Greenland this month


May 2013 It's springtime now! During May the last snow will disappear except from the mountains, and usually the sea ice will break up and melt in the Disko Bay. Then again the icebergs can drift from the glaciers into the open sea.


		In the northernmost parts of Greenland the midnight sun began to shine in April, and during May it will also appear in the Disko Bay area. In Ilulissat the sun is visible around the clock from May 24 until July 24. The permanent light makes flowers and plants grow rapidly. The landscape turns green. Generally, travel agencies and local tourist offices are ready for the coming season with new programs. This month several expeditions will cross the Greenland ice cap - a highly demanding journey of at least 700 kilometers. The spring and the early summer is the best time for the crossing as the melting of surface ice later in the summer creates obstacles. Most expeditions cross the ice cap from east to west, from Ammassalik to Kangerlussuaq, but a few go west to east and some choose longer and even more demanding routes. While most expeditions walk others use ski or dog-sledges. During the last years a few expeditions have even paraglided.
		May 1st is the 34rd anniversary of the Greenland Home Rule. The home rule legislation grants Greenland autonomy within the Kingdom of Denmark, and since the introduction in 1979 Greenland has gradually established its own administration and institutions. The introduction of self-government in 2009 allowed additional fields of responsibility to be assumed by the Greenland Self-Government authorities. Only a few fields of responsibility are excluded, such as defence and monetary policy.