Why are salaries so high in Greenland? How people live in the land of eternal ice - Greenland (Spoiler: they don’t need roads). Recreation and culture

The capital of Greenland cannot boast of a tourist flow; it is primarily an administrative and working city due to the developed fishing in this region. Warm currents prevent the water from freezing, which allows you to fish almost all year round. Let's see where and how the residents of Nuuk live using the example of a residential area.

(Total 19 photos)

Post sponsor: Yandex Direct bid management: We minimize your costs several times!
Source: Zhzhurnal/travelodessa

1. Cozy fairy houses the old center, where, apparently, more prosperous people live.

2. Year of construction of the house, 1892.

4. But this is not entirely true, not everyone lives in beautiful cozy houses. There are also such slums.

5. Fish carcasses are dried on many balconies.

6. And also the ribs of seals and other animals.

7. Let's go deeper into the private sector.

10. We found ourselves a TV and a refrigerator.

11. At the end of the private sector I came across a mountain, which I climbed. A beautiful panorama opens up from here. You immediately feel that these places are almost deserted.

13. Buses stop at such colorful stops.

14. Another large residential building. View from our hotel window.

15. Couldn't help but hit the local football stadium. Greenland even has its own amateur championship. The main problem why the local association is not accepted into FIFA is the lack of grass fields. I don’t know why it is impossible to make an indoor stadium with artificial turf, but, apparently, due to unprofitability and the small number of people on the island. In general, the B-67 club plays its home matches at this stadium, which most often becomes the champion of Greenland. Instead of stands there are rocky cliffs, where we climbed.

16. And this is what a service station and gas station look like in Greenland. In general, I have never seen car dealerships anywhere. And although it is unlikely that you can quickly cover a large number of kilometers in Greenland, I was still interested in the question of how they carry out maintenance.

17. In general, you won’t find particularly new cars in Greenland. Taxi drivers drive crossovers such as Toyota Rav-4 and Hyundai ix35. But hot Greenlandic street racers love clean, boyish boomers.

18. Local residents also love to sell all sorts of junk. True, I didn’t find anything valuable for myself here, and in general there were few people interested.

19. Well, Greenlandic life ends, like any other, in a cemetery, which is located a stone's throw from the city center.

It is possible that life in such a place will seem terribly boring and dull to many. But there are obviously some advantages here. Calmness, absence of crime, problems, marketing race for “success”. That is, this is not just any village, there is civilization here to the required extent, but the main thing is that the isolation from the outside world is still stronger due to geographical location, and it calms me down.

Guys, we put our soul into the site. Thank you for that
that you are discovering this beauty. Thanks for the inspiration and goosebumps.
Join us on Facebook And In contact with

Surely you have wondered why the name Greenland literally translates as “green country”, although it would be appropriate to be called the country of icebergs and eternal ice. Either the author of this name, the Viking Erik the Red, lied, hoping to lure him to the island more people, or a thousand years ago the climate was warmer - we can only speculate.

But we know for sure that life in Kalaallit Nunaat (as its inhabitants call Greenland) may be harsh, but it is beautiful in its own way. There you can not only kayak and admire the northern lights, but also brew beer, play football and swim.

website invites you to get to know this icy island better and make sure that you can live, and quite well, even on the edge of the world.

Greenland is part of Denmark, but is not part of the European Union

Perhaps not everyone knows about it, but Greenland is not a country, but an autonomous part of the Kingdom of Denmark, despite the fact that physiologically it is part of North America. At the same time, Greenland is not a member of the European Union, since at one time the population was not satisfied with the quotas of the European Economic Community regarding fishing and shrimp.

Greenlanders have their own flag, parliament - the Landsting, a government led by Prime Minister Kim Nielsen, and a High Commissioner, Michaela Engel. Judicial system, mining, financial regulation and many other areas are controlled by Greenland itself, while Denmark retains foreign relations and defense.

