Measuring an impressive 836,330 square miles, Greenland is a massive autonomous territory part of Denmark.
While it distances more than 2,100 miles from Copenhagen, Greenland has been first a colony and then an equal territory of the Danish Kingdom for centuries.
The territory is home to vast mineral resources including gold and nickel and is a massive exporter of fish.
Greenland is also a record-breaking territory for two reasons – it is the world’s largest island that is not a continent and it is the least densely populated territory around the globe.
Counting just under 57,000 people on its territory, its population density is 0.36 people per square mile – that’s around one person every three square miles.
Most of the residents on this island live in the 20 percent of the territory that is not covered by ice and snow.
The all-year-round freezing climate has pushed people to build settlements and cities on the coast.
Given the climate, which normally sees temperatures reaching above freezing only in July, farming is nearly impossible across the territory, with the exception of areas in the extreme south, where sheep farming is popular.
The sparse population and lack of settlements further enhance the beauty of nature in Greenland, which in the local language is called Kalaallit Nunaat, which means “Land of the People”.
Landscapes include icebergs, fjords and mountains. Among the wonders of the world listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites is the Ilulissat Icefjord, which contains the most productive glacier in the northern hemisphere.
Greenland, which following the 2009 Self-Government Act has gained more independence from Denmark, is also a perfect place to witness the Northern Lights.
In the territory, the sun does not set from May 25 to July 25, with July 21 being the longest day of the year.
People in Greenland, which is around 50 times as big as the rest of Denmark, are easily outnumbered by the local fauna, which includes humpback whales, musk oxen, narwhals, and polar bears.
