GREENLAND - The largest island in the world

Where is the world's largest island - apart from Australia?

     The largest island in the world is Greenland - if we exclude mainland Australia, which ranks as a continent. Most of Greenland, which has an area of 840,000 square miles, lies within the Arctic circle. More than 708,000 square miles are covered with ice. Greenland is about 1,650 miles long and nearly 800 miles wide. In the extreme north it is separated only by a 25-mile wide strait from the Canadian Arctic archipelago.

     The island is divided into natural regions. One is the coastal region, where the mountains rise out of the ice. The others is the ice sheet, which covers more than four-fifths of the country, burying all valleys and mountains far below its surface. The highest mountain in Greenland is Mount Gunnbjorn which rises uo to 12,139 feet. As the whole country lies north of the tree line there are no forests, but in the south-west groups of trees do grow up to 10 feet in height.

     The popular climate is uncertain and changes suddenly from bright sunshine to dense fog or heavy falls snow. Temperatures can vary from 10° Centigrade (50°F) in July on the coast to about - 47°C (52.6°F) in the interior. The lowest recorded temperature in winter was - 65°C (85°F).

     Greenland forms a part of the Danish kingdom. In 1960 its population was 33,140. The islanders speak both Danish and Eskimo.

10. Greenlandic History
9. Vacationing in Greenland
8. Things to Do And Watch
7. Greenland Sharks
6. Greenland’s Actual Size – A Historical Misconception?
5. Greenlandic Cuisine
4. The Vikings
3. Famous Greenlanders
2. World’s Largest National Park
1. Greenlandic Inventions