And this photo shows Queen Margrethe II of Denmark with her husband, Prince Henrik, during an official visit to Greenland. In honor of this event, the royal couple dressed in the national dress of the Greenlanders, and its female version is much brighter than the male version. The pattern on the wide collar symbolizes the northern lights, and the color of the kamiks means that the queen is married - unmarried women are given white kamiks.

If you do not take into account Australia, which is considered to be a continent, then Greenland is the largest island in the world, located in 4 time zones. Most of the island (81%) is uninhabitable due to the ice sheet, and Greenland's climate is arctic even in its glacier-free coastal areas. But it is significantly softened by the warm current in the southwest of the island, so in summer you can find many bright spots here.

And of course, in Greenland you can observe such a phenomenon typical for high latitudes as the aurora. And clean and dark due to the absence major cities the sky is great for stargazing. In the photo you see one of the attractions of this region - a natural pool, which we will tell you about in this article.

Nuuk city is one of the smallest capitals in the world

Today, the largest city in Greenland and its capital are home to about 17 thousand people, which is quite small by global standards, and many residents know each other in one way or another. This is what the center of Nuuk looks like - few houses, literally a few cars and very few people.

Despite its small size and provincial appearance, atypical for the capital, Nuuk has all the benefits of civilization: the Internet, mobile connection, shops and cafes where you can pay by card, museums, a church, as well as a football stadium, educational and medical institutions.

Nuuk is located in the least cold zone of the island, so the sea there does not freeze all year round, which creates favorable conditions for fishing. Temperatures in summer sometimes rise to 21°C, although snow can fall at any time. But, as you can see, local residents, including the youngest, are not at all afraid of the cool Arctic summer; they boldly take sunbathing.

There are almost no roads on the island

Roads in Greenland are only within settlements, and if you need to get from one city to another, then in this case you will have to do it by sea or by air - by helicopter or plane. Flights are operated by Air Greenland, which also operates regular flights to the capital of the kingdom, Copenhagen.

In the northern regions of the island, another type of transport is common - dog sleds, for which there are special warning signs on a few roads. Dog-drawn sleighs are not only a traditional means of transportation, but also a popular attraction for tourists.

Greenlanders preserve ancient traditions, but are open to everything new

About 90% of the inhabitants of Greenland are Eskimos, or, as they call themselves, Kalaallits or Inuits, the remaining 10% are Danes and other Europeans. The main language on the island is Greenlandic, but Danish is also common. In addition, many, especially young people, also speak English.

Pay attention to the girl's clothes - she is wearing the same traditional outfit as the Queen of Denmark at the beginning of the article. Residents of the island wear these costumes on days of significant events, for example in honor of national and religious holidays, the end of educational institution or weddings.

As for the activities of the Greenlanders, they have largely remained traditional: hunting, fishing and sea fishing, making amulets, jewelry and other objects of art. Nowadays, they have been supplemented by work in the fields of mining, services, tourism and consulting. Professions in the field of medicine and education are in demand, where Danes who come from Europe are often employed.

Unlike neighboring Iceland, there are mosquitoes there

It is a well-known fact: in Iceland, which is relatively close to Greenland, there are no mosquitoes - due to the specific climate, their larvae simply do not have time to develop into adults. It would seem that these blood-sucking insects should not exist in Greenland, however, in the summer there are quite a lot of them, and they are large and aggressive.

So tourists should definitely stock up on anti-mosquito spray or even think about such serious protection as a mosquito net.

Greenland has hot springs and blue rivers

Interestingly, the reason for the appearance of such in Greenland is not volcanic activity, as in Iceland, but the friction of sections of the earth's crust against each other. The most famous in Greenland is located on the island of Uunartok and is perfect for water procedures- its temperature is 38 °C. It is believed that this natural pool was discovered by the Vikings about 1,000 years ago.

And here is another natural attraction of Greenland: as a result of melting ice, canyons with a kind of blue rivers are formed, in which you can swim in a kayak - the traditional boat of the Arctic peoples. By the way, the water on the island is very clean, so you can drink it from the tap without first filtering or boiling.

