1.3°C.
The ice here is now melting seven times faster than it was just thirty years ago.
It has a single University attended by 145 students PhD. A total of 16 teachers work there.
In 1966, the Geological Survey of Denmark (GEUS) analyzed Greenlandic rubies and found that there are also deposits of diamonds, lapis lazul, spinels, topazes and tourmalines, concentrated mainly in its southwestern region.
The average salary of a worker in Greenland is 2,078 euros per month.
- Musk ox, caribou, polar bear, arctic wolf, arctic hare, lemming, stoat and arctic fox are the mammals that roam these lands.
- You will be able to see (hopefully) Whales beluga, blue, boreal, whales, humpbacks, minke whales, narwhals, pilot whales and sperm whales.
It has lost 3.8 billion tons of ice between 1992 and 2018
In Danish, Grønland means "Green land" despite being one of the countries with less vegetation and being green during the few weeks of summer.
Ilulissat It was the birthplace of the famous polar explorer Knud Rasmussen. Here is the best hotel in Greenland, Arctic Hotel.
They celebrate Independence Day on June 21, but the reality is that they cannot become independent from Denmark , since its economic organization prevents it. They depend on the 450 million euros that Denmark contributes for basic services.
Until 1953, only scientists authorized by Denmark could access the island.
Kaffemik means "through coffee". It is an event that lasts all day and in which the host serves coffee in his house. A kind of open house.
*This report was published in the number 136 of the Condé Nast Traveler Magazine (February). Subscribe to the printed edition (11 printed issues and a digital version for €24.75, by calling 902 53 55 57 or from our website). The February issue of Condé Nast Traveler is available in ** its digital version to enjoy it on your preferred device. **
"And I will look for you in Greenland"