Question 1

True or false: Greenland's flag features a red cross on a white background.

Accepted Answer

False. Greenland's flag has a white and red circle on a white and red background, representing the sun and ice. The red cross on white is the Danish flag.

Question 2

True or false: Polar bears roam freely in downtown Nuuk, Greenland's capital.

Accepted Answer

False. Polar bears rarely enter urban areas; they live on the remote east coast and sea ice, not near the capital.

Question 3

True or false: Greenland was named to attract settlers, despite being mostly ice-covered.

Accepted Answer

True. Erik the Red gave Greenland its misleading name to lure colonists, as the fjords had green pasture despite the ice cap covering most of the island.

Question 4

True or false: Greenland has no trees because the entire island is covered by a permanent ice sheet.

Accepted Answer

False. About 20% of Greenland is ice-free, particularly along the coast, where small trees like birch and willow shrubs grow.

Question 5

True or false: Greenland is a fully independent country with its own military.

Accepted Answer

False. Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark, which handles its defense and foreign affairs.

Question 6

True or false: Greenland's ice sheet contains more ice than Antarctica's ice sheet.

Accepted Answer

False. Antarctica holds about 90% of Earth's ice; Greenland's ice sheet is second, but much smaller in volume.

Question 7

True or false: Greenland is a member of the European Union.

Accepted Answer

False. Greenland left the European Economic Community (predecessor of the EU) in 1985 after gaining home rule. It is not an EU member.

Question 8

True or false: Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.

Accepted Answer

True. Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark but has self-rule since 2009. It handles most domestic affairs while Denmark manages foreign policy and defense.

Question 9

True or false: Greenland is the world's largest island that is not a continent.

Accepted Answer

True. Australia is a continent, so Greenland beats out New Guinea and Borneo for the largest island title.

Question 10

True or false: Greenland became an independent nation in 1979.

Accepted Answer

False. Greenland gained home rule in 1979, not independence. It remains part of the Kingdom of Denmark with self-governance.

Question 11

True or false: The official language of Greenland is Danish.

Accepted Answer

False. Greenlandic (Kalaallisut) has been the sole official language since 2009. Danish is widely spoken but not the official language.

Question 12

True or false: The Greenland ice sheet covers about 80% of Greenland's surface.

Accepted Answer

True. Approximately 80% of Greenland is covered by an ice sheet up to 3 km thick. The remaining area is mostly rocky coastline.

Question 13

True or false: Nuuk is the capital and largest city of Greenland.

Accepted Answer

True. Nuuk, with about 19,000 residents, serves as Greenland's administrative and cultural hub, making it both the capital and the most populous city in the territory.

Question 14

True or false: Greenland experiences 24 hours of darkness for six months straight each winter.

Accepted Answer

False. Only areas north of the Arctic Circle have polar night; southern Greenland gets a few hours of twilight daily.

Question 15

True or false: If fully melted, the Greenland ice sheet would raise global sea levels by about 7 meters.

Accepted Answer

True. Scientists estimate the Greenland ice sheet contains enough ice to raise sea levels by approximately 7 meters (23 feet) if completely melted.

Question 16

True or false: The first European settlement in Greenland was founded by Erik the Red around 985 AD.

Accepted Answer

True. Erik the Red, exiled from Iceland, established the Eastern Settlement in southern Greenland around 985 AD, marking the first European settlement.

Greenland Trivia Questions