Greenland – between icebergs and hot springs

Greenland can see northern lights in the. The sky then appears in a greenish light and amazes every viewer. is the right one for individual travelers and people who love tranquility and unique natural spectacles holiday destination. The arctic paradise offers unique experiences for tourists in every season. Whether on almost endless dog sledding tours along icebergs and glaciers or visiting the hot springs – Greenland is a huge natural wonder that has surprises in store every day. There is a lot to discover in the country, especially for animal lovers. On the tours through the vastness one encounters polar bears, reindeer, arctic foxes and seals.

Greenland is extremely rich in a variety of animals that have adapted to polar conditions. The landscapes are populated by different species. There is one unusual feature in Greenland compared to other countries that is not too surprising: there are no amphibians or reptiles in Greenland. But surely everyone knows the polar bear, which is one of the most famous representatives of the animal kingdom in Greenland. It is mostly found in the Northeast Greenland National Park and in the subsequent northern area. It is entirely possible that polar bears can also be seen in the south, because while they are hunting seals, the drift ice they are on moves and eventually they end up in the southern part of Greenland.

Another mammal besides the polar bear is the musk ox. Although both have little to do with each other in the wild, they have one thing in common. They are the two largest representatives of the mammals in Frönland. Unfortunately, only 4,000 animals are left of the large musk ox herds of the past.

Greenland – key data

Area: 2,166,086 km² (410.449 km² ice-free, 1,755.637 km² covered with ice, estimate 2000)

Population: 57,670 (July 2011, CIA). Greenlanders 88% (Inuit and Greenland-born whites), Danes and others 12% (2000).

Population density: 0.027 residents per km²

Population growth: 0.05% per year (2011, CIA)

Capital: Nuuk (15.240 residents, 2006)

Highest point: Gunnbjørn Fjeld, 3,700 m

Lowest point: Atlantic Ocean, 0 m

Form of government: Greenland has been an equal part of Denmark since June 5, 1953, and autonomous with internal self-government since May 1, 1979. On June 21, 2009 a new self-government regulation came into force, which guarantees a greater autonomy of Greenland from Denmark. Only the foreign and defense policy remain the responsibility of Denmark. That houses of Parliament(Landsting) consists of 31 members. Greenland sends two members of parliament from Denmark.

Administrative structure: 3 districts (landsdele): Avannaa (North Greenland), Tunu (East Greenland) and Kitaa (Vestgronland) as well as 18 municipalities.

Head of Government: Prime Minister Aleqa Hammond, since April 5, 2013

Head of State: since 1972 the Danish Queen Queen Margrethe II, represented in Greenland since February 1, 2011 by imperial ombudsman Mikaela Engell.

Language: The official languages ​​in Greenland are both Inuit and Danish. English is used as a communication and educational language.

Religion: Greenland Protestant Church 98%. There are some Catholics in Nuuk.

Local time: 4 time zones run through Greenland:
East and Northeast Greenland: CET -1 hour. Summer time from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October: CET.
The time difference to Central Europe is -1 hour all year round.
Scoresby Sund: CET -2 h. Daylight saving time from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October CET -1.
The time difference to Central Europe is -2 hours all year round.
Ammassalik / West Coast: CET -4 hours. Summer time from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October: CET -3 hours.
The time difference to Central Europe is -4 hours all year round.
Thule region (to USA): CET -5 h. No changeover between summer and winter time.
The time difference to Central Europe is -5 hours in winter and -6 hours in summer.

International phone code: +299

Internet identifier:.gl

Mains voltage: 220 V, 50 Hz. However, the power supply is not guaranteed everywhere in remote areas.

Greenland – geography and map

If Australia is considered a continent, Greenland is the world’s largest island at 2,650 km long and 1,000 km wide. According to 800zipcodes, the north coast of Greenland is only 710 km from the North Pole, making it the northernmost large contiguous land mass.

North of the island is the icy Arctic Ocean, east the Greenland Sea and Irminger Sea, west the Davis Strait and Baffin Bay. These waters are all marginal seas of the Atlantic Ocean. In the northwest of Greenland is the rugged and extensive island world of the Queen Elizabeth Islands.

The sea surrounding Greenland is either permanently covered by ice or very cold due to the meeting of the Arctic Sea and the North Atlantic. The inland is covered by a layer of ice 2,500 km long and 1,000 km wide. This ice cover is an average of 2,000 m and sometimes up to 3,400 m thick. Larger ice thicknesses (up to 4,776 m) can only be found in the Antarctic. Icebergs several kilometers in length often break off the Greenland Ice Sheet.

The up to 200 km wide coastal region is the only ice-free area in Greenland. With a little more than 410,000 square kilometers, it only makes up about 19% of the total area, but is larger than Germany (357,093 square kilometers). The entire Greenland population lives here. If the Greenland ice were to melt completely, the global sea level would rise by 6 to 7 m. The rate of melting is increasing at the moment; 240 km³ has been melting annually since 2004, a multiple of the past.

The slightly undulating southern coastal region is characterized by fjords, sea streets and bays that create a connection between the ice inside and the sea.

The central and northern part of the island, covered by ice, consists of a large basin that is partially below sea level. The highland edge of Greenland is formed by high mountains, in the Watkins Mountains in east Greenland the highest peak is reached at 3,700 m (Gunnbjørn Fjeld, also called Hvitserk).

The summer polar sun shines in the north of the Arctic Circle. In the arctic winter it becomes completely dark in the northern regions, in the rest of Greenland it is twilight. The northern lights can be observed particularly well in autumn, winter and at the beginning of spring, in southern regions from the end of August.