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You are here: Home / Geography / Why Isn’t Greenland Considered a Continent Like Australia and What Does Greenland Mean In Kalaallisut?

Why Isn’t Greenland Considered a Continent Like Australia and What Does Greenland Mean In Kalaallisut?

July 27, 2020 by Karen Hill

Geographers have decided that Greenland is too small to be called a continent.

Australia is three and a half times larger than Greenland.

Greenland is physiographically part of the continent of North America, and is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark.

Greenland is the world’s largest island that is not a continent by area, and is the least densely populated country in the world with a population of about 56,452 in 2010.

According to the Icelandic sagas, the Norwegian-born explorer Erik the Red was exiled from Iceland for murder.

Greenland means “Land of the Kalaallit people” in the Kalaallisut language.

Related Facts

  • Who Were the First Explorers of Ancient Civilization?
  • How did Erik the Red end up in Greenland after he was exiled from Iceland?
  • Where Is Greenland Located and How Close Is Greenland To Canada and the North Pole?
  • Who Does Greenland Belong To and Is Greenland Part of North America?
  • How did Greenland get its name and When was Greenland discovered by Eric the Red?
  • Why Is Europe Considered a Continent and Which Other Traditional Continent Is Part of Eurasia?

Filed Under: Geography

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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