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Regional Information - South Greenland
Around the year 985, Viking Erik the Red was
exiled from Iceland, and subsequently discovered
Greenland. He set up a settlement in the south and
nicknamed the country 'Green Land,' due to it's
fertility. After living for three years in
Greenland, Erik returned to Iceland and spread the
word about the opportunities of moving to
Greenland. Soon, a large number of immigrants had
joined him, and farms and churches were built.
Viking explorers set out to the north and west,
and the sagas describe their voyages of discovery
to North America, where a temporary settlement was
established long before Columbus. To this day,
five hundred year old remains of the early Viking
settlements can be viewed in south Greenland. Some
of the farms and churches have been reconstructed
in Qassiarsuk, including the first
Christian church built in North America.
During the spring and summer months, field ice,
which flows south from the Arctic Ocean into the
Cape's and Bays in the south, can completely cut
off South Greenland from boat traffic bringing
supplies and provisions. When this happens, all
supplies must be flown in by helicopter. One
benefit of the field ice is that it brings seals
into the area, which gives the economy a boost
from the seal hunting industry. Distances between
settlements are generally pretty small - only a
few hours by boat or up to twenty minutes by
helicopter. This gives the visitor great opportunity
to see a lot of the region within a short period
of time.
In the summer, south Greenland lives up to it's
name. With temperatures reaching up to 18°C (64°
F), the region is Greenland's most fertile. Sheep
farming and agriculture are an important part of
the economy, and many sheep farmers have built
cabin accommodation on their land for visitors of
the region to use. In addition to sheep, southern
Greenland has an abundance of flowers and plant
life, mountains, glaciers and icebergs. The
Northern Lights can be viewed beginning around the
end of August.
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