Everything you wanted to know about Greenland* (*but were afraid to ask)

An Inuit in Greenland being pulled by a sledge with 13 huskies

Ruler of the snow-bound land: an Inuit hunter and his brood of huskies traverse frozen Baffin Bay

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Well now. That was, as they say, a lot. Storm Goretti, Venezuela, Valentino, Fiona from The Traitors — not for years have our heads rolled so much within a single calendar month. Yet one item still appears to have trumped all others: Greenland, America’s sweetheart in the quest for world domination, has become our latest cause célèbre. Still, how much do we know about the island, really? Ask any friend or lover and they’d probably admit to ignoring why the Danes own the place to begin with.

Fortunately, I have done some digging. Sit tight, dear reader, and take notes. The Danes first docked in Greenland in 1721 when its Kingdom and that of Norway — then a joint force — decided to spread the word of God. They thought these northerly lands were home to the descendants of their Norse ancestors, who’d set sail from Iceland nearly 800 years earlier. By the 18th century, all of them had died out.

The Danes, finding hardy Inuits, established a colony instead. This lasted until 1953 when Denmark made Greenland an overseas county. The Kingdom’s grip had begun to loosen during the Second World War after the Nazis conquered Denmark and established a foothold on Greenland. There, they operated several weather stations, which proved key in the North Atlantic weather war.

Greenland landscape in spring/summer with fjord and several houses, among the mountains and the hills — Greenlandic fjords freeze for seven months a year. In June, the sun shines for more than 21 hours a day.

The USA destroyed the last of these and, by 1944, the final few Germans had left. Although Denmark promptly reasserted its rule, its hold over Greenland had weakened. Home rule was established in 1979; since then, the island has embraced its Greenlandic heritage. The standard language is that of the Kalaallit, an Inuit tribe on the island’s western flank, near the capital of Nuuk. The economy runs chiefly on fish and crustacean exports, having previously relied on mining.

The territory is still part of the Danish realm. As such, Greenland receives the equivalent of $500 million–$600 million in Danish subsidies each year, which helps to pay for the boats the Greenlanders use to fish, heat their homes and fly any islander requiring specialist medical treatment to Denmark. It also covers the delivery of supplies made from ingredients that could never be grown on site.

The land is shared with Arctic seals and polar bears, which Inuit men hunt in order to prove their valour. Greenlandic fjords freeze for seven months a year; in June, the sun shines for more than 21 hours a day. An estimated 30 billion barrels worth of oil line the coast, but previous attempts at extraction have been fruitless. Since 2021, the government has had a moratorium on offshore drilling.

There. Sorry. That was a lot, too. You can thank me next time your pub quiz features a round on Greenland—it’s bound to happen at some point soon—or when you book a holiday to the island once things have properly settled. After all, this is the best PR Greenland has had in years. What’s that? Ah, sorry, there are no direct flights from here — but return flights from Nuuk to Reykjavik are only £417 right now…

This feature originally appeared in the January 28, 2026, issue of Country Life. Click here for more information on how to subscribe.

Will Hosie is Country Life's Lifestyle Editor and a contributor to A Rabbit's Foot and Semaine. He also edits the Substack @gauchemagazine. He not so secretly thinks Stanely Tucci should've won an Oscar for his role in The Devil Wears Prada.