Greenland: flag, capital, currency and history

Flag of Greenland

Download the flag of Greenland as a scalable SVG or as a PNG in three sizes. The flag emoji is 🇬🇱.

History of Greenland

Greenland was settled by successive Arctic peoples, with the ancestors of today's Inuit, the Thule culture, arriving around the 13th century. Norse settlers established colonies from about 985 under Erik the Red, which disappeared by the 15th century. Danish-Norwegian missionary Hans Egede founded a settlement in 1721, and Greenland passed to Denmark when the union with Norway ended in 1814. It became an integral part of Denmark in 1953. Home rule was introduced in 1979 and self-government in 2009. Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, with Nuuk as its capital.

Key dates

1. c. 985Erik the Red leads Norse settlers to southern Greenland.
2. c. 1200Thule culture ancestors of the Inuit begin arriving from the west.
3. 1721Hans Egede establishes a mission and colony near present-day Nuuk.
4. 1814Greenland remains with Denmark under the Treaty of Kiel.
5. 1953Greenland becomes an integral part of the Kingdom of Denmark.
6. 1979Home rule is introduced.
7. 2009Self-government takes effect, expanding Greenland's authority.

A short overview, not a full history. Dates are given for well-documented events only.

Currency of Greenland

Greenland uses the krone (DKK, kr.). Use our free currency converter to check exchange rates.

Frequently asked questions

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