Loïc Padovani
November 29th, 2022

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Not the best of weeks in Greenland (photo: Pixabay)

Greenland will move closer to Europe next year. No, this isn’t a matter of plate tectonics, but time zones!

Its national parliament has decided that 2023 will be year when it moves its clocks an hour closer to the motherland. Or rather it won’t turn them back. It will, as normal, switch to daylight saving hours in March next year, but won’t set the clocks back in October.

So at the time of writing this article, roughly 10:45 in Copenhagen, it is 06:45 in the Greenlandic capital of Nuuk. In a year’s time, it will be 07:45.

Concerned by the consequences
By changing its time zone, there will be a three-hour difference between Greenland and Europe, instead of four, and a three-hour difference with the east coast of the North American continent.

Some Greenlandic politicians are worried about the consequences for public health, as it will have a different time zone than it should have geographically, and people will have to adapt themselves to the change.

Greenland has three time zones, but most of the population live within the central zone. The extreme east (Ittoqqortoormiit) and extreme north (Thule Air Base) are currently an hour either side of the main time zone, but both will also gain an hour in 2023.

National Museum housing some Nigeria’s stolen objects
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Nigeria’s foreign minister demands apology from Denmark
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Faroes fisheries agreement with Russia continuing despite EU’s recommendations
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Air India’s Copenhagen-Delhi route to reopen next year
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Aalborg Airport to welcome two Spanish destinations for next summer
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