Greenland is the world’s largest island. For nearly 5,000 years it has been occupied by the Inuit. In 982-984, Erik the Red explored the western shores of Greenland. He was acting on earlier reports about the island. He found several fjords that provided conditions similar to those in Iceland. In Iceland, Erik the Red called the island Goenland (Greenland) in order to make it more attractive to prospective settlers from Iceland. In 985 he returned to Greenland to found the Eastern Settlement near Brattahild. He originally assembled 500 settlers and transported them in 25 boats. Only 18 boats, however, survived the trip. A second settlement, the Western Settlement, was established as a base for hunting arctic mammals.
The settlers developed trade with Iceland and Norway. This trade was based on walrus ivory, sealskins, and furs—all of which were in high demand in Europe. The success of the settlement in Greenland depended on maintaining trade.
The ice core and clam shell data show that Greenland experienced a relatively mild climate between 800 and 1300.
The Norse settlers (Icelanders and Norwegians) shared the island with Native peoples who occupied the northern and eastern portions of the island. In the 13th century, the Greenlanders submitted to Norwegian rule and in 1380 they became a part of Denmark.
During the 14th and 15 centuries, the Norse settlements on Greenland vanished. This is a time period which corresponds to the beginning of the Little Ice Age. The Norse populations at this time suffered from malnutrition as well as from increasing conflicts with the Native populations.
In 1775, Greenland officially became a colony of Denmark. In 1946, the United States offered to buy the island, but Denmark refused to sell. In 1953, Greenland was established as a province of Denmark. In 1979, Greenland was granted home rule by Denmark. Six years later, Greenland left the European Economic Community (the forerunner of the European Union) in order to keep its fishing grounds from European rules.
In 2008, Greenland’s citizens voted for increased independence from Denmark in a non-binding referendum. With this referendum, Greenland voted to take control of its own law enforcement, justice system, and coast guard. The official language also changed to Kalaallisut (Greenlandic). Most people speak both Kalaallisut and Danish.
With regard to religion, most Greenlanders—97%--are Lutherans. The New Testament had been translated into Kalaallisut by 1893 and the whole Bible was translated by 1900.
At the present time, about 50,000 of Greenland’s 57,000 residents are indigenous Inuit. While Greenland has a great deal of autonomy, its dependence on Denmark means that it is not considered a fully independent country. Denmark continues to control foreign affairs and defense.
This diary was originally posted on Street Prophets