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An attractive mid-century map of Greenland published by the Danish state-run cartographic institute. Greenland is shown in detail, and parts of Iceland, Baffin Island, and Svalbard are also shown. A legend is included, and the insignia of the Geodaetisk Institut lies in the top-right.
The many small settlements around coastal Norway are named, along with some of the fjords, inlets, and coastal ranges. Regions are named after famous figures and explorers, such as King Frederik VII Land, Prudhoe Land, and Dronning Louise Land. Thule is shown, though the airbase is not marked, perhaps reflecting its desired secrecy.
The map shows a significant amount of detail on an island that was not commonly mapped. The island was of little interest to outsiders until the early 20th century several different events increased its prominence, including an attempted takeover of "Erik Raudes Land" by Norway, the brief boom in cryolite mining, World War II, and repeated American efforts to buy the island. In addition, Denmark had always had fishing interests centered around the island and took the mapping of its sovereign territory seriously. It would have been against this historical backdrop that this map was created.
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