Greenland: The Largest Island in the World



At 836,330 square miles, Greenland is the world’s largest island and also one of the most sparsely populated. With a population of just 57,777, more than 80% of Greenland is covered in a white sheet of ice. So why is it called Greenland? When the Viking Erik the Red was exiled to Greenland for murder, he gave the desolate island a more colorful name to attract settlers. It didn’t work. Just how big is Greenland? It’s 3 times the size of Texas and almost 3 times bigger than New Guinea, the second-biggest island in the world. In fact, Greenland is larger than France, Germany, Spain, UK, Italy, Greece, Switzerland and Belgium combined. It’s considered an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark and has had home rule since 1979.