Features of Greenland Trivia Quiz

Answer: Nares

Nares Strait runs between Greenland and Ellesmere Island in Nunavut Territory, Canada, for about 330 miles. Lying in the far north (the 80s north latitude), the waterway has year-round ice. It is named for British naval officer George Nares.

Answer: Kaffeklubben

Kaffeklubben Island sits north of 83 degrees of latitude. Uninhabited, the island is named for the coffee club of the University of Copenhagen Geological Museum. From the island, it is less than 500 miles to the North Pole.

Answer: Farewell

Cape Farewell lies at 59 degrees north latitude and is the southernmost point in Greenland. The Labrador Sea lies to the west and the North Atlantic Ocean to the east. A small group of islands, the Cape Farewell Archipelago, lies off the coast.

Answer: Nuuk

The original Danish of Nuuk was Godthab. While people have inhabited the site for over 4,000 years, the settlement was founded in 1728. In addition to being Greenland's capital, Nuuk is also the largest city on the island, with about one-third of Greenland's population. It is the northernmost capital in the world along with being one of the smallest.

Answer: Western

The Western Settlement is the smaller Norse settlement, dating from about AD 985. About 1,000 people lived in the farms surrounding the settlement. Always at the edge of the habitable world, the settlement was abandoned in the late 14th century, due to a drop in yearly temperature during the Little Ice Age.

Answer: Morris Jessup

Cape Morris Jessup is the northernmost land in the "mainland" of Greenland, only about 700 miles south of the North Pole. Robert Peary reached the location in about 1900. The location is considered to be a "polar desert" with approximately 30 days of summer. Despite that, limited plant life can be found there.

Answer: Denmark

Denmark Strait can be found off the southeastern coast of Greenland. It marks the transition zone between the Arctic Ocean in the north and the Atlantic Ocean in the south. The strait is also the site of a 1941 battle between the British and German navies during World War Two.

Answer: Gunnbjorn

Gunnbjorn Field lies near the east coast of Greenland and rises approximately 12,000 feet tall. A British team was the first to ascend the peak, in 1935. Even in Greenland, it is in an isolated part of the island. It is considered the highest point in North America that is not on the mainland.

Answer: Eastern

The Eastern Settlement is the larger Norse settlement in Greenland in the Middle Ages. It is also the longer lasting settlement with the last written records dating from the early 15th century. Its location was actually near the southern tip of Greenland. Like the Western Settlement, the economy was centered on livestock farming.

Answer: Hans

Hans Island actually lies in the Nares Strait. It is a small island, covering about one-half of a square mile with a high elevation of about 551 feet. It is a rocky island and largely bare of vegetation. The island is named for Arctic traveler Hans Hendrik.