Greenland - the largest island of the earth.Its area is 2.2 million. Km2, while the largest island in Russia - Sakhalin - covers an area of just 76 thousand. Km2.Greenland means "green land".It's very strange when you consider that about 80% of the island covered with ice.The fact that in 982, a group of the Normans, led by Erik Raud, landed on the southern part of the island.While there is growing birch, juniper, meadows adorned with tall lush grass, so they named it Greenland.
Though after and found that more than 1.8 million. Km2 covered by ice, and there is no life, but still did not change the name.In summer, the temperature on the island hardly reaches 12 ° C in winter to coast keeps around -7 ° C, and closer to the north -36 ° C.In some areas, the minimum temperature is -70 ° C.
ice sheet on the island was formed around the same time as the ice sheet of Antarctica.For thousands of years in Greenland snow flocked, not melting because of low temperature.Over time it has become a huge layer of ice, its average thickness is in the range 2 - 2.5 km, and in some places reaches 3.5 km.
The largest island is holding the incredible burden of ice, its layers from the center move slowly closer to the coast of Greenland.Mountain ridges like a giant bowl, it seems the last effort to hold the bulk of the ice, but still some ice floes break off and fall from the top of the water, turning into huge icebergs - the main danger of ships plying the Atlantic Ocean.
Until 1536 belonged to the largest island in Norway, and then became a colony of Denmark.In 1953, Greenland acquired the status of the Danish province.The population of the island is small - only 50 thousand people.Basically it is the Greenland Eskimos, the Danes and the Norwegians.The most populous city is Nuuk (Godthab).It is home to about 14,000 Greenlanders.
Godthab was founded in 1721 as a missionary from Norway H. Egede, who arrived in Greenland with a view to convert to Christianity the local Inuit.At that time there lived about 12 families.He then founded the town, calling it a "good hope".In 1979, after the Greenland became autonomy Godthab was renamed Nuuk.It is considered the economic capital of the island, as it holds much of the industry.
The largest island is almost unfit for life, because the climatic conditions are harsh.Only on the coast there is a small strip of land, which actually lives of local people.The Greenlanders mostly engaged in fishing and hunting, in warmer regions - sheep.Greenland is in first place for the production of processed shrimp is caught here every year about 30 thousand tons of fish.
largest island to this day remains virtually undeveloped human territory.There are no railways, the car can be driven only in the city.To get to another location, you must use a snowmobile or dogsled.Greenland is somewhat similar to the Snow Queen, as beautiful and inaccessible.
