Discover
The identity of the nation
Greenland is the largest island on the planet, but it is home to only about 56 thousand people, the vast majority of the Inuit people, known locally as kalaallit. About four fifths of the territory is covered by an ice sheet up to three kilometers thick, so life is concentrated in settlements scattered along the coast, connected almost always by boat, plane, or helicopter, rather than roads.
It is a majority Christian country, with more than 90% of the population linked to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Greenland. Christianity first arrived through the ancient Norse around the year 1000 and, more lastingly, in 1721, when the missionary Hans Egede settled near present-day Nuuk. Today the Lutheran faith is intertwined with national identity, marking baptisms, weddings, funerals, and community festivals.
Beneath this professed faith, however, traces of the ancient Inuit spirituality persist: the relationship with the spirits of nature, the myths of the sea and the hunt, the drum dance. Since the 1970s, young Greenlanders have been reclaiming pre-Christian traditions as an affirmation of identity and a response to the colonial past, creating a landscape of mixed religions and spiritual searching blended with New Age ideas.
Politically, Greenland is an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. It achieved self-government in 2009, when Greenlandic became an official language, and has since debated the path toward possible independence. The wounds of the colonial period, the isolation of communities, and the long dark winters weigh on the soul of the people.
The human challenges are real: high suicide rates, especially among young people, alcoholism, and the loneliness of small villages in the far north. Amid the ice and immense beauty of the Arctic, Greenland needs a gospel that touches the heart, brings hope, and heals the roots of pain, with deep respect for the kalaallit culture and language.
- About 2500 BC The first Paleo-Eskimo peoples migrate from North America to Arctic Greenland.
- 982 The Norseman Erik the Red explores the coast and names the land Greenland, meaning green land.
- Around 1000 Norse settlers arrive and Christianity is introduced; later the Diocese of Garðar is founded.
- 13th century The Inuit Thule culture spreads across the territory, coexisting with the Norse.
- 15th century The Norse colonies disappear, possibly due to the cooling of the climate.
- 1721 The missionary Hans Egede founds a Lutheran mission near Nuuk, marking the start of Danish colonization.
- 1953 Greenland ceases to be a colony and becomes an integral part of the Kingdom of Denmark.
- 1979 Home rule is granted, with its own government.
- 2009 Expanded self-government; Greenlandic becomes an official language on June 21, now the national day.
- Today An autonomous, majority Lutheran territory that debates independence and faces isolation and social pain.
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Greenlandic (Kalaallisut)official language, Inuit language spoken by the majority of the population
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Danishwidely used in education, government, and business
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Englishgrowing among young people and in tourism
Greenland is the largest island in the world, situated between the Atlantic and Arctic oceans, geographically part of North America. About 80% of its surface is covered by a vast ice sheet. The population lives along the coastal strip, in towns and villages with no roads connecting them, depending on boats and planes.
Major cities
- NuukCapital and largest city, with about 19 thousand inhabitants
- SisimiutSecond largest city, industrial and fishing hub
- IlulissatFamous for its ice fjord, a World Heritage site
- QaqortoqMain city of the south, with a greener landscape
Climate and temperature
Suaasat
Traditional soup of seal, whale, reindeer, or bird, with onion and potato, the country's national dish.
Mattak
Whale skin and blubber eaten raw, an Inuit delicacy rich in vitamin C.
Seal meat
Staple of the traditional diet, the product of hunting that sustains communities.
Arctic fish
Cod, halibut, and shrimp, pillars of Greenlandic fishing.
Kalaallit kaagiat
Greenlandic cake made of wheat, sugar, and eggs, served with cream and berries.
Understand
Culture and spirituality
2a · The culture
Bond with hunting and the sea
Life revolves around ice, fishing, and hunting, an ancient Inuit heritage.
Community and sharing
In isolated villages, helping others and sharing food are values of survival.
Language as identity
Greenlandic is a source of pride and a symbol of the kalaallit people's autonomy.
Drum dance
Inuit tradition revived by young people as cultural and spiritual expression.
Respect for nature
The immense silence of the Arctic shapes a patient people attentive to the signs of the seasons.
- Confusing Greenlanders with Danes Kalaallit identity is distinct and a source of pride.
- Treating seal and whale hunting with contempt For many it is sustenance and tradition, not cruelty.
- Ignoring the local language Showing interest in Greenlandic opens doors and shows respect.
- Rushing relationships Trust is built with time and presence, not haste.
- Romanticizing the Arctic without seeing the pain Behind the beauty lies isolation, grief, and real struggles.
2b · The field
Areas of spiritual battle and cultural captivity to cover in prayer. Tap each point to understand:
Lutheran faith coexists with nature spirits and ancient myths, diluting the gospel.
The search for roots leads some back to ancestral practices and the New Age.
The country faces one of the highest suicide rates in the world, especially among young people.
Alcohol abuse wounds families and communities during the long winters.
Remote villages live far from constant spiritual and human support.
The historical weight of foreign rule left marks of identity and resentment.
Many belong to the church out of tradition, without a living relationship with Christ.
The long Arctic night worsens loneliness and discouragement.
Ruptures and abandonment strike the fabric of communities.
The harshness of life on the ice can breed resignation in the face of suffering.
Greenland enjoys broad religious freedom, and there is no organized persecution against Christians. The country is majority Christian, with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Greenland deeply tied to national identity, and faith is lived openly in baptisms, weddings, and community festivals.
The spiritual challenges here are not of hostility but of depth: many live a merely nominal faith, inherited by tradition, while there is a growing search for pre-Christian roots and shamanic practices blended with New Age ideas. The real battleground is the heart, marked by isolation, pain, and a religiosity that needs to become living and personal.
The persecution score runs from 0 to 100: the higher it is, the greater the pressure on Christians.
Greenland is inhabited almost entirely by the Inuit kalaallit people, alongside a Danish minority. Although it is a majority Christian country, with the Bible available in Greenlandic, the great challenge is bringing nominal faith into a living experience and reaching isolated communities marked by pain and spiritual searching.
- 0 Unreached 0%
- 0 Minimally reached 0%
- 0 Superficially reached 0%
- 52K Partially reached 94%
- 3K Significantly reached 6%
- 0 Unreached 0%
- 0 Minimally reached 0%
- 0 Superficially reached 0%
- 2 Partially reached 66,7%
- 1 Significantly reached 33,3%
Source of people group data: Joshua Project (joshuaproject.net). Estimates, may vary.
Pray
Intercede for this nation
Every nation carries a redemptive purpose. Marks that seem woven into the identity God desires to restore:
Go
Practical details for those who want to go
Local time
Cost of living
among the most expensive in the world, due to reliance on imports
Cost by city
Reference values (source: Numbeo). Confirm before traveling.
Practical points for those who go
- Wear layered clothing: the Arctic climate changes quickly, even in summer.
- Do not expect roads between towns: transportation is by plane, helicopter, or boat.
- Bring cash and reserves: everything is expensive and depends on imports.
- Learn a few words in Greenlandic: it shows respect and opens doors.
- Have patience with the weather: flights are frequently delayed or canceled due to weather.
- Respect hunting and fishing: they are tradition and sustenance, not sport.
Send and sustain
Not everyone goes, everyone takes part
Not everyone goes. Everyone takes part.
Behind every worker among these peoples stands a network of people who pray without ceasing, care for the family left behind, and faithfully sustain the work. Sending is mission too.
Start with your church: introduce this nation, adopt it in ongoing prayer, and walk alongside those God is raising up to go.