Greenland is an “autonomous constituent country” within the Kingdom of Denmark. It is home to a wonderful, diverse cultural history and community. Its internal policy independence is remarkable, but it has been so closely connected to domestic Denmark since the 1700s. This wild and beautiful island, where its inhospitable landscape belies an untouched natural beauty, has captured many an explorer’s imagination and puzzled historians for over 250 years. From the first Norse colonists to today’s Inuit majority, Greenland’s history has been one of survival, intrigue, and evolution.
The first known permanent settlers of Greenland were Norse walrus hunters who traded ivory with ships that came to visit. These Norse Greenlanders made their mark on the island, but in a puzzling turn of events disappeared from the island in the 15th century. The historical record does them no favors, leaving their disappearance wrapped in enigma. Ideas have abounded from famine and disease to isolation. About 800 years ago, the ancestors of today’s majority Greenlanders—the Inuit—arrived in Greenland. Along with them came a learned, lived, wearied reverence for their rugged native land.
Greenland has long drawn the world’s explorers and travelers to its forbidding edges. The island’s harsh conditions have consistently discouraged these intrepid explorers, but the temptation of the island is too strong to resist. Fridtjof Nansen, the Norwegian explorer, was the first European to cross Greenland from west to east. He achieved this epic goal by undertaking an extreme 260-mile expedition on foot and skis. His expedition endured bone-chilling cold and deadly crevasses in what is considered one of the greatest accomplishments in the history of exploration.
American explorer Robert Peary was just one of many who tried to cross Greenland’s northern extremes. He was put off by the island’s brutal conditions, later calling his time in Siberia a “nightmare of emptiness.” The vast, empty landscape left a profound impression on Peary and underscored the challenges faced by those who dared to explore Greenland.
Even today, Greenland is still a forbidding place. The island is not protected by EU mobile roaming agreements, leaving mobile phones useless. Linking its villages by road is impossible because of extreme topography. Yet Nuuk, Greenland’s capital city, is easily likened to a big market town. It’s tucked deep in the backcountry, introducing visitors to the island’s wild and rugged splendor.
We’ll have five beautiful new residential, cultural, expressive places in Greenland, too! Writer Niviaq Korneliussen shook up Greenlandic literature with her 2014 debut novel, which became an instant classic. She made the radical decision to write in Greenlandic, rather than in Danish. This decision was a bold expression of devotion to maintain native language amongst communities and uplift it. This literary achievement places a spotlight on Greenland’s unique cultural landscape and ongoing preservation of the Inuktitut language.
Technological advancements and climate change have increased accessibility to Greenland, drawing more interest from global powers eager to exploit its resources. Though the opportunity for economic development is welcomed by officials, it increases fear among existing members of the local community. Climate change, combined with increasingly finite competition for resources has produced an ever-increasing apprehension over what the future holds.