Imagine a huge island covered in ice and snow almost all year. This cool place is called Greenland! Not only is Greenland an island, it is also a nation. It was initially named Greenland in hopes that more people would settle on the island.
Much of Greenland is covered by a thick blanket of ice, known as a glacier. These glaciers are like giant, slow-moving rivers of ice that carve up the land. Under the glaciers lie valuable natural resources, which include gold and zinc.
Greenland’s mountains and deep valleys, called fjords, make it look like a frozen fairy tale land. During the summer, little flowers and moss peek through the ice, adding a splash of green to the mostly white landscape.
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Greenland is surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Arctic Ocean and is a part of North America.
Greenland is the world’s largest island. It is 836,330 square miles. That is about three times larger than the state of Texas! Greenland is covered with a lot of ice. About 80 percent of Greenland is a giant ice sheet. Around 57,000 people live in Greenland. Most people live near the coast, where it’s not as icy.
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The colorful city of Kangaamiut sits on a rocky hillside in western Greenland.
Kangaamiut is a small village located on the western coast of Greenland. One of the first things you would notice in Kangaamiut are the bright wooden houses painted in cheerful colors. These homes stand out beautifully against the snow-covered land and rocky coastline. Because it sits right by the sea, Kangaamiut is a great place to see wildlife like whales, seals, and seabirds.
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An Inuit man uses a sled for transportation across Greenland’s icy terrain.
The Inuit are Indigenous people who have lived in the Arctic for thousands of years. Most Inuit today live in small towns or villages along Greenland’s coast. Their homes are warm and sturdy, built to protect against freezing winds. While many houses now have electricity and even internet access, life in these communities remains closely connected to nature.
Each day in an Inuit village is filled with work and care for the land and family. When kids go to school, the adults often go out hunting or fishing. In some more remote areas, they still use traditional sleds pulled by strong, furry dogs.
What Do You Think? What aspect of Greenland’s geography and culture do you find most interesting? Why?
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