Groceries, especially fresh fruits and vegetables, are very expensive

Agriculture in Greenland is difficult, although local farmers have adapted to growing some crops. Vegetables and fruits are delivered from abroad and are not cheap. But fish and meat delicacies are available, some of which are very specific. For example, matak (bowhead cud) made from whale skin and fat, as well as kiwiak - a seal carcass stuffed with birds and buried in the ground for fermentation.

Greenland literally means Green Land, although the local Inuit Eskimo population call their land "Kalaallit Nunaat", which means "Land of the People".

The area of Greenland is more than 2 million sq. km, but only 56 thousand people live here.

Such an area could easily accommodate eight Englands or five Norways with the same population. But this is not possible, because almost three-quarters of Greenland is completely covered with permanent ice.

Description

And yet people live here. Moreover, according to the UN, the standard of living in Greenland is so high that according to this indicator it is one of the ten richest countries in the world. Paradox? Nothing like this. Everything is determined by the attitude of people and their position in life. This northern island is not like the Bahamas or New Guinea; here you won’t sit under a palm tree with coconuts falling from above. Here in the north, everything is obtained through hard work, often at the risk of life. The people living here are not used to idleness and therefore, despite the cold, quite comfortable conditions for living, working and relaxing have been created here.

This northern, sparsely populated land has long attracted people from North America and Iceland. Back in 875, the Norman Gunbjorn was the first European to visit this island. And in 982, Erik Rowdy settled on the island with several comrades, expelled from Iceland for the crimes he had committed. Later they were joined by Norwegian Vikings. In 983, the first Norman colony was founded in Greenland.

But this does not mean that the island was deserted before the Europeans. Long before their arrival, for several thousand years, Greenlandic Eskimos lived on the island, although they call themselves Inuit, and consider the name “Eskimo”, which means short, offensive. The Inuit have adapted to the Arctic climate and feel quite comfortable. From time immemorial they have been engaged in fishing and hunting.

The main part of the island is a kind of platform, the average height of which is about 125 m. The interior of Greenland has significant depressions, and although the glacial cover rises significantly above the island, the soil base under the glacier is in many places below sea level. These depressions were most likely caused by the enormous weight of the glacier. But there are also hills. The mountain ranges in the south rise to 1500-1600 m, and in the east and north up to 3000 m. In the northern part there is Mount Gunbjorn, whose height is 3700 m. Mount Gunbjorn is the highest point in the entire Arctic.

The northern and eastern parts of the island are almost constantly under snow and glaciers. A little further south, on the east and northeast coasts, the climate is somewhat milder, but there are only small Inuit settlements here. Well, the coastal strip of the south and west of the island in summer is covered with green meadows and forest-tundra vegetation. Mostly polar birch and willow bushes grow here. But thick and juicy grass is an excellent food for grazing livestock. The fertile soil is quite suitable for growing vegetables. The majority of the population lives here in the south and west. These areas are relatively warm. In summer, the temperature here is about +8-10, and in winter -8-10.

Why is Greenland Europe? How did it happen, why did an island lying far from the Old World become European? Moreover, the indigenous population of Greenland are the Inuit Eskimos, immigrants from Canada. Everything becomes clear if you plunge into the history of the development of Greenland and Canada. For thousands of years, northern Canada was inhabited by Indian tribes...

Which country does it belong to?

Throughout its existence, after Greenland was settled by Europeans, the island was repeatedly passed from hand to hand.

Since the time of European exploration, the island was Norwegian, but in 1536 it passed to Denmark, in accordance with the union between Denmark and Norway. In 1721, a Danish colony called Gotthob was officially established on the island. After the dissolution of the union between Norway and Denmark in 1814, Greenland became the complete possession of Denmark. In 1931, Norway again wanted to take control of the eastern part of Greenland, but the International Court of Justice in The Hague did not recognize its advances. During World War II, the United States, with the consent of Denmark, established several military bases in Greenland. True, now all that remains of them are piles of iron and the remains of rusted equipment.

