Greenland

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(In Detail)

Greenland (in Danish: Grønland,in Greenlandic: Kalaallit Nunaat, literal meaning: "Land ofhuman") isworld's largest island, about 84% ice-cappedped (or ice-sheeted). Greenland was one ofNorwegian Crown colonies until 1814, whenwentDenmark. Danish territory since 1979, whenisland was granted home rule (hjemmestyre) byDanish parliament. The law went into effectfollowing year. The QueenDenmark remains Greenland's HeadState, however.

The extreme northGreenlandnot covered by an ice cap (indicated as pale blue inmap toright), becauseair theretoo dryproduce snow, whichessential inproductionmaintenancean ice cap.

Itunknown whennative inhabitantsGreenland arrived, or whydecidedsettle suchdesolate place. Their bodies have adaptedaccordance withhabitat throughmillennia, becoming shorter,more fatty tissueprovide heat insolation.

Icelandic settlers arrived atbeginning oflast millennium. They establishedsettlement atvery south-western tip ofisland, wherethrived fornext centuries. Around 1400, however,immigrants seemhave abruptly disappeared, leaving onlyhouses behind.

The name Greenland comes from those nordic settlers. InViking sagas, itsaid that Eiríkur Rauði (ErikRed) was exiled from Icelandmurder. He, along his familyslaves, set outlongshipsfindland that was rumouredbe tonorth-west. After settling there, he namedland Greenlandorderattract more peoplesettle down. It proved successful, andcolony seemedbe getting relatively well along withInuits, untilsimply vanished,reasons unknown.

IfGreenland ice cap werecompletely melt away, Greenland would most likely be an archipelago insteadan island-continent like Australia.

The capitalNuuk (Godthåb)

The government pledgedholdreferendum on full independence2005.

See Danish colonization ofAmericas

FromCIA World Factbook 2000.

External links

Nordic Countries | Europe

Greenlandalsoplace name inState New Hampshire inUnited StatesAmerica. See Greenland, New Hampshire.