Greenland: The Western Hemisphere's Largest Island

Greenland (Kalaallit Nunaat) is the world's largest island—2,166,086 km² (836,330 sq mi)—located in the western hemisphere between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans.

Geographic Context

• Position: Northeast of Canada (Baffin Bay/Davis Strait), northwest of Iceland (Denmark Strait)
• Political Status: Autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark since 1979 (Self-Government Act 2009)
• Capital: Nuuk (pop. ~19,000)
• Population: ~56,000 (89% Inuit, 11% Danish/other)

Physical Geography

• Ice Sheet: Covers 80% (1.7M km²), up to 3 km thick—2nd largest after Antarctica
• Coastal Zone: Ice-free fjords, mountains, valleys where all settlements exist
• Climate: Arctic to subarctic; coastal summer 0-10°C, winter -20 to -30°C
• Wildlife: Polar bears, muskoxen, reindeer, Arctic foxes, whales, seals, seabirds

Strategic Significance

Thule Air Base (U.S. Space Force), critical for missile warning/space surveillance. Rare earth mineral deposits. Emerging Arctic shipping routes (Northwest Passage, Northern Sea Route). Climate change frontline—ice loss accelerating.

Distinction

Australia is a continent, not an island. Greenland is an island (surrounded by water, smaller than continents). If Greenland's ice melted, global sea levels would rise ~7.4 meters.