The administrative management of the country has undergone significant changes over the years. If in the 13th-19th centuries it was completely a colony, then in 1953, in accordance with the Danish constitution, Greenland received internal autonomy. Since then, the legislative power has been the Danish Parliament, and Greenland's own Parliament of 31 people elected for 4 years. But until 1979, the executive branch was represented by a commissioner appointed by the Danish government. In 1978, after years of protests by the Greenlanders, the Folketing, Denmark's unicameral parliament, ratified full autonomy for the island. It came into force in 1979. The city of Nuuk, the old name of Gothob, was approved as the capital.

The capital of Greenland, Nuuk, is a small town, but has a fairly rich history. It is believed that on the site of the current capital of Greenland there was a settlement more than 4 thousand years old. However, what is considered more reliable is the fact that in this place, at the mouth of a large fjord at the foot of Mount Sermitsiak, there was a Western Viking settlement, founded around the 990s.

Now legislative power in Greenland belongs to the Landsting, the local parliament, which is also elected for 4 years. And the political party that wins the elections forms a cabinet of ministers headed by the prime minister. In 1985, the national flag of Greenland was approved.

Climate and life

The internal political life of modern Greenland is built on generally accepted standards in the world. In the 1970s and 1980s, two main political parties were formed in society: Siumut, which translates as “Forward” and Atassut, which translates as “Cohesion”. The Siumut Party is dominated by Greenlandic Eskimos, who advocate further expansion of autonomy, especially in the field of economics and use natural resources. The Atassut party is represented by local Danes who are trying to maintain ties with Denmark. There is also a socialist party, formerly the Greenland branch of the Communist Party of Denmark, Inuit Atagatigiit, which means Inuit Brotherhood, this party is seeking complete separation from Denmark. The less representative Democratic party, which includes both Danes and Eskimos, advocates maintaining the current status of Greenland. Despite the differences in demands, the debates between these parties are completely peaceful.

The main activity of the population of Greenland is, as before, fishing. But to this, at the end of the twentieth century, the breeding of reindeer and sheep was added, in addition last years A significant portion of the budget comes from oil production. Tourism and air transport play an important role. Greenland is home to the world's largest national park, its area is almost 70 million hectares. It is not surprising that about 20 thousand tourists visit the island every year.

In the last couple of decades, Greenland has become one of the popular places on earth where tourists from many countries of the world, with much more suitable climate and conditions, want to get the opportunity to be in places untouched by civilization, even for a short time. What is so interesting that can be seen in this country, what attractions of Greenland might be of interest to Europeans experienced in all types of recreation?

The climate of the coastal part of Greenland is marine subarctic, arctic and continental arctic. Quite often the island experiences cyclones, bringing strong winds, sudden changes in temperature and precipitation. Most precipitation occurs in autumn and winter, but snow can be expected here at any time of the year. In summer, thick fogs are common on the coast. The vegetation of Greenland cannot be called tall; most plants are low-growing. At the end of summer, the lowlands of the southern part of the island are covered with a carpet of wild berries and wildflowers.

Of the animals in this harsh climate, only the strongest survive, so the animal world is not particularly diverse. Traditional representatives of the fauna of Greenland are polar bears, musk oxen, reindeer, polar wolves, hares, lemmings, blue-gray and white arctic foxes.

Several species of whales live in coastal waters: the bowhead whale, blue whale, humpback whales, killer whales, beluga whales, narwhals. There are also many marine animals such as seals, walruses, sea hares, seals. A wide variety of fish, several dozen species. Greenland occupies one of the first places in the production of halibut and shrimp.

Holidays in Greenland

Typically, a trip around the country begins with a tour of the capital. Now, although it is small by European standards, it is quite modern city with a population of just over 14 thousand people. It is considered the smallest capital on the planet. It is worth visiting the old quarters, where the reception hall of the local parliament is located, the churches of Savur Church and Hans Eged Church, the Arctic Garden and Ilisimatusarfiyk University, the seminary, the Kayak Club and the Queen Margrethe memorial. However, the main attractions of the country and the capital are, of course, natural. Directly within the city there are many observation platforms from which anyone can admire views of the coastline, as well as frolicking whales.

