Talk:Greenland

The Greenland archipelago?

If the Greenland ice cap were to completely melt away, Greenland would most likely be an archipelago instead of an island-continent like Australia.

It are not correctly, because the land wil do grow up, if weight of the ice do disappear.

That's probably correct but in the meantime it would be a bunch of islands (it would take centuries if not millenia for the land to rise to a "normal" level I would think). -- stewacide

it would take 20.000 years to melt the Greenland away. and the land never rise to a "normal" level, but rise quickly in start and slovly slow later.

New map of the rocky ground show as Greenland is one island today.

Haabet 18:43, 15 Apr 2004 (UTC)

It's still a bit of a toss-up. Presumably raised sea-levels concomitant with the loss of the ice sheet would make at least some islands from parts of greenland, but one would need to see that sub-ice topographic map to know at what sea level this would break Greenland up altogether. Post-glacial rebound is, as stewacide says, not an immediate issue. Scotland is still rising from relief the weight of the Devensian glaciation, which was entirely gone 10 millenia ago. -- John Fader (talk | contribs) 00:56, 28 Mar 2005 (UTC)

STOP CHANGING IT!!!!

Please stop changing the new Greenland format to the old one. You can add on to it, please don't revert it.

'Australia Considered One'

It is the world's largest island (if continents are excluded and Australia is considered one). Wording is vague: when I read that, I presume that Australia is to be considered an island. Anyone else struck by the same? If not, ignore the ignorance, but if so rewording may be in order. Tolo 14:55, Jan 1, 2005 (UTC)

That's not the worst of it. Someone here considers Greenland a continent. Hey, Mic! Look at a map! It's part of the same island group as the Canadian Arctic Islands. Greenland is in North America, not a continent in its own right.-----------Kelisi 2005/2/4

The first examination (by ca. 50km uncertainty) of the land under the ice say Grenland is two Isles

but many later more precise examination say its is one island. But the first result is ineradicable.

I don't think that Australia should be excluded as being an island. Granted that "Australia" is considered a continent, but I think the continent is made up of more than one island or country (Australia, New Zealand).----------Mark, 7 April 2005

NATO but not EU

I think that it's worth adding that Greenland is a member of NATO but unlike Denmark, not of the EU.--JBellis 22:29, 28 Feb 2005 (UTC)

Australia is technically not a continent on its own.

Australia is part of the continent of Australasia (now known as Oceania) which includes other island nations like New Zealand, Fiji, Soloman Islands and others aswell as mainland Australia and Tasmania.

Greenland part of North America?

If Greenland is part of North America then Cape Spear is not the easterly point on the continent, as some have suggested in recent debate. CBC News

Is Greenland even counted in the total surface area of North America? --Madchester June 29, 2005 15:46 (UTC)

The issue of independence

Someone should write about the issue of Greenland's independence please.

Greenland's independence demand oil strikes. The land is big but cold, mountainous and stormy. without oil strikes no finances to pay the independence.Haabet 23:30, August 22, 2005 (UTC)

Is there any opinion that Kalaallit Nunaat/Grønland/Greenland should join Canada, since Nunavut belongs to Canada? Everton 15:35, 20 September 2005 (UTC)[reply]

If any such movement existed, Danish media would have reported the story long ago. So the short answer to your question is "No", for a number of reasons. 1) the Danish royal family is very popular in Greenland. 2) Greenland effectively "runs its own show" with virtually all the powers it can wish, except conducting an independent foreign policy (Greenland hasn't complained about not running its own defence policy.) 3) Denmark continues to support the Greeenlandic economy with large amouts of money. I believe that former Danish Prime Minister Poul Schlüter declared around 20 years ago, that any mineral finds on/near Greenland would directly benefit the Greenlandic people, not Denmark, so that's still official Danish policy. 4) Denmark has agreed to transfer even more powers to Greenland. Most importantly, it appears that in the future, Greenland will be allowed to negotiate foreign affairs on the behalf of the entire Realm; if the issue solely relates to Greenland. If the issue relates to both Greenland and any other part of the Realm, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will handle the case but consult Greenland and the Faroe Islands first. The current arrangement might not be ideal in all respects, but I think most Greenlanders will agree with me that the current arrangement actually works.

Besides, I believe that (virtually) every party in the Danish parliament have said that should Greenland ask for outright independence, it will be granted. So if Greenland wishes to end the symbiosis with Denmark, then so be it. I can't really see that Canada has to offer that Denmark hasn't already offered? Except, of course, lessons in French :-) On a more serious note; one thing that Canada can match is the colours of the flag. I've been told that the Greenlandic anthem refers to "our red-white flag".) --Valentinian 13:46, 26 October 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Actually I think that joining Canada sound like a quite strange thing to do. If they were ever to join another country, I belive it should be Norway. As you know, Greenland and the Faroe Islands were robbed from Norway at the Kiel treaty in 1815. Greenland was after all part of Norway from 982AD-1815AD and Norway also claimed and occupied parts of the Island as late as the 1920's. But from a Greenlandic perspective, I support independce.

International Memberships (EU, NATO)

Greenland is listed as special territory in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_member_state_territories_and_their_relations_with_the_EU#Greenland , noting that Greelanders DO possess EU citizenship, although Greenland itself does not possess EU membership. I find this odd. Does anybody know something which might clarify this? --The Minister of War 09:52, 13 September 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Number of Norse Settlements?

from Greenland:

Icelandic settlers found the land uninhabited when they arrived ca. 982. They established three settlements near the very Southwestern tip of the island, where they thrived for the next few centuries.

from History of Greenland:

This colony reached a size of 3,000 to 5,000 people, initially in two settlements – the larger Eastern Settlement and the Western Settlement (of a peak size of about 1,000 people.)

Taken together, these statements suggest a third settleent that has been unmentioned in History of Greenland. Is this really the case? --Bletch 22:57, 16 October 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I remember seeing a map years ago showing a third (minor) settlement between the two well-known ones. I'll try to find a source. --Valentinian 21:40, 27 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I think the term Icelandic settlers are quite strange. The settlers arriving in Greenland were settlers from the island of Iceland, but all the people in Iceland were Norwegian. Iceland was a part of the kingdom of Norway. Although there is today a Icelandic culture and nation, this was not the case at the time around 1000ad.

Geographical vs. political classifications of regions

This appears to be a region that can be part of either of 2 continents, one geographically and the other politically. How many regions of this kind are there?? Georgia guy 01:07, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

That's a really good and interesting point to ponder! See article "Subregion" for more on the difference between Political geography, Physical geography and Cultural geography. --Big Adamsky 12:10, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]