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After U.S. President Donald Trump's desire to buy Greenland became public, and Denmark's polite but firm refusal, the freezing island turned into one of the world's hottest headlines of the last few days. Aside from its economic and political importance, it's a terrestrial fairyland.
Why is it special
The magnificent aurora is one of Greenland's mesmerizing features. /VCG Photo
As the world's largest island, the highly-autonomous Greenland occupies roughly 97.5 percent of Denmark's land area. The Danish island's total area is 2,166,313 square kilometers, approximately 10.3 times that of Great Britain, 8 times the size of New Zealand, or 5.7 times that of Japan.
The vast Greenland. /VCG Photo
Based on data from The World Bank and United Nations, Greenland is also the least densely populated territory in the world, with a population of 56,171, less than 1 percent of Denmark's population.
Cold, but magnificent
Frigid but not barren, Greenland is home many species of flora and fauna. It welcomes various kinds of whales during late summer each year. An estimated 2 million seals inhabit the shore of the island. It is also the breeding base for dozens of bird species. Greenland possesses the world's largest and most northerly national park, the area of which is bigger than all but 29 countries in the world. Check the photo gallery for some of the coolest images of Greenland wildlife:
At least 9 species of whales visit Greenlandic shores each summer. /VCG Photo
Polar bears are top predators in Greenland. /VCG Photo
Walrus in Arctic ocean. /VCG Photo
As many as 2 million seals are estimated to inhabit Greenland's coasts. /VCG Photo
As many as 2 million seals are estimated to inhabit Greenland's coasts. /VCG Photo
Cute puffins in Greenland. /VCG Photo
Dozens of bird species are found in Greenland. /VCG Photo
Arctic foxes on the ice in Greenland. /VCG Photo
Musk ox is famous for its thick coat and strong odor emitted during breeding season by males in Greenland. /VCG Photo
Do you know how long arctic hare legs are? /VCG Photo
Sadly, this fairyland is under grave threat. With the Arctic melting rapidly, the Greenland ice sheet has become vulnerable. Researchers reckon that if the earth keeps warming up by 2 to 3 degrees Celsius, Greenland may be deprived of all its ice and snow. According to a research by Cambridge University, if Greenland completely melts, global sea levels would rise 7.2 meters, which may lead to widespread disaster.
(Cover image via VCG)
(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at nature@cgtn.com)