In the northeast of the island there is Greenland National Park, although it has long been closed to outside researchers. The reason for this is the vast zone of relict tundra located on the territory of the reserve, which is home to musk oxen, polar bears and polar wolves, as well as many species of Arctic plants.

Greenland is a dream for those who are fans of snow and ice. Here you can admire the colossal glaciers, the bright northern lights, stay in an igloo hotel and go dog sledding, kayaking or take a cruise along the coast of Greenland.

Fans of fishing and hunting will have an unforgettable experience here. Here you can even catch a shark from the ice or hunt a musk ox.

The country has an extremely low crime rate, and even old-timers don’t remember earthquakes, tsunamis or volcanic eruptions. Inappropriate equipment can cause much more trouble. Even within the city limits, a tourist risks seriously freezing when traveling in clothes without protection from the wind, as well as without strong, warm shoes. When traveling to the tundra or area of ice fields, you should show maximum precaution: find out the weather forecast in advance, choose equipment, find a guide and be sure to stock up on water, maps and a walkie-talkie. It’s good if representatives of the local travel office or rescue service know about the trip.

Habitual public transport or there are no taxis on the island, you will have to travel long distances by air - the national airline organizes flights around Greenland by plane and helicopter. During the flight, you can see fantastic landscapes of icebergs and glaciers. Nearby villages are connected by dog sleds, snowmobiles and snowmobiles.

The most popular among tourists is the northern part of Greenland. Here you will see the powerful beauty of icebergs with the most incredible fantastic shapes and sizes. The northern lights give special beauty to these places, which will not leave anyone indifferent. It cannot be conveyed, it just has to be seen.

The most convenient way to get to Greenland is from Denmark by plane. The island has its own airport, Nerlerit-Inaat, located in eastern Greenland. You need to take care of your visa in advance - you can get it at any visa center. The best time to visit the country is considered to be the period of polar “white nights”, that is, the months from May to July. And for lovers of winter fun, April is suitable.

There are many different states on our planet, differing in language, culture and other characteristics. But there are very few of them that are located on islands and are either separate countries or broad autonomies. The area of Greenland allows us to consider it the largest isolated state today located on our planet. But this is not the only circumstance stimulating tourists.

Basic information

Where is Greenland? Its shores are washed by two and the Atlantic.

The island is located close to the Eurasian continent. Theoretically, Greenland is an integral part of Denmark, but in fact it is a large autonomy that has fairly broad rights in the field of self-government. The basic information is as follows:

The total area of Greenland is 2,166,086 sq. km, but of all this “wealth” only 340 thousand km ₂ are suitable for life, since there is no ice on them.
The island is home to 57 thousand inhabitants, 90% of them are Inuit, the “titular” nation, whose representatives have lived here since time immemorial. Therefore, the population of Greenland is quite homogeneous.
The capital is located in a city with the name Nuuk, which is unusual for a European.
Greenlandic has been the official language since 2009; before that it was supplemented by
The flag of Greenland is a red and white circle on the same background. The color scheme follows the symbolism of Denmark.
The only official currency is the Danish krone.

If you want to call someone in Greenland then telephone code - (+299).

When was it opened?

But when was this amazing island, which rivals Antarctica in its weather hospitality, first discovered?

The first known mention dates back to 875. The island was discovered by the Icelander Gunbjorn. It is interesting that he only described his find, but did not leave any exact maps or other instructions, since he did not go ashore. At that time, few people knew where Greenland was, and this discovery did not arouse much interest. Times were turbulent then, the Vikings gradually conquered new territories...

Only in 982 on the shore of this amazing land Another Icelander, Eirik Rowdy, got off for the first time. It was he who gave the name to the island. Thus, active development of this area began.

