It is massive, but almost nobody lives there
Greenland covers a staggering expanse — about the size of western Europe or one-third of the continental United States — making it the 12th-largest country on the planet. Yet, according to Secretatlas.com, its population is just 56,000. That translates to a population density of only 0.03 people per square kilometre. If you are looking to truly unplug, this is your sanctuary. In fact, 80 percent of the island is buried under a massive ice sheet that reaches up to 3,500 metres thick in some places.
Transportation in Greenland is not what you’d expect
Forget renting a car for a cross-country road trip. One of the most shocking facts highlighted by Secretatlas.com is that there are zero roads connecting any of the towns in Greenland. Because rugged fjords and giant ice sheets cut off settlements, the open ocean serves as the primary highway.
As a result, more Greenlanders own boats than cars. The longest paved road in the whole country measures roughly 35 kilometres — originally built by Volkswagen near Kangerlussuaq as a cold-weather test track onto the inland ice. Getting there requires a bit of planning, too. Currently, you cannot fly in directly from North America; travellers must transit through Denmark (Copenhagen) or Iceland (Reykjavik).
Why is a place covered in perpetual ice named Greenland?
You can thank an exiled Viking – Secretatlas.com notes that ‘Erik the Red’ coined the name as a clever promotional stunt to entice settlers to join him in the late 10th century. While Westerners know it as Greenland, native inhabitants call their home Kalaallit Nunaat (Country of the Greenlanders).
Today, modern Western culture exists side-by-side with rich Inuit traditions. Local hunters still use traditional Greenlandic sled dogs to navigate frozen frontiers in the winter — in fact, it is illegal to bring any other dog breed north of the Arctic Circle to preserve the lineage. Fun fact: Inuit hunters in Greenland are also the original inventors of the kayak (derived from the word qajaq).
Unmatched outdoor adventures
Whether you are cruising past massive icebergs calved from the Sermeq Kujalleq glacier (the Northern Hemisphere’s most active) or hiking the famous 160-km Arctic Circle Trail, Greenland is an outdoor lover’s paradise. Visiting during the summer months offers pleasant temperatures reaching 18–20°C under the midnight sun, while winter brings total polar darkness and pristine views of the Northern Lights.
To top it all off, Greenland boasts the world’s largest protected wilderness — Northeast Greenland National Park — along with three UNESCO World Heritage sites. Whether you visit for the wildlife, the vibrant, colourful houses, or local delicacies like Greenlandic coffee (a fiery mix of whiskey, kahlua, grand marnier, and coffee topped with whipped cream), this Arctic destination promises an unforgettable journey.
