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White or Green !! What's in the land ? Read the bizarre naming story of Greenland & Iceland

'What's in the name? A rose by any other name would still smell sweet', says Juliet to Romeo. People literally feel it right when they think about the 2 island nations: Greenland and Iceland.
Ever wondered why Greenland is called Greenland and not Iceland, while Iceland is called Iceland and not Greenland ?? Does it sound confusing ? It is..
But really, do you know the reason why?


How did Greenland got its name?

Greenland is covered with more than 80% of ice, which is greater than ice cover in Iceland. But then, why are they named like that? What is the reason for the anomaly? Well, the legend goes like this….

The story dates back to the year A.D. 982 when a young Norwegian, named 'Erik The Red' was exiled from Iceland. He travelled up north to reach an uninhabited, dry, snow covered land. On returning to Iceland post his exile, he wished to inhabit and settle in the exiled place, which has been his home for 3 years. But to bring people along, he calls the newly found land as 'Greenland'; a way to coax people believing in the richness of the land. 

A perfectly coined name, the best marketing gimmick !!


People fell to the plot, and around 500 people migrated with him to the new place. And thus, Greenland came into existence.


Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis
 Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis - Greenland

What about Iceland? How did Iceland get its name?

Legends say that a Viking named 'Flóki Vilgerðarson' lost her daughter on way to Iceland. Later, the livestock too succumbed to the harsh winter of the island. Despaired and saddened by the losses, he climbed up the mountain and saw numerous icebergs filling the fjord; leading to the birth of 'Iceland'.

Nerd Notes:
  • Greenland is one of the best place to see the Northern Lights
  • There are almost no roads in Greenland
  • There is no standing army in Iceland
  • There are no forests in Iceland
Hope you liked the post. Please spare a minute to let me know your thoughts on the write up. 

Prakhar

Comments

  1. yo Prakhar...interesting info ����

    ReplyDelete
  2. That's interesting..Nerd notes are amusing..
    If Greenland doesn't have roads, do they use only sledges, no motor vehicles?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the comment. Yes, you are correct that sledges and motor boats are majorly used for transportation.

      Delete
  3. i really like this article please keep it up. start up name generator

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