posteriori
In recent months, with all the recent absurd and offensive bullying about the United States somehow acquiring Greenland “one way or the other,” along with the territory´s March election, the world´s attention has been focused as never before on this massive island (at 836,330 square miles, bigger than Alaska and California combined and almost nine times the size of the United Kingdom), with a population of just 57,000. Technically it´s part of North America but deeply European in its orientation since its settlement and development by Norsemen (beginning in the 10th century and eventually reaching a peak population of up to 3,000) and since the early 18th century by the Danish.
Today Kalaallit Nunaat (or Grønland in Danish) is an autonomous part of Denmark with significant self-rule, and it´s definitely a most singular place, and a fascinating one for its stark beauty, unique culture, and Arctic adventures. And even before all the current brouhaha, just Greenland marked a momentous event: the inauguration this past December of Nuuk Aiport (GOH) to accommodate larger aircraft for international flights (this is to be followed by two more airports set to open in next year in the south of Greenland). In short, this is a land on the cusp of opening up to travelers and the world at large as never before.
The best time to visit (and therefore "high season," as it were) is from June through September, when the days are longer and the temperatures milder (up to the low 50s Fahrenheit during the day), whereas if you want to brave temperatures dropped to as low as -15, not to mention very short days and loooong nights. Meanwhile, winter – which pretty much here runs from October through May - is great for experiencing the dramatic Northern Lights and midnight sun; dog sledding, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing; exploring icebergs, glaciers, and ice caves (via a mix of helicopters, small planes, and hiking); and spotting of Polar wildlife including polar bears, reindeer, Arctic foxes, and seabirds. And of course there are plenty of opportunities for community tourism and to learn about the life, culture, and history of the Inuit (89 percent of the population, whose ancestors migrated here around 2500 to 2000 BCE from what is today Canada´s Ellesmere Island, and who today speak three dialects of Greenlandic). So here are the top places to go and things to do:
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