Greenland — books & literature

The story of Greenland

Greenland's human story begins with Paleo-Eskimo peoples who crossed from present-day Arctic Canada around 2500 BCE, followed by later migrations including the Thule culture around 1200 CE, the direct ancestors of most Greenlanders today. Norse settlers led by Erik the Red arrived from Iceland in 985-986 CE, founding the Eastern and Western Settlements; these Norse colonies mysteriously vanished by the mid-15th century, likely due to a cooling climate and isolation. Sustained European contact resumed in 1721, when Lutheran missionary Hans Egede founded Godthåb (now Nuuk) and began Danish colonization. Greenland remained a Danish colony until 1953, when it became an integral county of Denmark, and then gained increasing self-rule: the 1979 Home Rule Act created a local parliament, and the 2009 Self-Government Act made Kalaallisut the sole official language and expanded Greenlandic control over natural resources and justice. Today Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark , not an independent country , balancing Inuit heritage, Arctic geopolitics, and a small but growing modern identity.

Timeline — key moments

1. circa 2500 BCE

   Paleo-Eskimo peoples (Saqqaq culture) first arrive in Greenland from Arctic Canada.

2. circa 1200

   Thule culture migrates in from the west; direct ancestors of most Greenlanders today.

3. 985-986

   Erik the Red leads Norse settlers from Iceland, founding the Eastern and Western Settlements.

4. circa 1450

   Norse settlements disappear, likely due to a cooling climate and growing isolation.

5. 1721

   Missionary Hans Egede founds Godthåb (now Nuuk), beginning sustained Danish colonization.

6. 1953

   Greenland's status changes from Danish colony to an integral county (amt) of Denmark.

7. 1979

   Home Rule Act creates a Greenlandic parliament (Inatsisartut) and local government.

8. 2009

   Self-Government Act makes Kalaallisut the sole official language and expands autonomy over resources and justice.

Top 10 things to know about Greenland

1. Greenland is the world's largest island that is not a continent.
2. About 80% of its surface is covered by the only permanent ice sheet outside Antarctica.
3. It is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, not an independent country.
4. Population is around 57,000, giving it one of the lowest population densities on Earth.
5. Nuuk, the capital, is one of the smallest capital cities in the world by population.
6. The official language is Kalaallisut (Greenlandic), an Inuit language written in Latin script.
7. Most Greenlanders descend from the Thule people, who arrived around 1200 CE.
8. According to Icelandic sagas, Erik the Red named it "Greenland" to attract settlers.
9. No roads connect Greenland's towns , travel is by boat, plane, snowmobile, or dog sled.
10. Its waters are home to the Greenland shark, one of the longest-living vertebrates known.

Famous people from Greenland

Say it in Greenland's language

Did you know?

• ★Despite its name, Greenland is mostly ice , its neighbor Iceland is actually the greener of the two.
• ★Greenland has no roads connecting its towns; every settlement is reached by sea, air, or snow.
• ★The Greenland shark can live for centuries, making it one of the longest-lived vertebrates known.

Greenland culture

• Kalaallit Nunaat ("Land of the Greenlanders") is the native Greenlandic name for the country.
• Traditional foods include seal, whale, and fish; kaffemik (open-house coffee gatherings) mark celebrations.
• National Day falls on 21 June, marking the 2009 Self-Government Act and the summer solstice.
• Drum dancing and Inuit oral storytelling traditions continue alongside modern Danish-Greenlandic influences.

Why read Greenland's books

Greenlandic storytelling grew from an oral Inuit tradition of songs, myths, and drum-dance narratives passed down for centuries before the first Greenlandic novel appeared in 1914. That small but distinct literary voice is where this shelf begins.