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Greenland is the world's largest island measuring 2,166,086 sq km. It is located within the Arctic Circle in between Canada and Iceland. The Arctic Ocean lies north, the Atlantic to the south, the Greenland Sea due east and Baffin Bay to the west. The total coastline of Greenland measures 44,087 km. The terrain is made up of a substantial 75% ice. Due to the sheer volume and weight of this ice, the inner centre of the country has concaved to form a natural basin, 1000ft below sea level. Beautiful icebergs dot areas of water and incredible inland ice forms turn plateau into areas of lunar-like landscape. It is a plentiful land of arctic fauna including dogs pulling supply sleds, polar bears, killer and beluga whales, seals and walrus. Towns are largely comprised of brightly coloured wooden housing designed to keep the warmth in and the cold out. The winters of Greenland are very long and cold and the summers short and mild. One amazing feature of Greenland is that during winter in certain areas, it remains completely dark, day and night. During the summer when the ice thaws a bit and the plants begin to re-surface from the frost, the midnight sun provides daylight, day and night. The Fata Morgana is a natural phenomenon that creates mirages of objects on the horizon, while the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights, whisp across the sky. The capital Godthab (known locally as Nuuk). Greenland was discovered by Eric the Red in 982. Now, Greenland is a part of the Kingdom of Denmark and indeed Danish, Greenlandic and English are the most widely spoken languages on the island. The official unit of currency is the Danish Krone. The main religion of Greenland is Evangical Lutheran. In the past, Greenland's economy has been heavily reliant on seal clubbing and whaling although since international bans have been enforced, Greenland has turned into a fishing community with a huge quota of fish. 94% of Greenland's exports are fish and shrimp. Industries include fish processing, hides/skins and shipbuilding. The climate of Greenland varies from being Arctic to Sub Arctic. Strong winds plus year-round snow and ice, keep temperatures below freezing. This is one of the coldest inhabited places on earth.
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