Geography
Greenland is the largest non-continental island in the world.
Situated at the junction of the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans,
Greenland is surrounded by cold currents and to the north
an ice-sheet covers 1,833,900 sq.km / 708,072 sq miles - equal
to 85% of Greenland's total area. This inland iceextends 2,500
km / 1553 miles north- south and up to 1,000 km / 620 miles
east-west. At the centre the ice is up to 3 km / 1.6 miles
thick and represents 10% of the world's total fresh-water
reserves. The ice-free area of Greenland covers an expanse
of 350,000 sq.km / 135,135 sq miles - corresponding to the
size of France. The country’s geological history is
the oldest in the world and Greenland is the site of the oldest
rocks ever dated (3,700 million years). By way of comparison,
the earth is reckoned to be 4,600 million years old. The glaciers
of the ice age have mostly shaped Greenland’s topography
but in several locations traces of other geological processes
have been found, such as earthquakes, tectonic formation of
mountain ranges, and volcanic activity. Greenland’s
coastline is studded with hundreds of fjords and mountains,
which are host to a variety of arctic and sub arctic wildlife.
Approximately one-third of Greenland is national park. The
Tasermiut Fjord is located on the southern peninsula of Greenland.
Some 75 km / 46 miles in length, it is characterized by imposing
mountains and tremendous granite walls which rise from the
sea. The fjord winds northeast from Nanortalik, and ends at
the face of the Tasermiut glacier, which spills steeply down
from the inland ice to meet the sea. In this area the Qinngua
Dalen (Qinngua Valley) also known as Paradisdalen is the only
woodland in Greenland. This is a forest of birch (Betula pubescens)
and northern willow (Salix glauca) where most trees are 3
- 4 m high. The Qinngua Dalen which was occupied by the early
Norsemen is a nature reserve and more than 300 different plants
can be found here.
Time Zone
The time in Greenland is GMT - 3 hours
Climate
Though situated outside of the Arctic circle the cold currents
and Inland Ice sheet give Greenland a true Arctic climate.
The temperatures vary between minus 5 to minus 30 º C
(+23 to -22º F) in the winter and plus 5 to plus 15º
C (41 to 59º F ) in the summer. However generally the
temperatures do not feel as cold as in Europe as the air is
very dry.
History and People
Around AD 980 Eric the Red, the father of Lief Ericson sailed
with his family westwards from his home in Iceland and discovered
a new uninhabited land which he named Greenland. After three
years of living in isolation he returned to Iceland and from
there, stimulated and excited by his tales and descriptions,
hundreds of people packed up their families and belongings
and followed him to the new land. These early Norsemen were
forgotten by the rest of Scandinavia and when in 1721, with
the aid of the Danish king, a Norwegian priest called Hans
Egede successfully mounted an expedition to Greenland, he
found a land sparsely populated by Inuit hunters. Though there
were remains of the Norsemen’s dwellings the people
had disappeared. Egede established a Lutheran mission and
a trading post among the Greenlanders. This was the beginning
of a colonial age, which lasted until the constitutional amendment
of 1953. With this change in the constitution, Greenland became
part of Denmark and like the Faeroe Islands, was given two
members in the Folketing (the Danish parliament). Greenland
was granted Home Rule in 1979 and although the country is
still extremely dependent on Denmark economically, it is becoming
far more self-determining. Today the Greenlandic people are
of Inuit and Danish descent and number 57,000, grouped mainly
on the west coast especially around the capital, Nuuk. The
Inuit Greenlanders are part of the loose confederation of
Inuit peoples termed the Inuit Circumpolar conference. They
speak an Eskimo language quite unlike other languages. The
Inuit peoples of Canada, USA and Russia speak varieties of
a language that is quite similar, but no common written Eskimo
language exists. The history of Greenland is associated with
polar exploration and the country, together with Ellesmere
Island, has acted as the cradle for many of the epic expeditions
and as such has a rich fund of some of the most amazing survival
stories ever told. It is truly one of the last great wildernesses
on Earth. The Tasermiut Fjord is largely uninhabited. Apart
from a few isolated sheep farms, Tasiusaq is the only village.
Tasiusaq has approximately 90 inhabitants who mainly live
by fishing and hunting. The village has a small general store
with a limited selection of food and a post office from where
it is possible to make international phonecalls. The town
of Nanortalik is the most southerly town in Greenland and
the main industry here is hunting and fishing. In the spring
and in the late summer the waters surrounding the municipality
are filled with whales, of which the most frequent is the
minke whale. In a 1972 referendum on joining the European
Union, a majority of Greenlanders voted against, but owing
to the election result in Denmark, Greenland became part of
the Community all the same. For a people whose economy and
entire survival is inextricably caught up with the resources
of the sea, it was untenable to have all administration managed
from Europe. This groundswell of opinion generated a movement
against EU membership and on February 1st 1985 - after the
home rule system had been established - a referendum released
Greenland from EU membership.
Currency
The Danish Krone is the valid currency in Greenland. As of
February 2006, the exchange rates are:
£1 = 10.9 Krone
$1 = 6.3 Krone
€1 = 7.5 Krone
Your travel money should be carried in the form of cash or
travellers cheques. Dollars and Sterling are readily exchanged.
Credit cards can be used to purchase goods and at some restaurants
in main towns.
Visas
A valid passport is required. Nationals of countries within
the EU do not need visas to visit Greenland. Citizens of the
USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand do not need visas for
a stay of less than three months
Vaccinations
You should visit your own doctor and dentist for a check-up
prior to taking your trip to Greenland. The following is a
ROUGH GUIDE for immunization. (We must stress that this is
only a basic guide to the most commonly required vaccinations
for travel worldwide. You must seek and abide by the specific
advice of your local doctor/medical professional).
(a) Polio (normally you will just need a booster.)
(b) Tetanus.
(c) Typhoid. A full course requires 2 injections separated
by an interval of 4-6 weeks.
(d) Hepatitis (A) and (B).
Given enough notice, your doctor will be able to administer
all the above vaccinations.
Additional Sources of Information
Books
Trekking and Climbing in Nepal. Steve Razzetti. New Holland.
Lonely Planet Iceland, Greenland & the Faroe Islands.
Graeme Cornwallis, Deanna Swaney. Lonley Planet
Maps
Tasermmiut Fjiord – Nanortalik. 1:100,000 waterproof
map. Harveys. 12-22 Main Street, Doune, Perthshire, FK16 6BJ
Our trip dossiers/itineraries give details of books and maps
that are specific to a particular trip. Click
here for details of book and map retailers.
Web
Lonely PLanet - www.lonelyplanet.com
Rough Guides - www.roughguides.com
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