Greenland is the world's largest island, covered 80% by ice up to two miles thick. Despite its name, it is mostly frozen. Viking explorer Erik the Red named it "Greenland" around 1000 AD to attract settlers, even though much of it stayed icy. The local Inuit people, called Kalaallit, lived along the coasts using their deep knowledge of ice and sea to survive. Greenland had brief warmer spells like the Medieval Warm Period, where some green patches appeared. Still, the island remained largely ice-covered. Now, climate change is speeding ice melt. Since 1994, ice on 11,000 square miles—the size of Massachusetts—has disappeared. This reveals new land with shrubs and rocks unseen for nearly 1,000 years. This melting ice is a warning sign. It adds to rising sea levels and shifts ocean currents, affecting weather worldwide. Greenland's ice sheet retreat is a key marker of Earth's changing climate. Interestingly, Greenland's name contrasts with Iceland. Iceland is greener and less icy, yet it was named for ice. The Vikings used naming as early marketing. Maps often exaggerate Greenland’s size due to projection, but it is three times the size of Texas, still massive for climate studies. Greenland's changing landscape shows the real cost of global warming. Its melting ice not only alters the Arctic but impacts the whole planet's climate future.