Greenland

The world's largest non-continental island, about 84% ice-capped, Greenland was granted self-government in 1978 by the Danish parliament. The law went into effect the following year. Denmark continues to exercise control of Greenland's foreign affairs.

Regions

South-west coast - nicknamed "Sineriak Bananeqarfik" (Banana Coast) by the locals, this is the most easily-accessible part of Greenland and subject to the least extreme temperatures
Disko Bay
Far North
East Coast

Cities

Don't be too concerned about the formidable names for the cities. Danish rule has meant that some cities have Danish names as well, although the Greenlandic ones are the official names.

Nuuk - capital (Godthab)
Kangerlussuaq (Sondre Stromfjord)
Nanortalik
Sisimiut
Narsarsuaq
Ammassalik
Qaanaaq (Thule)

Understand

Greenland represents some 97% of the area of the Kingdom of Denmark and is administered loosely by that country. The local Inuit (don't call them Eskimo, it's considered an insult and means "Eater of raw fish") have closer cultural ties to the inhabitants of northern Canada.

Be careful with maps of Greenland, as many Greenlandic names simply reference a particular geographical feature. Thus, a name like "Kangerlussuaq" is more common than you might otherwise expect, as it simply means "Big Fjord".

Get in

By plane

Regular flights leave from Reykjavik (Iceland) to Nuuk. One popular excursion is to fly from Reykjavik to Nanortalik, where traditional handicrafts are on sale, before returning to the comparative safety of Iceland. Scientific and technical personnel traveling from North America for research purposes typically fly into Kangerlussuaq aboard New York Air National Guard C-130s.

By boat

There is no Ferry Service to Iceland or Canada

Get around

The easiest way to get around Greenland is by plane, as there simply is not a road system.

See

Icebergs and glaciers (especially the Ilulissat Icefjord)
Animal life - Whales, seals, walruses, musk oxen, reindeers and polar bears.
The Midnight sun

Do

Driving dog-sledge
Hiking
Kayak
Mountain climbing

Talk

The official Inuit dialect (Inuktitut) is actually that of the more populated eastern coast. The western dialect is slightly different. Both are highly challenging languages to learn, as words are very long and often feature "swallowed" consonants. Try uteqqipugut or Ittoqqortoormiit on for size.

The good news is that almost all Greenlanders are bilingual Danish speakers, and many will even have a functional command of English. Inuktitut words may come in handy for travellers wanting to experience the "real Greenland", though.

Buy

Inuit art and crafts

Stay healthy

During the northern summer, the days in Greenland are very long. Always make sure that you get as much sleep as you're used to, as sleep deprivation can lead to all manner of health problems.

During the summer, also watch out for the Nordic mosquitoes.

Respect

As mentioned above, the word "Eskimo" is not one the Inuit use to refer to themselves and is in fact considered insulting, as it refers to the local equivalent of "cavemen".