Greenland is the world's largest island, excluding continental landmasses such as Australia.
Greenland covers about 2.17 million square kilometres and lies between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans. Most of its surface is covered by the Greenland Ice Sheet, one of Earth's largest bodies of ice. The island is geographically part of North America, although it is politically an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.
The phrase “largest island” needs a qualification because Australia is larger but is generally classified as a continent rather than an island. New Guinea, Borneo and Madagascar are the next-largest islands by area. Greenland's population is small relative to its size, with settlements concentrated mainly along the ice-free coast.
Greenland's modern capital is Nuuk. Norse settlers established communities there during the medieval period, while Inuit cultures have maintained a continuous and influential presence across the island.