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Cars 4 Rental Information on  Greenland

General Area: 2,166,086 sq km (836,330 sq miles). Population: 56,676 (2003). Population Density: 0.026 per sq km. Capital: Nuuk (Godthb). Population: 13,85 (2003). GEOGRAPHY: Greenland is the world’s biggest island. The surrounding seas are either permanently frozen or chilled by the mainly cold currents caused by the meeting of the Arctic and the North Atlantic oceans. The inland area is covered with ice, stretching 2500km (1500 miles) north–south and 1000km (600 miles) east–west. In the centre, the ice can be up to 3km (2 miles) thick. The ice-free coastal region, which is sometimes as wide as 200km (120 miles), covers a total of 410,449 sq km (158,475 sq miles), and is where all of the population is to be found. This region is intersected by deep fjords which connect the inland ice area with the sea. The Midnight Sun can be seen north of the Arctic Circle; the further north you are, the longer the period of the Midnight Sun. The arctic night in the winter results in a continuous twilight and, in the far north of the country, complete darkness. The Northern Lights can be seen during the autumn, winter and early spring. Government: Part of the Kingdom of Denmark. Head of State: HM Queen Margarethe II since 1972. Head of Government: Prime Minister Hans Enoksen since 2002. Language: The official languages are Greenlandic, an Inuit (Eskimo) language and Danish. Greenlanders connected with tourism will normally speak English. Religion: Evangelical Lutheran Church of Denmark majority, with small groups of Roman Catholics and other Protestant denominations. Scoresby Sound GMT - 1 (GMT from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in September). Ammassalik and west coast GMT - 3 (summer and winter). Thule area GMT - 4 (GMT - 3 from April to October). Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50Hz. Communications: Telephone IDD is available. Country code: 299. There are no area codes. Outgoing international code: 009. There are no telephone boxes in Greenland, but calls can be made from hotels. Mobile telephone GSM 900 network covers all 18 cities. Network operator is TELE Greenland (website: www.tele.gl). Handsets can be hired at TELE Greenland shops (in all cities). A deposit of DKr10,000 is required. There is also an analogue NMT network. Fax Services are available in telegraph stations and hotels. Internet The only ISP is TELE Greenland (website: www.greennet.gl). At present, there are Internet cafes in Aasiaat, Itilleq, Nuuk and Sismut. Access is available in some public libraries. Telegram All towns have a telegraph station. Post Greenland produces its own stamps which are popular among collectors. Post from Greenland takes about four to five days to reach Europe. Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1500. Press There are no daily newspapers in Greenland, but Atuagagdliutit/Gronlandsposten is published twice a week, Sermitsiaq is the main weekly publication and Niviarsiaq is published monthly. There are no English language newspapers. Radio: BBC World Service (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice) and Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov) can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online. Back to Top Money Currency: Danish Krone (DKr) = 100 re. Notes are in denominations of DKr1000, 500, 200, 100 and 50. Coins are in denominations of DKr20, 10, 5, 2 and 1, and 50 and 25 re. Note: There is no banking service in Sndre Strmfjord at present. Currency exchange: Cheques drawn on Danish banks or on Eurocheque cards can be cashed at banks and cash can also be exchanged. There are two banks in Greenland; Grnlandsbanken (PO Box 1033, DK-3900 Nuuk) and Nuna Bank (PO Box 1031, DK-3900 Nuuk). Nuna Bank has branches in Nuuk, Sisimiut, Oaqortoq, Ilulissat and Maniitsoq. KNI represents the banks in other towns and villages. Credit & debit cards: Diners, Eurocard and Visa are accepted in most restaurants, shops and hotels. Check with your credit or debit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other services which may be available. Most larger towns now have ATMs. Travellers cheques: Cheques in major currencies may be exchanged as indicated in the currency exchange section above. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take travellers cheques in Pounds Sterling or US Dollars. Currency restrictions: The import of local currency is unlimited; export of more than DKr50,000 is allowed provided it can be proved this amount was imported or obtained by changing imported foreign currencies. The import and export of foreign currencies is unlimited. All amounts (either for import or export) greater than €15,000 must be declared to Danish Customs Authorities. Exchange rate indicators The following figures are included as a guide to the movements of the Danish Krone against Sterling and the US Dollar: Date Nov '03 Feb ’04 May '04 Aug '04 £1.00= 10.85 10.91 11.16 11.09 $1.00= 6.39 5.99 6.25 6.02 Banking hours: Mon-Wed and Fri 1000-1600, Thurs 1000-1800. Back to Top Health   Special Precautions Certificate Required Yellow Fever No No Cholera No No Typhoid and Polio No N/A Malaria No N/A Other risks: Hepatitis A occurs. Hepatitis B is endemic. TB may occur. Extreme cold during the winter months is another potential risk to travellers. Rabies is present. For those at high risk, vaccination before arrival should be considered. If you are bitten, seek medical advice without delay. For more information, consult the Health appendix. Health care: There are hospitals and dentists in all towns. Although medical services are generally free, medical insurance is advisable, particularly as charges are made for dental treatment. Travellers are also advised to bring their own medicines and prescribed drugs, as these can often be difficult to obtain in Greenland. Back to Top Climate Greenland has an Arctic climate, but owing to the size of the country there are great variations in the weather. As the climate graph shows, winters can be severe and the summers comparatively mild, particularly in areas which are sheltered from the prevailing winds. Precipitation, mostly snow, is moderately heavy around the coast. The north of the country, and much of the interior, enjoys true Arctic weather, with the temperature only rising above freezing for brief periods in the summer. Note: Conditions in all parts of the country can become hazardous when there is a combination of a low temperature and a strong wind. Local advice concerning weather conditions should be followed very carefully. Nevertheless, the summer months are suitable for a wide range of outdoor activities. Required clothing: Good-quality windproof and waterproof clothes, warm layers and moulded sole shoes at all times of the year; also some slightly thinner clothes – it is important to be able to change clothing during a day’s climbing as temperatures can vary greatly during one day. Sunglasses and protective sun lotion are strongly advised. In July and August, mosquitoes can be a problem, especially inside the fjords and so a mosquito net can prove indispensible. Extra warm clothes are necessary for those contemplating dog-sledge expeditions. Extra clothes are not always available for hire in Greenland. Back to Top Passport The regulations for Tourist and Business visas are the same as for Denmark (see Passport/Visa in the Denmark section). Visitors should specify that they wish to visit Greenland when they make their application. Special permits are necessary for persons wishing to transit in Pittuffik (Thule Airbase), as it is a North Atlantic Territory. Further information and application requirements may be obtained from the Nordic Countries, Faroe Islands and Greenland Office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Asiatisk Plads 2, DK-1448 Copenhagen (tel: 3392 0000; fax: 3254 0533; e-mail: um@um.dk; website: www.um.dk). Visitors who wish to explore the glaciers and mountains or visit the National Park also require a special permit. Applications should be made to the Danish Polar Centre, Strandgade 100H, DK-1401 Copenhagen (tel: 3288 0100; fax: 3288 0101, e-mail: dpc@dpc.dk; website: www.dpc.dk). Back to Top

Car Hire Greenland

Cars 4 Rental can provide car hire vehicles in all the popular locations throughout Greenland.

Whatever your requirements Cars 4 Rental will be able to provide a car to meet your needs. Our hire cars can be equipped with many optional extras including child seats so that your car rental is ideally suited to your needs.

Hire a car in Greenland