If you’re wondering why I’m in Greenland and what “Odd Things in Odd Places” is, here’s the scoop.

A survey left the choice of sending me to Norway, Iceland, or Greenland to the readers, with Greenland emerging as the winner over Iceland. This revealed a common confusion between Iceland and Greenland among the readers.

Let’s clear this up: Iceland is a quaint European country, while Greenland is a massive icy land in the Arctic where solitude reigns.

Delving into Greenland’s facts:

• About 200 million years ago, during Pangaea’s era, Greenland was centrally located before drifting north to its Arctic position.

• Greenland experiences frigid temperatures, with sub-zero winters and cool summers in the 30s and 40s Fahrenheit.

• Greenland’s sunlight patterns are extreme, with some regions having 120 days of continuous sunlight and others 108 days of eternal night.

Exploring the major latitude lines:

• Arctic Circle and Antarctic Circle mark the extremes of sunlight duration.
• Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn delineate the northern and southern latitude points where the sun shines directly overhead.
• The Equator divides the Earth into northern and southern hemispheres.

Greenland’s massive size impacts its portrayal on maps, often exaggerating its dimensions.

Google Maps

Five key facts about Greenland:

1) Population of 56,483

Greenland has the lowest population density globally, predominantly comprising the Inuit Kalaallit people.

Denmark granted Greenland home rule in 1979, fueling the emergence of a distinct Greenlandic culture.

2) Massive Ice Sheet

• Greenland’s ice sheet, weighing over 2.5 quadrillion tons, plays a critical role in global sea levels.

Ice ages and global warming dynamics influence Greenland’s landscape and environmental significance.

3) Unique Dog Population

• Greenland hosts an ancient breed of wolf-like dogs employed for sledging; strict breeding regulations maintain the purity of the Greenland dog breed.

4) Linguistic Oddities

Greenlandic, an Eskimo-Aleut language, presents challenges in pronunciation and structure.

5) Enigmatic Aspects

Greenland’s spookiness includes wolf howls, local legends, and a complex relationship with the supernatural.

6) Santa’s Residence

Ilulissat houses Santa Claus, receiving letters from children worldwide and offering enchanting replies.

Experience in Oqaatsut

A personal anecdote in Oqaatsut highlights the unique lifestyle, communal dynamics, and remote conditions in a Greenlandic village.