Greenland: A History of Disappearance, Rapid Change & Arctic Importance

The story of Greenland, from the ice age to the present day, is unlike any other found in historical narratives. It is not a continuous flow, but an interrupted one. On the world’s largest island, settlements have occasionally disappeared altogether, leaving it uninhabited. At other times, people have lived there, but time seemed to stand still – with no development or change.

Conversely, from roughly the beginning of the Second World War, history in Greenland has accelerated at a pace exceeding that of many other places, as if attempting to catch up on centuries of stagnation. The changes in lifestyle experienced by Greenlanders born around 1930 are among the most significant globally; perhaps only China or South Korea offer comparable examples.

Today, the entire world is focused on Greenland in connection with statements made by an unconventional American president. It may be the first time that so much attention is directed towards the island, as we begin to familiarize ourselves with names like Nuuk and Pituffik. It could benefit both the people of Greenland and ourselves if we take this opportunity to understand their fate and history more thoroughly.

The Arctic is a territory where travel, exploration, and, very likely, resource extraction will take place this century, and where threats of military force are also a distinct possibility. Hopefully, those threats will remain just that. Greenland, as the largest purely Arctic landmass, may play a significant role in these developments.

The March North

The scheme for the end of the world is firmly established. It will begin with three frozen winters, when lakes, rivers, and seas freeze over. The sun will cool, so that summer will no longer come. Snow will fall, white, merciless, and endless. Then will come a long, unrelenting winter, and finally the wolf Skoll will swallow the sun. The moon and stars will fade, and a bottomless darkness will reign. That will be the Fimbul Winter.

– Peter Høeg: The Silence of Miss Smilla for Snow

Approximately fifteen thousand years ago, something unusual occurred that disrupted the established order: our planet began to warm noticeably.

The glaciers that covered much of both hemispheres began to melt and retreat northward. They left behind wetlands that soon turned green with lichen, moss, and eventually grass. Herds of mammoths, reindeer, aurochs, and other large herbivores moved towards the new pastures. In their wake came predators: wolves, bears, and humans.

Thus began the great migration of humanity northward. It had a simple reason: it was a march of the hungry in pursuit of food, of hunters in pursuit of prey. And it was governed by the relentless logic of limited resources. Understanding this mechanism is crucial to understanding Greenland – hence this lengthy introduction, which will continue for a while longer.

Arctic ecosystems appear resilient at first glance. If something grows in such a harsh climate, you might think it is almost indestructible. But that is a significant misconception.

The history of Greenland is inextricably linked to extreme Arctic conditions. Currently, an ice sheet covers approximately eighty percent of the island, restricting human activity largely to the coasts. The first humans are believed to have arrived around 2500 BCE, according to archaeological evidence. Their descendants likely died out and were replaced by subsequent waves of migration from continental North America.

There is no evidence that Norsemen knew of Greenland until the 9th century CE, when Icelandic explorers settled on its southwestern coast. These settlements, known as the Eastern Settlement, later disappeared during the Little Ice Age, leaving the Inuit as the sole inhabitants of the island for centuries. The ancestors of the Greenlandic Inuit appear to have migrated from northern Canada around the year 1200, crossing the Nares Strait.

Hunting and whaling have always been vital to life in Greenland, and the polar bear features prominently on the coat of arms of the Danish royal family in Greenland. The island’s geopolitical importance is growing as the Arctic region becomes increasingly critical for regional powers seeking to project influence and deter adversaries, as noted in a recent report by the European Parliament.

Today, Greenland faces rapid environmental changes, including the melting of its ice sheet, a phenomenon also highlighted in recent scientific studies. The flow-out or collapse from its terminal glaciers is accelerating, contributing to rising sea levels and altering Arctic ecosystems. The changing climate is also impacting the island’s rivers, which are increasingly displaying an unusual orange hue due to glacial meltwater.

The future of Greenland remains uncertain, but its strategic location and the accelerating changes in the Arctic region ensure that it will continue to attract global attention. Understanding its history and the challenges it faces is crucial, not only for the people of Greenland but for the world as a whole.