Ishaan Reddy

Published in 2025-2026 in the The Lance Issue 06

Injustice Corrected: Iceland and Greenland Set To Swap Names

A landmass of endless ice. An island occupied only by a sparse few plants, animals, and people. The name of this place: Greenland.

That seems odd, doesn’t it? Why did a place that is so inhospitable have such a name? For that matter, why does Iceland have its name, with only 10% of its surface covered by ice?

The answer lies in the Viking Age. During the 9th century, when Nordic explorer Hrafna-Floki Vilgerdarson first arrived in Iceland, he landed on one of the island’s glaciers. Seeing nothing but ice, he named the island Iceland. Despite later explorers describing the island’s vast green landscape, the name stuck.

Meanwhile, during the 10th century, another Nordic explorer, Erik the Red, set sail west. After arriving on this foreign island, he sought to establish a permanent settlement, and in order to entice more settlers, he called it Greenland.

These names have been around for centuries, and in that time they have caused much confusion.

One anonymous American tourist who wished to escape to Greenland during the snowstorms earlier this year stated on X, “This is FALSE ADVERTISING!!! I want my money back and I will be SUING SEABOURN CRUISES!!!”

This tourist was one of many people living on and outside the two islands who have called for something to be done about the confusing names.

Numerous potential solutions have been brought up over the years. In 1987, the foreign minister of Denmark proposed that Iceland rename itself to East Greenland. In response, Iceland’s foreign minister proposed Greenland be renamed to Iceland 2.0. In 2004, the foreign minister of Iceland proposed that Iceland annex Greenland and rename itself the Icelandic Isles, which was rejected by the Danish Prime Minister.

Finally, in April 2026, the foreign minister of Denmark, Lars Rasmussen, and the foreign minister of Iceland, Thorgerdur Katrin Gunnarsdottir, announced in a join statement that Greenland and Iceland would officially switch names on June 17, 2026, Iceland’s Independence Day. From that day forth, Greenland will become known as the Autonomous Province of Iceland, and the Iceland will become the Republic of Greenland.

The plan has seen some pushback from people on both islands. Leaders of the Inuit community of Greenland, which makes up 90% of the island’s population, believe that the name change will further overshadow the indigenous name of the island, Kalaallit Nunaat, which gained official recognition in 2009. Meanwhile, in Iceland, those unhappy with the plan have formed the “Keep the Name” Party. Party leaders say they will run candidates in the country’s upcoming municipal elections.

Furthermore, President Donald Trump, who throughout 2025 expressed interest in annexing Greenland, posted on Truth Social, “America will have a Greenland, whether it be the little one or the big one.”

For now, it seems the plan will go forward as scheduled, a historical injustice will finally be corrected.