Colonization of the island

In 983, the first Icelandic colonies were founded and lasted until the mid-15th century! True, in fairness it is worth adding that the climate in those days was, oddly enough, milder. Therefore, it was no coincidence that Greenland was called a “green country”, because the summer lasted longer and the air temperature was higher.

So there were a lot of people who wanted to “move for permanent residence”. For four centuries (from the 13th to the 17th) this land belonged to Norway, but later came under Danish jurisdiction. In 1814, the Danes finally terminated the union (something like a unity agreement) with the Norwegians, and became the sole owners of the island. In 1953, Greenland was officially given the status of “Part of the territory of the Kingdom of Denmark,” but the residents of the “green country” themselves do not really agree with this.

The history of the colonization of the island by the Vikings is interesting and mysterious. From 983 until the mid-12th century they were very active, organizing many of their own settlements. But then suddenly something happened, soon the settlements fell into desolation, and the Vikings moved away from these shores. What happened?

Until recently, a lot of hypotheses were put forward, even the most absurd. But a few years ago, climatologists managed to lift the veil of secrecy. As mentioned earlier, from the 10th to the 11th centuries AD, the climate on the island was much milder, the warm period lasted longer, and in some places on the coasts, according to ancient manuscripts, wheat even ripened. Then there was a sharp cold snap, because of which the Vikings chose to leave here.

The political governance of this unrecognized country is carried out by the parliament and the prime minister. In addition, the population of Greenland has the right to elect two representatives who voice the interests of the islanders in the Danish parliament.

Official acquisition of independence

A referendum held on November 25, 2008 secured independence for this territory. The fact is that the population of the island spoke in favor of numerous and significant changes in legislation. In particular, it was then that Greenlandic became the only language, and the judicial and executive power acquired complete independence. Today we can rightfully consider that the flag of Greenland flies over an independent country. However, independence also brought negative consequences - Denmark stopped subsidizing more than $600 million annually into the island’s economy.

Officially, all the provisions of the referendum came into force in mid-2009, and since then the entire area of Greenland is actually a full-fledged and relatively autonomous state. It is noteworthy that local residents do not have good relations with the European Union either.

Formally, the island still remains part of Denmark, but it is not part of the EU. Since its creation, the islanders have strongly opposed the prospect of joining a united Europe. This is explained simply: most likely, Greenland in this way defends the independence of its own fish resources, which, otherwise, both Norway and Denmark could immediately lay claim to. The political situation in these parts is quite complex, and in some aspects even tense.

Economy and tourism

The economy of present-day Greenland is based on fishing. Of course, there is hope for the extraction of minerals, since there are deposits on the island. However, tourism, which some supporters of the complete independence of this territory really rely on, is poorly developed. The main reason is the harsh climate, and the cost of the excursion does not arouse much enthusiasm among tourists. So Greenland is a young country, but hardened by difficulties.

Air travel and other transport

The complexly named Kangerlussuaq is home to the area's largest airport, based around a Cold War-era US Air Force base. Despite its apparent modesty, the size of the airport is sufficient to accommodate even international flights.

In addition, you can get to the island using ferries from Hurtigruten. Cities in Greenland itself are also connected by an extensive ferry network. If you need speed, you should use the services of a small air carrier, Air Greenland, which owns several aircraft and a couple of dozen transport helicopters.

There are absolutely no roads for cars on the huge island, about 150 kilometers (and even those are in cities). In general, Greenland is not a car country. In total, about three thousand cars are registered here, mostly SUVs and off-road vehicles.

Big cities

Nuuk (in the distant past the city was called Gothob) is the capital of Greenland, which was founded in 1728 by Danish missionaries. This is the most Big City island where the local government sits. Residents of this amazing place joke that the summer residence of Santa Claus is also located here. Considering Greenland's location on the map, there is some truth to this statement.

