
Greenland
Territory of the Kingdom of Denmark
Legal breakdown by identity
Learn about Greenland
Beyond the scoreLearn about Greenland.Official names, languages, local time and practical context for understanding Greenland beyond its legal score.
Destination overview
About Greenland.
The World's Largest Island
Greenland is a place of staggering scale. More than two million square kilometres of ice, rock, and fjord stretch from the Arctic Circle to within reach of the North Pole, making it the largest island on earth by a considerable margin. Only a fraction of its coastline is inhabited, and that is precisely what makes it so extraordinary.
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Nuuk and the New Arctic
The capital Nuuk sits at the mouth of one of the world's great fjord systems, a compact city of colourful houses, contemporary Greenlandic art, and a museum that tells the full sweep of Inuit history. It is the gateway to everything, and increasingly a destination in its own right with a restaurant scene discovering what local Arctic ingredients can truly become.
Ice, Light, and Absolute Wilderness
Ilulissat sits beside an icefjord so packed with calving glaciers that it has earned UNESCO World Heritage status. Further north, the Greenland ice sheet rolls toward the horizon in every direction, interrupted only by the occasional dogsled track. In winter the northern lights blaze overhead; in summer the midnight sun makes the whole island glow around the clock.
A Culture Shaped by the Arctic
The Greenlandic people have lived in this environment for thousands of years, developing a culture of extraordinary adaptability and richness. Kalaallisut, the Greenlandic language, is spoken across the island, and traditions of hunting, kayaking, and storytelling remain very much alive. Greenland does not feel like anywhere else on earth, because nothing else on earth is quite like it.
Official names
- Greenland (English)
- Kalaallit Nunaat (Kalaallisut)
- Grønland (Danish)
Region
- Northern America
Continent
- North America
Total population
56,583
2024 data
Capital
- Godthåb, NuukGOH
Currency
- Danish Krone (DKK · kr)
Driving side
- right side of the road
Electricity
Languages
Danish
Official by law · ISO 639-3: dan
Kalaallisut
Official by law · ISO 639-3: kal
Inuktun
Indigenous
Tunumiisut
Indigenous · ISO 639-3: tug
Current times and time zones
West Greenland TimeWGT
America/Nuuk · Standard WGT, daylight WGST
Greenwich Mean TimeGMT
America/Danmarkshavn
East Greenland TimeEGT
America/Scoresbysund · Standard EGT, daylight EGST
Atlantic TimeAST
America/Thule · Standard AST, daylight ADT
Largest cities
- NuukGOH · 19,604
2024 data
- Sisimiut · 5,598
2024 data
- IlulissatJAV · 4,541
2024 data
- Qaqortoq · 3,028
2024 data
- Aasiaat · 2,962
2024 data
Busiest airports
- Nuuk AirportGOH · 163,000 annual passenger movements
2023 data
- Ilulissat AirportJAV · 98,000 annual passenger movements
2023 data
- Sisimiut AirportJHS · 41,000 annual passenger movements
2023 data