Greenland

Greenland (Greenlandic: Kalaallit Nunaat, "The Land of the Greenlanders (Kalaallit)"; Danish: Grønland) is a self-governed Danish territory. An Arctic island nation located in North America by geography, culture and demographics, Greenland is part of Europe politically. The Atlantic Ocean and Iceland lie to Greenland's Southeast; the Greenland Sea to the East; the Arctic Ocean to the North; Baffin Bay and Canada to the West. Greenland is the world's largest island, and is the largest dependent territory by area in the world. About 81 percent of its surface is covered by ice, known as the Greenlandic ice cap.

Geography

The total area of Greenland measures 2 099 988 km², of which the ice sheet covers 1 799 992 km² (85,7%).

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All towns and settlements of Greenland are situated along the ice-free coast, with the population being concentrated along the Western coast. Of the 19 municipalities, 16 are in Western Greenland, 2 in Eastern Greenland (southern Portion) and 1 in Northern Greenland (western portion). Northeastern greenland is not part of any municipalitiy, but is the site of the world's largest national part, Northeast Greenland National Park.

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At least four scientific expedition stations had been established in the ice-covered central part of Greenland (indicated as pale blue in the map to the right), on the ice cap: Eismitte, North Ice, North GRIP Camp and The Raven Skiway. Currently, there is a year-round station, Summit Camp, on the ice cap, established in 1989. Greenland also had the northernmost permanent outpost of the world, the radio station Brondlund Fjord.

Related Topics:
Eismitte - North Ice - Summit Camp - Brondlund Fjord

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The extreme north of Greenland, Peary Land, is not covered by an ice cap, because the air there is too dry to produce snow, which is essential in the production and maintenance of an ice cap. If the Greenland ice cap were to completely melt away, Greenland would most likely become an archipelago.

Related Topics:
Peary Land - Ice cap - Air - Snow - Melt - Archipelago

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Between 1989 and 1993, U.S. and European climate researchers drilled into the summit of Greenland's ice sheet, obtaining a pair of two-mile (3.2 km) long ice cores. Analysis of the layering and chemical composition of the cores has provided a revolutionary new record of climate change in the Northern Hemisphere going back about 100,000 years and illustrated that the world's weather and temperature have often shifted rapidly from one seemingly stable state to another, with worldwide consequences.

Related Topics:
1989 - 1993 - Climate - Ice core - Northern Hemisphere - Weather - Temperature - Consequences

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