Ilullissat (former name Jakobshavn) is located on the shores of the bay with the “incendiary” name Disco. But this place is harsh, because clean water rarely seen due to the abundance of icebergs. By the way, at least 1/10 of all icebergs that can be seen in the coastal waters of Greenland are born in these parts. Perhaps this city is perhaps the only one that can boast of a regular influx of tourists.

This is due to the unreal beauty of the local icy mountains, which attract spectators from all over the world. Many tourists only found out where Greenland is on the map because of this.

Kangerlussuaq is founded near the glacier of the same name. This is where the largest airport in Greenland is located. Literally within the city limits you can constantly see entire herds of deer. Foxes are also often seen on the streets. If you drive just 25 kilometers to the side, you can see the beautiful Russell Glacier.

Qaqortoq (the old name of the city sounds like Yulianekhlob) was founded back in 1775. More recently, not far from the city limits, archaeologists stumbled upon the remains of a Viking settlement with a church that dates back to the beginning of the tenth century. In the town of Unartok you can swim in hot thermal springs and also admire an exhibition of sculptures made from local stone.

Umanak is one of the most unique settlements in these snowy regions. It lies far beyond the Arctic Circle, but at the same time there is a maximum number of sunny days. From May to August, the sun does not set in these places at all, and therefore tourists have a lot of free time, which can be spent on a thorough inspection of the surrounding area. The small town has a wonderful museum containing many artifacts telling about life in Greenland.

Attractions

It is not difficult to guess that almost all local attractions are of natural origin. For example, only here can you appreciate the size and grandeur of icebergs, one of which caused the death of the legendary Titanic. In general, Greenland is covered with ice by about 80%, and its thickness reaches three kilometers. Considering that the area of Greenland in square meters. km is 2,166,086, it is not difficult to understand what a cyclopean amount of frozen snow is located here!

Scientists have calculated that if only local ice melts (not to mention Antarctica), then the level of the World Ocean will rise by at least seven meters. And it seems that everything is heading towards this. But due to warming, scientists regularly manage to make unexpected discoveries: in 2005, researchers were able to find a new piece of land, which was called the “Warmed Island”. It is located a couple of hundred kilometers from the coast of Greenland. Scientists suggest that over the past 20-30 years, the ice bridge that connected it to the island simply melted.

In the easternmost part of Greenland is Mount Gunnbjorn. Its peak towers over the island for more than 3.5 kilometers. And this is only the part that goes beyond the centuries-old thickness of ice! The world's longest fjord, Scoresby Sound, is nearby. This strait bites into the thickness of the land for 350 kilometers at once!

Sermeq Kujaleq glacier. Perhaps, this is the only reason you can visit the “green country”. In 2004, UNESCO officially included this “ice” in the list. But why such an honor? Considering that the area of Greenland in square meters. km is quite large, and 80% of it is ice, isn’t there a lot of attention to one glacier? It turned out that no, since it is truly unique.

Its area is more than three thousand square kilometers, and every year more than 40 thousand cubic meters of ice break off into the waters of Disko Bay. The glacier itself looks like a grandiose river of pure ice, which crawls along the surface of Greenland at a speed of about 40 centimeters per day. When the tip of the ice formation reaches Disko, the Greenland ice breaks off from it.

Climate in Greenland

The climate here is harsh - arctic and marine subarctic. In the center of the island it gives way to the Arctic continental. Adding to the complexity are cyclones, due to which the weather can change almost instantly. Here the temperature constantly “jumps”, and the winds change direction several times an hour. Since the ice in these parts covers an area larger than the whole of Great Britain, its excessive weight causes subsidence of the crust, so that the central parts of the island are 360 meters below (!) the sea surface. Therefore, Greenland, whose climate is harsh and unstable, prefers strong-willed and hardy people.

Weather characteristics

Winter is characterized by constant cyclones and large amounts of precipitation. However, the temperature is quite acceptable: in December it rarely drops to -8 °C. In January on the coast - from −7 °C. The situation is different at the southern tip, where in winter the temperature is constantly recorded at −36 °C. In February, the weather is not at all pampering, reaching −47 °C (the absolute minimum is −70 °C). Simply put, some regions of Mars tend to be significantly warmer!

