Most people know very little about Greenland, located 3,053 miles from the United States as the crow flies.
Here are some basic facts about the Country that has garnered so much attention since Donald Trump took office:
- Greenland is an Arctic nation
- Greenland is the world’s largest island, although geographically it sits on the North American tectonic plate. It has an area of 836,330 square miles (2.16 million square kilometers). Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a melting ice cap, the remaining ice-free area is about the size of Sweden, and 57,000 people live there
- Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark. It has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for about a millennium. Since 1721, Denmark has held colonies in Greenland; however, Greenland officially became part of Denmark in 1953. In 1979, a referendum gave Greenland control of an increasing number of policies within the territory, with Denmark retaining control over citizenship, monetary policy (Danish Kroner (DKK) is used), security policies and foreign affairs
- As a territory of Denmark, Greenland chose not to be part of the EU/Schengen Area
- The prime minister of Greenland is Mute Bourup Egede of the socialist democratic Inuit Ataqatigiit party, which aspires to separate from Denmark
- The majority of Greenland’s population is Inuit (predominantly Kalaallit) or mixed Danish/Inuit. The remainder of the population is mostly of Danish descent. The official language of Greenland is Greenlandic, though some use Danish in parallel
- Greenland’s capital is Nuuk, where 1 in 3 Greenlanders live. Nuuk is 2,195 miles (3,532 km) away from Denmark’s capital, Copenhagen
- Every year, between May 25 and July 25 the sun does not set in Greenland. The average temperature is 31 degrees Fahrenheit
- Sealing, whaling, fishing and hunting are the main sources of income, as well as some mining
In 1867, under the leadership pf President Andrew Johnson, the U.S. bought Alaska from Russia. Fast forward to 1946 (just a year after the end of WWII), the Truman administration offered to pay $100 million (equivalent to $1.2 billion today) for the Danish territory, as it already had built military installations there during WWII and was deemed vital for continuing national security. The Danish government refused. In 1951, Denmark granted the U.S. a significant role in the defence of Greenland, including the right to maintain existing installations and build new military bases there.
"If Russia were to send missiles towards the US, the shortest route for nuclear weapons would be via the North Pole and Greenland." (Marc Jacobsen, Associate Professor, Royal Danish Defence College)
“(The U.S. is keen to ensure) no hostile great powers control Greenland, because it can be a foothold for attacking the US.” (Ulrik Pram Gad, Senior Researcher, Danish Institute for International Studies)
In recent years, there has been increased interest in Greenland’s natural resources, including oil and gas, rare earth minerals, uranium and iron.
“There is no question at all that Trump and his advisors are very concerned about the stranglehold that China appears to have. Greenland offers a potentially rich source of these critical minerals. I think Greenland is really about keeping China out.” (Klaus Dodds, Professor of Geopolitics, University of London)
Furthermore, rising Arctic temperatures have the potential to reshape Greenland, opening up the amount of time coastline shipping routes can be used during the Northern Hemisphere summer. In the past 10 years, Arctic shipping (unique ships) rose 37% due, in part, to melting ice and an increase in natural resource extraction.
Enter Donald Trump in 2019:
Followed shortly thereafter by Conan O’Brien (LOL):
And again, Donald Trump, after winning the 2024 election:
Perhaps we should leave the last word to the Danes and Greenlanders:
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