Lesson 46:
Greenland
Greenland is the largest island on this planet. It is located to the east of
northernCanada.Much of this island lies north of theArcticCircle.The land
area is greater than three times the size of Texas.
Greenland is not an independent country. The European country of
Denmark rules the island. Itscapital city isGodthab. It isalsoknownasNuuk
bymost of the native people, who are known as Inuits.
Because of its extreme northern location, only 57,500 people live in
Greenland. About 15,000 people live in its capital city. The rest of the
population lives in small communities along the southern and western
coastline areas of the island.
Greenland has a polar climate, although there are great differences
from north to south. Overall, the climate is very dry. As a result of this,
temperatures feel quite different from most other places in the world.
To a Greenlander, 50˚ to 60˚ Fahrenheit feels very warm, while
14˚ Fahrenheit isacomfortable temperature.Tous, 50˚ to60˚ iscool, and
14˚ is very cold.
Notmuchof Greenland is green!Themajor color inGreenlandwouldbewhite! About 85%, or 8.5
parts out of 10, of Greenland is coveredwithahuge ice cap.This ice cap canbe twomiles thick.Even
though the climate ismostly dry, the snow that falls rarelymelts.
Youmay haveheardof the landof themidnight sun.What thatmeans is, in the summer, thereare
periods with 24 hours of light in a day. For example, the sun never sets fromMay 25 through July 25.
Themidnight sun can be experienced north of the Arctic Circle.The same can be said for periods of
darkness in thewintertime. For weeks the sun does not rise above the horizon.
How do people earn a living in Greenland? Most people earn a living by harvesting the ocean.
Themost important industryofGreenland is fishing.Different kindsof fish, suchashalibut and shrimp,
make up much of the harvest. Fish products account for about 95%, or 9.5 parts out of 10 of
Greenland’s exports.
COPYRIGHT
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PENNSVALLEY
Greenland
Greenland
has the
largest national park
in the world to protect
its Arctic beauty.
There are some interestingwebsites onGreenland.Go to your Internet
search engine and type inGreenland. Try to find an official travel guide
site.Enjoy your tour of Greenland by seeing the photographs and read-
ing about the country’s wilderness.
Click
&
Learn
