Why Greenland Is Ice and Iceland Is Green ❄️ Name Mix-Up 🤯

Why Greenland Is Ice and Iceland Is Green ❄️ Name Mix-Up 🤯
Greenland is 80% covered by glaciers, while 🇮🇸 Iceland is known for its green landscapes and geothermal springs so why are their names the opposite of what you'd expect? ❄️🌿 The reason goes back to the 9th century. When Vikings first arrived in Iceland during winter, they saw ice and snow and named it accordingly. 🧊 Later, Erik the Red, exiled from Iceland, discovered a massive icy island further west. To attract settlers, he named it Greenland 🌍 hoping the name would make the land sound more appealing. This clever strategy worked, and the misleading names stuck. 🧠 Naming based on first impressions was common 🌸 Florida, for example, was named by Spanish explorers for its flowers. Greenland and Iceland are a perfect example of how exploration, exile, and strategy shaped the maps we know today. 🗺️📜