Christianity is the main religion in both Iceland and Greenland, but Iceland is a much more secular country and the church-going population is now very small. Both Iceland and Greenland are home to gorgeous wildlife and outstanding natural beauty.
The skies are filled with arctic birds and the nearby waters are teeming with whales, sharks, and seals. They both have huge National Parks, vast ice caps, and breathtaking scenery to enjoy. Sitting on the edge of two tectonic plates, Iceland is home to hundreds of volcanoes. This has had an enormous influence on the landscape, creating countless ancient caves and forming the extraordinary Silfra fissure.
Completely free from cars or residents, this pristine wilderness is home to walruses and polar bears! They used to be abundant on the Icelandic coastline, but the Vikings hunted the Icelandic walruses to extinction. There are indeed a few walruses that hang out in Iceland today, but they are not the original Icelandic breed. Due to the proximity to the Arctic Circle, both Iceland and Greenland experience long hours of darkness in the winter and a sun that hardly sets in the summer.
This makes seeing the Northern Lights possible in both places, but only during the darker months. As Greenland is closer to the Arctic circle than Iceland, the Midnight Sun is even more prevalent here. In May, June, and July, the sun shines for a solid 24 hours. In Winter, on the other hand, the Northern Lights can be particularly intense in Greenland. Seeing the Northern Lights in Iceland is also spectacular! You can find out more about this here. Seabirds, fish, seals, sharks, and whales all feature in the traditional cuisine of Greenland and Iceland.
But farming is present in both places. The most southwestern tip of Greenland is home to some lush farms, and many farms can be found in the South of Iceland. However, most Icelandic farmers now supplement their income with tourism. Historically, volcanic eruptions wiped out many farming communities and continuously destroyed the crops and farmland.
Icelandic people generally enjoy better health than their Greenlandic counterparts. Although they both have a universal health care system, the life expectancy in Iceland is around 10 years longer than that of Greenland. That being said, the health of Greenlandic people has improved significantly in recent years.
In the late s, Greenlandic children were between 5 and 7 centimeters shorter than the children in Denmark. We mention this because Greenlandic politics were completely controlled by Denmark at that time. Thanks to improved health and nutrition, this is no longer the case.
Unfortunately, suicide is still a serious problem in Greenland. So why are the names switched? His daughter drowned when they were sailing to the country, and his livestock starved in the winter.
Upset and overwhelmed, the Viking finally named the country Iceland after climbing a mountain to see nothing but a fjord full of icebergs. Fortunately, there were still plenty of crew members from the trip to Iceland to praise the location for its beautiful greenery. According to the Scientific American , archaeological discovery is revealing new information on the history of Greenland. During , researchers removed a huge tube of ice from the middle of a glacier in the Southern region of Greenland.
According to the scientists who examined the ice, the pattern of dirt, rock, and soil within was difficult to analyze at first.
Lower layers of ice had been disrupted by the formation of new glacier. Fortunately, later, DNA was distracted from the previously ignored bottom of the glacier, revealing some interesting information on the history of the country. According to the data, Greenland was green.
Not only was the country rich with grass and fields, but forests too. Biologists say Greenland may have been home to similar forests we see throughout Scandinavia today. The team of analysts responsible for examining the ice say DNA was retrieved from yew, pine, spruce, and alder trees. The scientists also discovered species of insects ranging from spiders to butterflies. According to the group, the icy discovery marked the first example of evidence that southern Greenland was once a highly forested place.
Indeed, experts believe based on the trees found, Greenland must have reached at least 10 degrees Celsius in Summer. Hopefully, the lessons in history and science above have helped you to understand why Greenland got its name. Interestingly, some experts believe Greenland may soon be green again. The rapidly melting sheets of ice in Greenland are having a drastic impact on the country. Many academics say these melting ice sheets are having an impact on the Gulf stream of the North Atlantic, and Iceland as a result.
If the climate continues to change in the same way in the decades ahead, we could find Iceland becomes the icy environment we associate it with. In the next few centuries, Greenland could earn back its green title with more forests and fields.
Until then, we recommend exploring Greenland and Iceland in their current state while you have the chance. Now read these: — Does anyone live in Greenland? Scandification explores and celebrates the magic of Scandinavia. According to this book, the first people to settle in Iceland were Irish monks.
The number of settlers grew rapidly in subsequent years, and by , an assembly, the Althing, was created to govern the rapidly-growing Icelandic society. In the mid th century, the Icelanders recognized the King of Norway as their ruler. In , however, Norway and Iceland entered a union under the rule of the Danish crown. Hence, Iceland became Danish territory. Under Danish rule, Lutheranism was imposed on Iceland. In the 18 th century, a massive volcanic eruption took place between June and February Those that did not perish from hunger were often killed by the extreme heat and noxious gases from the volcanic eruption.
In , Iceland was given limited autonomy by the Danish government. This autonomy was supplemented in by the establishment of home rule and rule by parliamentary majority. In , Iceland achieved complete self-government as per a treaty with the Danish government that relegated the Danes to controlling foreign policy alone in regards to Iceland.
This treaty came to an end in The next year, a referendum was held in Iceland asking voters if they wanted independence. Thus, on June 17, , the country became an independent republic. In , a treaty was signed that committed the U. Thus, the U. The s saw steady growth in the economy, as well as economic diversification. But in , the country withdrew its application for EU membership. Thus, Iceland is not a member of the EU today, though it is still party to several agreements that integrate it with the rest of Europe.
These include being part of the aforementioned EFTA and EEA, as well as the Schengen area, in which goods and people move freely across international borders without the need for border and custom checks. Iceland Iceland is the least populous country in Europe. Iceland is Europe's second largest island after Great Britain. Iceland's capital, Reykjavik, is the northernmost national capital in the world.
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