When we think of Greenland, uninhabited and pristine landscapes, an inhumanly hostile climate, and wild animals come to mind. Of Greenland's two million square kilometers (four times the size of Spain), 85% is covered by an ice sheet. So, traveling to Greenland must be an adventure. Living there, an odyssey. Proof of this is that its population barely exceeds 57,000 inhabitants. That's why Greenland is a place for intrepid hearts, for true explorers… and perhaps also for the most daring ARISTOPETERS who dare to travel there.
Because a recent census, carried out by two Spaniards, reveals that there are more dogs than people. The initiative, called "Arctic Challenge," was undertaken by explorers Manuel Calvo and his son, Manuel Calvo Ariza, who at 17 has become one of the youngest adventurers in the Arctic.
During the 22-day expedition, the explorers covered 400 kilometers in temperatures between -20 and -32ºC, in northern Greenland. This expedition allowed them to create a census of native dogs to verify that climate change has reduced their population. The census shows, however, that Greenland is the kingdom of dogs, as there are a total of 1,420 animals compared to 1,210 inhabitants in that region.
In this inhospitable environment, canids—characterized by the morphological homogeneity of the breed compared to the east and south coasts of Greenland—and humans maintain a symbiotic relationship to overcome the adverse conditions they face.
The expedition was supported by the University of Malaga and carried the Andalusian flag to the North Pole. The next steps will involve developing an awareness campaign in schools to promote responsible pet ownership and animal welfare, along with spreading awareness about environmental respect and climate change.
Without a doubt, this is an ambitious, brave, and interesting initiative that provides us with new and curious information about the situation of ARISTODOGS in a remote place. This data adds to other equally curious data of a different nature, which contribute to creating a magical yet terrible image of this very large island of ice and snow—which, by the way, used to be green; hence its name.
Facts like, for example, that in Greenland there is no private land ownership; it is all communal. Or that there are no roads connecting two inhabited centers in Greenland. To travel between villages or towns, you have to go by plane, boat, or snowmobile.
We also knew that Greenland has character, personality, and clear ideas. It was the first territory to leave the European Union club (although it seems the UK was the pioneer) to safeguard its fishing interests. And not only that. The country voted overwhelmingly for the right to self-determination in a referendum in 2008. And it feels so independent that they celebrate Independence Day on June 21st… although they cannot separate from Denmark. Its current economic structure makes Greenland as a country unviable.
We hope you found this post interesting. If reading it has made you want to travel… to another destination, we encourage you to keep reading here.