2006-11-08 23:37:34 · 12 answers · asked by japji 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Geography
because when the vikings compared it to iceland it was green
it is a relative measure
The name Greenland comes from Scandinavian settlers. In the Norse sagas, it is said that Erik the Red was exiled from Iceland for murder. He, along with his extended family and thralls, set out in ships to find the land that was rumored to be to the northwest. After settling there, he named the land Grønland ("Greenland"), possibly in order to attract more people to settle there. Greenland was also called Gruntland ("Ground-land") on early maps. Whether Green is an erroneous transcription of Grunt ("Ground"), which refers to shallow bays, or vice versa, is not known. It should also be noted, however, that the southern portion of Greenland (not covered by glacier) is indeed very green in the summer, and the area likely had even more green vegetation in the Medieval warm period when the name was given.
2006-11-08 23:39:08 · answer #1 · answered by mohamed jihad dirka dirka 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Greenland is VERY green along the coast.
Farming is practiced there.
No one realized that the center of Greenland was covered with ice when the island was found.
Greenland has open water around the south even in winter.
2006-11-09 07:45:02 · answer #2 · answered by Molly 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It was named Greenland because it used to have a lot more plants. When Eric the Red showed up, he thought it was a profitable land named it Greenland. Iceland was named Iceland because it had a lot more ice on it when it was found. The names have to do with the state that the Vikings found the islands in.
2006-11-09 07:50:36 · answer #3 · answered by Musiclad 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Greenland was settled by Eric the Red, a Viking. To attract settlers, he named the country Greenland so that people would think it was a country that they could have farms, etc. (At first parts of Greenland could be farmed, however, the world was going thru the "Little Ice Age" and the weather in Greenland was getting colder and it got harder and harder to plant crops and harvest them before winter like weather. The weather is now changing again and Greenland's land is getting where more and more of it can be planted.
2006-11-09 07:45:43 · answer #4 · answered by bettyswestbrook 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I suppose that the Norse who discovered Greenland, discovered it in summer. Ad in that season, there must be a lot of green in the land owing to the fact that the country was poorly inhabited and there was only vegetation and no field
2006-11-09 08:12:09 · answer #5 · answered by maussy 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Greenland is covered with ice. Iceland is green.
2006-11-09 07:39:56 · answer #6 · answered by dreaming_again2002 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Greenland has ice, Iceland is green. They were named to keep outsiders from wanting to visit beautiful Iceland. They were purposely misnamed by the vikings who traveled there.
2006-11-09 07:42:07 · answer #7 · answered by Xceed One 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
i've heard it's because when the vikings discovered the two, they wanted to throw others off so they named the island that was green iceland and the other one that wasn't greenland.
2006-11-09 07:46:51 · answer #8 · answered by practicalwizard 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Because they couldnt name it Iceland that was already taken by a grassy land so they decided to be smart asses maybe and name it Greenland..
2006-11-09 07:46:19 · answer #9 · answered by Sweet Kentucky Girl 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think Greenland is ice and Iceland is green. Go figure....
2006-11-09 07:39:10 · answer #10 · answered by tumbleweed1954 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