Greenland Tourism
"Greenland Tourism" is almost an oxymoron: when one thinks of tourism, it usually brings to mind images of kitsch t-shirts, swanky hotels, and families on holiday. The massive and sparsely-populated island of Greenland lacks all of those attributes, and will only satisfy the most intense feelings of wanderlust.
While being the world's largest non-continental island, Greenland is also over 80% ice, making sizable portions of it uninhabitable. Though technically a part of Denmark, Greenland is largely self-governing, though for a nation so uncrowded (and largely unindustrialized), a strong centralized government would make little difference. The country has no private property, nor does it have a system of roads or public transportation. Because the larger settlements are near the coasts, movement from place to place is usually arranged via boat or plane. However, the adventurous traveler is invited to kayak or dog-sled. Because of the absence of private property, Greenland is basically one big (frozen) hiking trail, with no areas off-limits.
Greenland is one of the few relatively-inhabited places to see glaciers. And for those who prefer observing faster things, whales, seals, walruses, and even polar bears are common. Like Alaska (and anyplace else above the Arctic Circle), the sun in Greenland will either hang above the horizon or disappear entirely for longer stretches of time than some travelers are accustomed to, which can be both offsetting and charming.
Visitors should also keep in mind that the national language, Greenlandic, is exceptionally challenging, even for conversational fluency. Most Greenlanders will know Dutch as well, but English is not widely spoken.
Quick Info:
Capital: Nuuk (Godthab)
Language(s): Greenlandic
Religion(s): Christianity
Currency: Danish krone (DKK)
Electricity Voltage: 220V
Calling Code: +299
Popular Travel Destinations:
- Kulusuk
- Ilulissat Iceberg Cave
- Sermitsiaq Mountain
Official Website: www.greenland.com/en/
Travel Forums:
*Note* - Some of the graphics on this page were taken from the CIA World Factbook which contains a wealth of information on every country in the world. I highly recommend it.