Greenland is the largest island on earth. Its area is 2.2 million km2, while the largest island in Russia, Sakhalin, covers an area of only 76 thousand km2. Greenland in translation means "green country". This is very strange, considering that about 80% of the island is covered with ice. The fact is that in 982 a group of Normans, led by Eric Raud, landed on the southern part of the island. At that time, birches, junipers grew there, meadows with tall juicy grasses flaunted, which is why they called it Greenland.
Although later it turned out that more than 1.8 million km2 are covered with ice and there is nothing living there, but still the name was not changed. In summer, the temperature on the island barely reaches 12°C, in winter it stays around -7°C on the coast, and -36°C closer to the north. In some areas, the minimum temperature reaches -70°C.
The ice sheet on the island formed around the same time as the Antarctic ice sheet. For thousands of years, snow has accumulated on the territory of Greenland, not melting due to low temperatures. Over time, it turned into a huge layer of ice, its average thickness ranges from 2 to 2.5 km, and in someplaces up to 3.5 km.
The largest island holds an incredible weight of ice, its layers from the center slowly move closer to the shores of Greenland. Mountain ranges like a giant bowl seem to hold the bulk of the ice with their last strength, but still some ice floes break off and fall from the peaks into the water, turning into huge icebergs - the main danger of ships cruising the Atlantic Ocean.
Until 1536, the largest island belonged to Norway, and then became a colony of Denmark. In 1953, Greenland became a Danish province. The population of the island is small - only 50 thousand people. They are mainly Greenlandic Eskimos, Danes and Norwegians. The most populous city is Nuuk (Gothob). About 14 thousand Greenlanders live in it.
Gothob was founded in 1721 by a missionary from Norway, H. Egede, who came to Greenland to convert local Eskimos to Christianity. At that time, about 12 families lived here. He then founded the town, calling it "good hope." In 1979, after Greenland became autonomous, Gotthob was renamed Nuuk. It is he who is considered the economic capital of the island, since most of the industry is concentrated in it.
The largest island is almost uninhabitable as the climate is harsh. Only on the coasts there are small strips of land where the local population actually lives. PrimarilyGreenlanders are engaged in fishing and hunting, in warmer regions - sheep breeding. Greenland is in first place in the production of processed shrimp, it is here that about 30 thousand tons of fish are caught annually.
The largest island to this day remains virtually undeveloped territory. There are no railways here, you can only drive around the city by car. To get to another settlement, you need to use a snowmobile or a dog sled. Greenland is somewhat similar to the snow queen, just as beautiful and impregnable.
