Key Takeaways
A grey map can still be true
A grey country on a WordPress map can simply mean no visits were recorded from that place in the selected period, even if a related country had readers.
Politics and analytics use different boxes
Greenland (North America) is closely linked to Denmark (Europe) in law and leadership, but web analytics often treats Greenland (North America) and Denmark (Europe) as separate locations.
One Dutch word can change the whole meaning
“Fast Contract” is often just a misheard form of Dutch “vast contract,” a common phrase for a permanent contract in the Netherlands (Europe).
Story & Details
What this article is about
This piece looks at three everyday puzzles that often show up together: what Greenland (North America) really is in political terms, why WordPress can paint Greenland (North America) grey while Denmark (Europe) shows traffic, and why “Fast Contract” is heard in the Netherlands (Europe) when Dutch speakers usually say “vast contract.”
Greenland, in plain terms
Greenland (North America) is not a U.S. state and it is not owned by the United States (North America). The United States (North America) has a military presence on Greenland (North America), including Pituffik Space Base, but that is not the same as national ownership.
Greenland (North America) is also not a fully independent sovereign country. It is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark (Europe). This matters for leadership. Greenland (North America) does not have a president as head of state. The head of state is the Danish monarch, King Frederik X, born May twenty-six, nineteen sixty-eight. Greenland (North America) runs much of its internal life through a democratically elected parliament called Inatsisartut and a government called Naalakkersuisut.
People sometimes ask about “provinces” or “states.” Greenland (North America) is commonly described through its five municipalities: Avannaata, Kujalleq, Qeqertalik, Qeqqata, and Sermersooq. Nuuk, the capital, sits in Sermersooq. There are also areas that sit outside normal municipal life, such as Northeast Greenland National Park and the Pituffik enclave.
Why WordPress can show Denmark but keep Greenland grey
WordPress can display a country map for site traffic. In that view, grey often means no visits were recorded from that country in the selected time window. The surprising part comes when Denmark (Europe) has readers, yet Greenland (North America) stays grey.
The key is how location is detected. WordPress location data is based on a visitor’s IP address. That means the system does not “inherit” Greenland (North America) from Denmark (Europe), even though Greenland (North America) is within the Danish realm. Each place is its own location label in typical geolocation databases.
A few common real-world effects follow from that. A person physically in Greenland (North America) may still appear as Denmark (Europe) if their internet traffic routes through Danish networks, or if a proxy or VPN routes them through another country. Mobile and satellite connections can also blur location. In some cases, traffic can end up in “Unknown” style buckets instead of painting a specific country on the map.
WordPress setups also vary. Some sites use WordPress.com Stats, while others rely on Jetpack Stats on self-hosted WordPress. Both can present country-based views, but the core idea stays the same: the map reflects IP-based signals, not political ties.
The Netherlands and the phrase that sounds like “Fast”
In the Netherlands (Europe), “phase 3” is often used in the temporary agency work phase system, especially in the NBBU framework. In NBBU phase 3, the contract is a fixed-term agency work contract without an agency clause. The NBBU text sets phase 3 at a maximum of three years, with a maximum of six fixed-term agency work employment contracts without agency clause.
Then comes the phrase that raises eyebrows: “Fast Contract.” That wording is not a standard Dutch term in this area. A common explanation is simple sound: Dutch “vast contract” is widely used for a permanent contract, and “vast” can be heard as “fast” by non-native ears.
A brief Dutch mini-lesson helps make that clearer without heavy grammar.
A simple meaning comes first: “vast contract” points to stable, open-ended work.
Now the word-by-word view:
Vast contract
vast — fixed, steady, stable
contract — contract
Common feel — everyday workplace Dutch, neutral tone, used in HR talk and in casual work talk
Another key term often heard around phase talk:
het uitzendbeding
het — the
uitzend — agency, temporary-staffing
beding — clause, condition
Common feel — legal and formal, used in contracts and policy texts
A Latin word that shows up in English
One more small language note helps in the same spirit. “Verbatim” is from Latin and is widely used in English. In modern English use, it means word for word, with the exact wording kept.
Conclusions
One island, three kinds of truth
By mid-December two thousand twenty-five, these questions feel timely because they sit right where daily life meets big systems. Greenland (North America) has wide self-rule under the Kingdom of Denmark (Europe), yet analytics tools still treat Greenland (North America) and Denmark (Europe) as separate map boxes. WordPress maps follow IP signals, not constitutional links. In Dutch work talk, one small sound shift can turn “vast” into “fast,” and the meaning can swing from permanent stability to pure confusion.
Selected References
[1] https://english.stm.dk/the-prime-ministers-office/the-unity-of-the-realm/greenland/
[2] https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2025/769527/EPRS_BRI%282025%29769527_EN.pdf
[3] https://www.sullissivik.gl/kl-GL/English?segment=business
[4] https://stat.gl/publ/en/gf/2025/pdf/Greenland%20in%20Figures%202025.pdf
[5] https://www.kongehuset.dk/en/the-royal-family/hm-the-king/
[6] https://www.petersonschriever.spaceforce.mil/pituffik-sb-greenland/
[7] https://www.nbbu.nl/en/print/pdf/node/21
[8] https://wordpress.com/forums/topic/stats-by-country-2/
[9] https://wordpress.com/support/stats/
[10] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/verbatim
[11] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRpFDranP-A
Appendix
Glossary A–Z
ABU — A Dutch framework for temporary agency work in the Netherlands (Europe) that uses a phase system for contracts.
Agency clause — A contract clause in temporary agency work in the Netherlands (Europe) that can affect how an assignment ends.
Greenland (North America) — A self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark (Europe), with its own parliament and government.
Head of government — The person who leads day-to-day government work, often similar to a prime minister role.
Head of state — The formal top representative of the state, such as a monarch or president, with duties set by constitutional rules.
IP address — A number used on the internet that often helps services estimate a visitor’s country and region.
Jetpack Stats — A WordPress analytics feature used on many sites to show traffic patterns, including country views.
Kingdom of Denmark (Europe) — The constitutional realm that includes Denmark (Europe) and Greenland (North America) under one monarchy.
Municipality — A local administrative area; Greenland (North America) is commonly described through five municipalities.
NBBU — A Dutch employers’ organization in the Netherlands (Europe) whose collective agreement defines contract phases for many agency workers.
Proxy — A service that routes internet traffic through another server, which can change the country shown in analytics.
Uitzendbeding — A Dutch legal term used in the Netherlands (Europe) for an agency clause in some temporary agency contracts.
Vast contract — A common Dutch phrase in the Netherlands (Europe) for a permanent, open-ended contract.
Verbatim — A Latin-derived word used in English for word-for-word accuracy in quoting or transcription.
VPN — A virtual private network that can route traffic through another location, which can change what country a stats map shows.
WordPress — A widely used publishing platform with built-in or add-on tools that can show visits by country.
My Diary - Leonardo Cardillo 