The Origins of Iceland & Greenland

Iceland and its deceptively colder neighbor to the northwest, Greenland, are mysterious places that many know little about. Far from civilizations in both Europe and North America, their origins tell of intrepid explorers and innovative settlers.

Discovery

• North Americans came to Greenland almost 5000 years ago while the strait between Canada and Greenland was frozen over. Conversely, Iceland was discovered by a French explorer aiming to find the last settlement before the end of the world less than 2500 years ago.

Early Peoples

• Many Inuit peoples migrated to Greenland, starting with the Saqqaq and Dorset cultures and ending with Greenland's modern ancestors, the Thule people. Irish monks came to settle in Iceland by the end of the 8th century, making them the first known inhabitants.

Medieval Peoples

• The Vikings arrived in Iceland and drove the monks away around 930 A.D. before eventually moving on to "discover" Greenland in 982 A.D.