Greenland

' == GEOGRAPHY: ==' Greenland is the largest island in the world,measuring 2,670 km from north to south,but with a population of only about -56,000,one-quarter of which lives in the capital,NUUK.It lies just south of the Arctic Circle,so it is summer temperatures range from just 0C to 15C.Eighty-five percent of its 2,175,600 km2 area is covered with a massive ice cap,which holds 9% of the world^s fresh water.If all this ice were to melt,the world^s oceans would rise by six to seven metres.Despite its name,Greenland is anything but green.Its bare haunting landscape is made up of grey granite rock an dmassive icebergs,with only tiny pockets of greenery.

History: The Inuit people(previously known as Eskimos)were the first people of this island.Then,around 980 ad,Eric the Red,a bloodthirsty Norwegian Viking,fled to the island and founded a colony.Despite the desolate greyness Eric cunningly named the island «GREENLAND»,so as to attract settlers.His trick worked and the colony grew but then died out suddenly and mysteriously in the 1400s.In 1721,the Danish established a settlement there,and ruled for over 200 years,until 1979,when Greenland was declared an autonomous nqation within the Kingdom of Denmark.

Greenland today: Regional boundaries divide the country into three areas:North,East and West Greenland. East Greenland,known as Tunu,is the most isolated,blocked by ice for 9 month outy of 12.Only 4,000 people live here,despite it being equal in size to half of Western Europe.In the harbour there are corpses of hunted seals,sunk in the cold water which acts as a natural refrigator.The presence of polar bears is always a possibility.These dangerous,man-eating creatures are feared but also loved as embodiment of the human spirit a harsh land. Nowadays Greenladic,or East Inuit language,has become the first language,and Danish the second.The Civil Service is largery Greenladic as well and there are more Inuits signs than Danish ones.However,like most small remote nations,economic independence is nonexistent .Most of the nations budget is funded by Denmark.Everything in the supermarket is Danish.Job prospects remain poor and ost services,from air transport to seal hunting,are subsidized by Danish taxpayer.