The Arctic Illusion: 5 Shocking Facts Proving Greenland Is Much Bigger Than Alaska

The question of whether Greenland is bigger than Alaska is one of the most common geographical misconceptions, largely fueled by the world maps we have used for centuries. As of December 2025, the definitive, data-backed answer is an emphatic yes: Greenland is substantially larger than the largest U.S. state. The true size difference is often masked by the distortions inherent in standard world maps, which makes the remote Arctic territories appear inflated and misleadingly large.

This geographical puzzle is a classic example of how map projections can warp our perception of the planet's landmasses. While both Greenland and Alaska are colossal territories in their own right, the vast, autonomous Danish territory of Greenland holds the title as the undisputed larger entity, dwarfing Alaska by a significant margin. Understanding the true area of each requires looking past the visual trickery of a flat map and examining the precise, current data.

The Definitive Size Comparison: Greenland vs. Alaska

To settle the debate once and for all, a direct comparison of the total land area for both territories reveals the true scale of Greenland’s dominance. The misconception that they are roughly equal in size, or that Alaska might even be larger, is immediately dispelled by the official figures.

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• Greenland Total Area: Approximately 2,166,086 square kilometers (836,330 square miles).
• Alaska Total Area: Approximately 1,723,337 square kilometers (665,384 square miles).

Based on these current figures, Greenland is approximately 25.7% larger than Alaska. This means that if you were to place Alaska directly on top of Greenland, a significant portion of the world's largest island would still be exposed around the edges. Greenland is not only the world's largest island by area, but it is also roughly three times the size of Texas, the second-largest U.S. state.

Fact 1: Greenland is the World's Largest Island

Greenland is a geographical entity unlike any other. It is not considered a continent, but rather the single largest non-continental island on Earth. This distinction is crucial in understanding its scale. Alaska, while the largest U.S. state, is firmly attached to the North American continent. Greenland's colossal size and isolation in the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans contribute to its unique status and its massive land area, which is significantly larger than other contenders like New Guinea (the second largest island).

Why Maps Lie: The Mercator Projection Distortion

The primary reason for the widespread confusion regarding the size of Greenland and Alaska is the ubiquitous use of the Mercator projection in mapmaking. This projection was developed in 1569 by cartographer Gerardus Mercator, primarily for navigational purposes, as it accurately represents lines of constant compass bearing (rhumb lines).

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However, a flat map cannot perfectly represent a spherical object (Earth) without introducing distortion. The Mercator projection achieves its straight-line navigation benefit by stretching and inflating landmasses the farther they are from the equator.

Fact 2: The Arctic Exaggeration

Because both Greenland and Alaska are situated at high latitudes, close to the North Pole, their sizes are dramatically exaggerated on a Mercator map. On many standard world maps, Greenland appears to be roughly the size of Africa or South America, or at least comparable to the continental United States. In reality, Africa is about 14 times larger than Greenland, and South America is approximately 8 times larger. Alaska, also being far north, suffers from the same distortion, but Greenland's higher latitude means its size is inflated to an even greater degree, leading viewers to believe the two are similar in scale when they are not.

Fact 3: The True Scale of Alaska

While Alaska is smaller than Greenland, its size is still staggering in a North American context. Alaska is so vast that it accounts for approximately 17.5% of the total land area of the entire United States. It is more than double the size of Texas and is the only U.S. state that stretches into the Eastern Hemisphere. This immense scale, combined with the Mercator distortion, contributes to the feeling that it must be larger than Greenland.

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More Than Just Size: A Geographic and Climatic Deep Dive

Beyond the simple area comparison, Greenland and Alaska present fascinating contrasts in their geography, climate, and human habitation. These differences further highlight the unique nature of the world’s largest island.

Fact 4: The Ice Sheet Dominance

The nature of Greenland's landmass is fundamentally different from Alaska's. A staggering 80% of Greenland is covered by the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS), a massive body of ice that is one to two miles thick. This ice sheet holds a colossal volume of land ice, representing about 97% of the Arctic's total land ice. The sheer volume of ice in Greenland is equivalent to about 7.4 meters (24 feet) of global sea-level rise if it were all to melt, making it a critical entity in climate studies.

Alaska, while also home to extensive glaciers and ice fields, does not possess a single, continuous ice sheet of this magnitude. Its geography is more varied, featuring vast stretches of boreal forest, tundra, mountain ranges like the Alaska Range (home to Denali), and extensive coastline.

Fact 5: Population and Governance Contrast

The difference in size also correlates with extreme differences in population and governance:

• Greenland: As an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, Greenland has a tiny population of under 60,000 people, making it the least densely populated territory in the world. Its capital is Nuuk, and the vast majority of the population lives in the ice-free coastal areas.
• Alaska: As a U.S. state, Alaska has a much larger population, estimated to be over 740,000 as of 2024. Its capital is Juneau, but the largest city is Anchorage. Despite being the largest U.S. state, its population density is still extremely low, but significantly higher than Greenland's.

In summary, while both Greenland and Alaska are titans of Arctic geography, Greenland is the clear winner in terms of total land area. The next time you see a world map, remember the illusion of the Mercator projection—it's a useful navigational tool, but a poor representation of true landmass scale, especially for the high-latitude giants of the North.