Greenland: More Than Meets the Ice Quiz

Answer: Scoresby Sund

Scoresby Sund is the fjord system beside Ittoqqortoormiit in East Greenland. Its Greenlandic name is Kangertittivaq. The town stands near the northern side of the fjord's entrance. The fjord opens into the Greenland Sea. A fjord is a sea inlet in a valley shaped by glacial ice.

Answer: Nuuk

Godthaab is the former Danish name for Nuuk. The name means "Good Hope" in Danish. The colonial settlement was established there in 1728, at a site already inhabited by Inuit families. Nuuk stands on Greenland's southwest coast beside an extensive fjord system. The Greenlandic name Nuuk means "point of a peninsula".

Answer: Ilulissat Icefjord

Ilulissat Icefjord was added to the World Heritage List in 2004. It lies on Greenland's west coast near Disko Bay. The inscription described Sermeq Kujalleq feeding ice into the fjord, where pieces broke away as icebergs. This breaking-off process is called calving. UNESCO recognised both the glacial landscape and the site's importance to the study of ice.

Answer: Davis Strait

Davis Strait separates western Greenland from Baffin Island. Baffin Bay lies to its north, while the Labrador Sea lies to its south. It is part of the marine passage between the Canadian Arctic and the North Atlantic. Denmark Strait, despite its tempting name, lies on the other side of Greenland, towards Iceland. Bering Strait is between Alaska and Asia, and Hudson Strait leads into Hudson Bay.

Answer: Disko Island

Qeqertarsuaq stands on Disko Island, across Disko Bay from Ilulissat. The Greenlandic name Qeqertarsuaq means "big island" and is used for both the island and the town. The area has volcanic rocks and dark beaches that give it a distinctive appearance. Basalt columns are among its striking rock formations.

This coast shows that Greenland's scenery includes much more than glaciers and snow.

Answer: The sun remaining above the horizon through the night

The midnight sun means that the sun stays above the horizon through the night. In Greenland, it is a summer experience in places north of the Arctic Circle. Earth's tilted axis keeps the far north turned towards the sun at that time of year. The farther north you travel, the longer the season of continuous daylight lasts.

It is sunlight, rather than moonlight or the northern lights, that keeps these nights bright.

Answer: A mountain

Uummannaq takes its name from the heart-shaped mountain rising behind the town. The name is commonly translated as "heart-like". The town and mountain share a small island off Greenland's west coast. Fjords, icebergs and steep surrounding peaks form the wider landscape. The island lies north of the Arctic Circle.

Answer: Accumulated snowfall

Greenland's ice sheet formed from snow that accumulated on land. As new layers piled up, the older snow became denser and changed into glacial ice. The weight of this great mass also makes it move slowly outwards. This is different from sea ice, which forms when ocean water freezes. Icebergs can form when pieces break away from glaciers that reach the sea.

Answer: Tasermiut Fjord

Tasermiut Fjord lies near Nanortalik in South Greenland. Its shores are framed by steep mountains and tall rock walls. These walls have drawn experienced climbers to the area. A fjord is a sea inlet occupying a valley shaped by glacial ice. Tasermiut brings that combination of sea, mountains and glacial scenery together in one landscape.

Answer: Qassiarsuk

Brattahlid was at the site of Qassiarsuk in South Greenland. Erik the Red established his home there during the Norse settlement of the island. The surrounding landscape offered land for grazing livestock as well as access to the fjord. This farming history is part of the wider Kujataa cultural landscape recognised by UNESCO.

It is a reminder that Greenland's human geography includes farms and pasture as well as coastal hunting communities.