“Discover the Astonishing Secrets of Greenland: 11 Surprising Facts That Will Change Your View of This Hidden Gem!”
Ever stared at a map and thought, “Wow, Greenland is HUGE!”? Well, hold onto your snow boots because that perception is about as misleading as a soggy cereal box with a crowned king proclaiming it the best breakfast choice. Greenland, indeed the world’s largest island, is often misrepresented on maps, thanks to the notorious Mercator map, which suggests it’s almost the same size as Africa—when, in reality, Africa is nearly **14 times** larger. Picture this: the breathtaking, ice-covered expanse of Greenland measures around a third of Australia, or about a quarter of the U.S.! It’s a vast landscape cloaked in mystery, icebergs, and tales of Viking adventurers, but one footstep inside this Arctic wonderland reveals a treasure chest of captivating contrasts and stunning features. Ready to dive in? LEARN MORE.
Greenland is the world’s largest island, but it’s not as big the Mercator map would have us believe. The widely reproduced map, created in 1569, suggests Greenland is roughly the same size as Africa when that continent is nearly 14 times larger. The ice-covered island is actually about a third of the size of Australia and a quarter of the size of the United States.
Greenland lies north and south of the Arctic Circle and about 500 miles from the North Pole. Its closest neighboring country is Canada (it’s 16 miles from Canada’s Ellesmere Island). Currently, you can fly to Greenland only from Iceland (its nearest European neighbor) and Denmark—but that will change as Greenland’s second international airport, which opened in November 2024 in Nuuk, begins accepting flights from Canada and the U.S.
