Greenland Through History: Who Ruled Its Lands
The land of today's Greenland appears on 39 historical border maps from 500 BC to today. Over that time it was held, in whole or in part, by 4 different states, among them Denmark, Greenland, Denmark-Norway, Kalmar Union.
GreenlandExplore the history of Greenland in the interactive map
Who ruled the land of Greenland, map by map
Share of sample points inside today's borders held by each state on each map. Areas with no organised state on the map are left out.
| Map | Main states on this land |
|---|---|
| 1000 | Denmark-Norway 100% |
| 1400 | Kalmar Union 88% |
| 1500 | Kalmar Union 88% |
| 1783 | Denmark-Norway 100% |
| 1800 | Denmark-Norway 100% |
| 1815 | Denmark 100% |
| 1880 | Greenland 100% |
| 1900 | Greenland 100% |
| 1914 | Denmark 100% |
| 1920 | Denmark 100% |
| 1930 | Denmark 100% |
| 1938 | Denmark 100% |
| 1945 | Denmark 100% |
| 1960 | Greenland 100% |
| 1994 | Greenland 100% |
| 2010 | Greenland 100% |
Questions
Which empires and states ruled the territory of Greenland?
On the border maps from 500 BC to today, the largest shares of the territory of modern Greenland belonged to Denmark, Greenland, Denmark-Norway, Kalmar Union.
What was Greenland part of in 1000?
On the border map for 1000, most of the territory of today's Greenland lay within Denmark-Norway.
What was Greenland part of in 1500?
On the border map for 1500, most of the territory of today's Greenland lay within Kalmar Union.
What was Greenland part of in 1900?
On the border map for 1900, most of the territory of today's Greenland lay within Greenland.
Further reading
Last updated 9 November 2026. Sources: border data from historical-basemaps, land and rivers from Natural Earth; texts written for Chronica Maps from standard reference works. How we make the maps.