Greenland: 15 Essential Facts About the World's Largest Island

Greenland, the world's largest island, remains one of the least visited places on Earth, with fewer than 60,000 residents and roughly 100,000 annual visitors. The island's geography is dominated by the Greenland Ice Sheet, which covers about 80 percent of its territory and holds enough ice to raise global sea levels by seven meters if fully melted. Its population is concentrated in coastal towns, with the capital Nuuk home to about 20,000 people, making it one of the smallest national capitals. No roads connect Greenland's towns; travel is by air, sea, or dog sled. Recent infrastructure developments, including a new international airport in Nuuk (opened November 2024) and the first direct U.S. route (United Airlines from Newark, launched 2025), are making the island more accessible. Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, with its own government and Greenlandic as the sole official language since 2009. The Ilulissat Icefjord, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, showcases the dramatic meeting of glacier and sea. The island's ice sheet is melting at an average of 270 billion metric tons per year, significantly contributing to global sea level rise. Greenland's unique features include the midnight sun, northern lights, and wildlife such as polar bears and narwhals.