Greenland

Greenland is the largest island in the world that is not a continent. It lies between the arctic ocean and the atlantic-ocean, northeast of canada and northwest of iceland. Although its name means “Green Land,” most of Greenland is covered by a thick sheet of ice. Only a small part along the coast is green in the summer, where people and plants can live.

Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, but it has its own government and local control over many matters. Its capital city is Nuuk, which is home to about one-third of the island’s people. Most Greenlanders are Inuit, whose ancestors have lived there for thousands of years, surviving by fishing, hunting seals, and herding animals. Today, modern Greenland mixes traditional ways of life with modern schools, homes, and technology.

The island’s landscape is shaped by ice and rock. Around 80% of Greenland is covered by the Greenland Ice Sheet, which is the second-largest body of ice on earth after Antarctica. This massive ice sheet stores about 10% of the world’s freshwater. The rest of Greenland has rugged mountains, deep fjords (long, narrow sea inlets), and valleys carved by glaciers over time. During summer, small plants, mosses, and colorful wildflowers appear in the tundra areas.

The climate in Greenland is very cold for most of the year. In winter, the sun may not rise for weeks in the far north, while in summer, it may shine all day and night. Temperatures along the coast can be milder, but the inland ice remains frozen year-round. Animals such as polar [[Bear|bears]], seals, whales, musk oxen, and arctic foxes live in or around Greenland’s icy seas and tundra.

Greenland plays an important role in Earth’s climate system. Its ice sheet helps reflect sunlight, keeping the planet cool. However, in recent decades, parts of the ice have begun melting faster due to climate change. This melting can cause sea levels to rise, which may affect coastlines around the world. Scientists from many countries study Greenland’s ice and weather to understand how global warming is changing the planet.

Even though it is a cold and remote place, Greenland is full of life and culture. Its people, traditions, and landscapes show how humans and nature can adapt to one of the world’s most extreme environments.