The United States issued a travel advisory on Tuesday for a country full of natural beauty and outdoor activities.
The State Department warned that Americans visiting Greenland ought to be more cautious because of ‘environmental hazards posed by extreme weather conditions and limited emergency services.’
The Greenland advisory was ranked a level two, which means travelers should ‘exercise increased caution’ while not necessarily canceling their plans.
The advisory noted that Greenland, a North American island, has many stretches of land that are far away from cities, which present dangers for those hiking near its gorgeous fjords or exploring vast glaciers.
‘The weather can be harsh, and resources to provide emergency services in areas distant from cities and large settlements, including search and rescue, are scarce,’ according to the advisory. ‘In some areas, search and rescue efforts could take several days to reach the site of an incident.’
Pictured: A fjord in Greenland. Fjords are long, narrow deep inlets between high cliffs that are often formed from glaciers
Pictured: Tasiilaq, East Greenland. The town has just under 2,000 inhabitants
Greenland is already the least densely populated country in the world. About 56,000 people live on an island that is 836,000 square miles.
Essentially, the same number of people that live in the Upper East Side in Manhattan occupy a land mass triple the size of Texas.
The State Department recommends those who do plan on going to Greenland to buy comprehensive travel, medical, and evacuation insurance.
Traveling with a professional guide or organization like the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators are also good ways to reduce risk, according to the US government.
American tourists can enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) so they can be quickly located in case there’s an emergency.
Although the State Department is telling potential visitors to Greenland to be wary of weather conditions, the country certainly isn’t at the top of the list when it comes to danger.
A male hiker looks on at a massive glacier near Kulusuk, Greenland
Pictured: Icebergs in the Disko Bay, which is on the western coast of Greenland
A humpback whale is seen on a glacial cruise in Greenland
The Northern Lights, also called the Aurora Borealis, is also visible from Greenland
Level three advisories from the State Department recommend citizens reconsider travel, while level fours urge people not to travel to the specified destination.
Level four advisories are usually reserved for countries that are in warzones, have high levels of terrorism, or have unstable governments.
Afghanistan, Iraq, North Korea and Russia are all countries the US government tells its citizens not to travel to.
It’s unclear why the State Department suddenly issued the travel advisory for Greenland, though the country is entering its winter months.
Temperatures in North Greenland can get down to minus 58 degrees Fahrenheit during especially cold winters, according to the World Bank.
Greenland is the world’s largest island that’s not a continent and had a record-breaking year for tourism in 2023, welcoming over 141,000 visitors.
Popular attractions include the Greenland National Museum, Prince Christian Sound and Nanortalik Open Air Museum.
The Northern Lights, also called the Aurora Borealis, is also visible from Greenland. The best time to view the natural phenomenon is during the winter, though they can be observed as early as August or as late as April.
