The today's flag of Greenland came about a contest under native artists, and was adoped officially on 21st of June in 1985. The flag shows two horizontal stripes in white and red and a color-reversed disc in the center, which is moved towards the mast. These are the colors of Denmark, however, the white stands for the ice and the red for the sun. The flag of the to 1979 existing Danish government was the usual Danish official flag with two crossed harpoons in the upper staff quadrant.
The coat of arms of Greenland is since the 17th century an upright squatting, silvery ice bear on blue ground. In this shape appears Greenland even in the greater coat of arms of Denmark. Greenland officially adopted the coat of arms not until 1989.
875 · discovery of Greenland by the Norwegian Gunnbjørn
986 · re-discovery and settlement of Greenland by the Norwegian Eric
1397 · Greenland comes to Denmark by the Kalmar Union
15th cent. · the existence of Greenland falls into oblivion, supporting supplies (firewood) from Norway stay out, from the north invading Eskimo eradicate the Norwegians on Greenland
18th cent. · re-discovery of Greenland as an economical region
1721 · beginning Danish colonization
1931–1935 · Norwegian occupation of Eastern Greenland
1941 · the USA start to establish military bases in Greenland
1953 · Greenland becomes a component with equal rights within the Kingdom of Denmark
2024/2025 · the future President of the USA, Donald Trump, proposes the takeover of Greenland by the USA, which meets with rejection, but gives a boost to the independence movement in Greenland
The first European who entered the island in 875 was the Norwegian Gunnbjørn, who called it "Gunnbjørnland". The second was Erik the Red, a Norwegian, who had to flee from Iceland in 982. He probably reached the southwest of the island in 986 and founded a settlement. The name "Greenland" comes from him. Why the name was chosen is not known. On the one hand, it is possible that at that time a milder climate prevailed, which produced a remarkable vegetation; on the other hand, it might have been mocking because the island was so bare. Likewise, Erik the Red was the founder of a permanent colonization by Norwegians and with this name he could have tried to motivate potential settlers.
