What Lies North of Greenland? The Arctic Ocean & North Pole

There is no land north of Greenland.

Directly north lies the Arctic Ocean, covered by shifting sea ice. The Geographic North Pole (90° N) is located ~700 km (435 mi) from Greenland's northernmost point (Cape Morris Jesup, 83°39′ N).

Northern Neighbors (Maritime/Proximity)

• Canada (Ellesmere Island): West/Northwest – separated by Nares Strait (25–100 km wide). Alert, Nunavut (82°30′ N) – northernmost permanent settlement.
• Svalbard (Norway): Northeast – across Fram Strait (~600 km).
• Russia (Franz Josef Land): Far northeast – across Arctic Basin.

Geopolitical Significance

• Hans Island (Tartupaluk): Resolved 2022 – Canada/Denmark split the tiny island in Nares Strait.
• Extended Continental Shelf Claims: Denmark (via Greenland), Canada, Russia all submitted to UN CLCS for seabed rights (Lomonosov Ridge).
• Thule Air Base (Pituffik Space Base): US Space Force, 76° N – missile warning, space surveillance.

Note: "North of Greenland" is a dynamic icescape—multi-year ice declining rapidly due to climate change. "Last Ice Area" (north of Greenland/Canada) projected as final summer sea ice refuge.