The best time to visit these regions is from May to June. If you really want winter, but temperatures below -50 degrees are not appealing, you can plan your trip for mid-April. In spring it’s simply wonderful here: there are no frosts as such, and a northern tan is guaranteed. The air temperature rarely drops below -10 °C. What will tourists enjoy about the largest island - Greenland - in the summer?

Also snow, which is not uncommon here in June. In summer, the weather here becomes completely unpredictable. Winds reaching speeds of 60-70 m/s are not uncommon. Best time to visit the island - from mid-July to early September. The days are getting longer and the tundra is becoming incredibly... a nice place: millions of flowers bloom here and delicious berries appear.

Still, for what period should we plan the “discovery” of Greenland? The answer is obvious: it all depends on the weather preferences of tourists.

Whatever you say, Russian people lack beauty and taste. Foreigners are able to decorate even small, half-living villages in such a way that you immediately want to live in them. And sometimes some densely populated cities here look like you want to hang yourself. This contrasting comparison first comes to mind in Greenland with its small houses on bare and lifeless rocks.

On the first day of our cruise, we went to a village where Vikings once lived. Today there is no trace of them: the locals use this village as a summer cottage where they come to relax. Since the season had not yet started, all the houses were closed. For us, this turned out to be an undoubted success - we could look inside, look at the structure and life of the village.

What do a dacha village in a Russian province look like? Vegetable gardens, fences and summer buildings covered with roofing felt. No beauty, just functionality. Now look what a dacha looks like in Greenland, where everything is exactly the opposite.

P.S. This is a repeat of the morning post in which the photos were leaked. As a bonus track - a video about the life of Chukotka reindeer herders:

Our ship. He is chartering Russian company Poseidon also conducts cruises to the extreme northern or extreme southern latitudes all year round:

Landings take place on small motor boats called zodiacs. They are light, mobile and hold the wave well:

The zodiac seats 10 people plus the driver. When the boat moored to the shore, it was met by Poseidon's employees and pulled onto land as much as possible. To avoid getting wet, all participants are given arctic rubber boots - a very convenient thing:

After disembarking, passengers undergo a safety briefing (bears or who knows what). Poseidon employees set up a security perimeter within which you can move freely:

First of all, everyone rushed to the huge blue pieces of ice (and I was no exception):

10.

And here is the village. Neat houses are scattered along the entire shore; in some places there is still snow:

11.

12.

The owner laid out a path of stones:

13.

On some buildings they were seen solar panels, however, in my opinion, they are of little use:

14.

There are rusty anchors and all sorts of things lying around in the courtyards. They look like small architectural forms:

A harsh Greenlandic vegetable garden. There is not enough land here, so they bring it in boxes and arrange flower beds like this:

16.

Everyone tries to decorate their home as best they can. True, in the absence of a wide choice, they mostly decorate with deer antlers:

17.

18.

Someone is building a new dacha. Here you can clearly see how houses are built on stilts of different levels:

19.

It's very cozy and beautiful inside:

20.

Gas stove:

21.

What do you think - what is it? (Answer at the end of the post):

22.

There is even a church in this tree. In general, Protestantism reigns in Greenland:

23.

Temple inside:

24.

Pay attention to the candlesticks. Locals said that this was a historical relic - Europeans used it to pay local prostitutes. This is a special story, I’ll tell it separately:

25.

Picnic area:

26.

Football field and children's playground:

27.

There used to be a fish factory here, but it is now abandoned:

28.

Something is trying to break out from under the ground:

29.

Benches overlooking the sea and blue ice floes:

30.

On the way to the ship we were taken past icebergs:

31.

These were probably the “bluest” icebergs I have ever seen. They explained to us that this depends on cloudy weather - in the sun they are more whitish:

32.

33.

34.

35.

36.

37.

Oh yes - this is a fish caphouse.

38.

Well, how do you like the dacha? Would you like one?