Greenlanders are heading to the polls at this time to vote in a snap basic election amid geopolitical tensions stirred by President Donald Trump’s claims to make Greenland – at the moment a semi-autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark – part of the USA.
Final month, Greenland’s Prime Minister Mute Egede known as for an early election in a social media put up, stating, “We’re in a critical time. A time we have now by no means skilled in our nation. The time shouldn’t be for inside division however for cooperation and unity for our nation. I’m as soon as once more greater than able to be just right for you and to steer our nation.”
Since Trump’s return to workplace, he has reignited discussions about taking management of Greenland, one thing he first spoke about in 2019, given its strategic location and resource-rich land.
The place is Greenland and who lives there?
Situated largely throughout the Arctic Circle, Greenland is the world’s largest island and is geographically a part of North America.
About 80 % of Greenland is roofed by glaciers, so most of its inhabitants lives alongside the shoreline. The capital, Nuuk, is essentially the most populated space, residence to about one-third of Greenland’s 56,000 residents.
Some 95 % of the inhabitants is Protestant, whereas the remaining 5 % is both secular or belongs to non secular minorities, together with conventional Inuit non secular teams.
At about 2500 BCE, the primary Inuit folks settled in Greenland.
Within the tenth century, Norse explorers arrived in Greenland and established settlements. By 1814, Denmark had formally made Greenland a colony.
Although a Danish territory, Greenland grew to become self-governing in 1979 after greater than two centuries underneath Danish management. It’s one in all Denmark’s two autonomous territories, with the Faroe Islands being the opposite.
In 1941, throughout World Conflict II, the US and Denmark agreed to permit American forces to defend Greenland. Its strategic location was very important for countering German submarines and securing transport routes. The US maintained a navy presence all through the Chilly Conflict, utilizing Greenland for early-warning radar and monitoring Soviet exercise.
In 2009, Greenland gained self-rule over most of its inside affairs, together with management over pure assets and governance. Nevertheless, Denmark nonetheless handles overseas coverage, defence and funding.
A historical past of US takeover requests
The takeover of Greenland has been proposed quite a few instances all through historical past.
- 1867 – The then-US secretary of state explored buying Greenland and Iceland from Denmark, however Denmark confirmed no real interest in promoting.
- 1910 – A 3-way land swap which might contain the US buying Greenland in trade for giving Denmark elements of the US-held Philippines, and the return of Northern Schleswig from Germany again to Denmark was proposed.
- 1946 – The US secretly provided Denmark $100m in gold for Greenland. It was thought of a “navy necessity” underneath President Harry Truman.
- 1955 – US joint chiefs of employees advisable making an attempt to purchase Greenland to make sure navy entry, however no official provide was made.
- 2019 – Trump first floated the thought of the US buying Greenland from Denmark, nevertheless, it was rejected by Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. This led to Trump’s cancellation of a state go to to Copenhagen.
- 2025 – President Trump stated that proudly owning Greenland was a “necessity” for US safety. In February, Republican Congressman Earl “Buddy” Carter launched a invoice to the Home of Representatives that might authorise the president to enter into negotiations with the federal government of Denmark to buy or in any other case purchase Greenland.
Why is there a US navy base in Greenland?
Pituffik Area Base, previously referred to as Thule Air Base, is positioned within the northwestern nook of Greenland. It’s the Division of Protection’s northernmost set up, and is operated by the 821st Area Base Group and a part of Area Base Delta 1.
The bottom helps missile warning, missile defence and house surveillance missions and satellite tv for pc command and management. It’s strategically positioned to counter Russian actions within the Arctic.
About 650 personnel are stationed on the base, together with US Air Pressure and Area Pressure members, in addition to Canadian, Danish and Greenlandic civilian contractors.
![A view of Pituffik Space Base (formerly Thule Air Base) in Greenland, October 4, 2023 [Ritzau Scanpix/Thomas Traasdahl via REUTERS]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/2025-01-08T133210Z_1316935561_RC2PL3AZGRLZ_RTRMADP_3_GREENLAND-USA-1736400545.jpg?resize=770%2C513)
Beneath a 1951 settlement with Denmark, the US is permitted to ascertain and preserve navy amenities in Greenland as a part of mutual defence throughout the NATO framework.
Denmark additionally has a navy presence in Greenland underneath the Joint Arctic Command, which is headquartered in Nuuk, the place its important duties are surveillance and search and rescue operations, and the “assertion of sovereignty and navy protection of Greenland and the Faroe Islands”, in keeping with Danish Defence.
What are Greenland’s assets?
Greenland is wealthy in pure assets, together with zinc, lead, gold, iron ore, uncommon earth parts (REEs), copper and oil.
It’s residence to a number of the world’s largest deposits of uncommon earths utilized in high-tech industries. These assets have attracted vital consideration, together with from Trump, who not too long ago tried to barter with Ukraine to entry its minerals.
Gold pockets exist in areas like Nanortalik and south Greenland. It additionally has deposits of diamonds within the Maniitsoq area.
Copper deposits are largely unexplored in Greenland, in keeping with the Mineral Sources Authority, with areas within the northeast and central east largely untapped. Iron ore deposits are dotted round West Greenland, whereas nickel traces have been discovered across the island’s southwest coast.
Graphite, used largely in EV batteries and steelmaking, can also be reported to exist in Greenland, with exploration round Amitsoq. Whereas zinc has been discovered within the north of Greenland, titanium and vanadium deposits are positioned within the southwest, east and south of the territory. Tungsten can also be present in central east and northeast Greenland with assessed deposits within the south and west.
How large is Greenland in actuality?
On some map projections, which enlarge landmasses close to the poles, Greenland seems a lot greater than it truly is.
In actuality, the Arctic island covers 2.17 million sq. kilometres (836,330 sq. miles), making it roughly thrice the scale of the US state of Texas, or about the identical measurement as Saudi Arabia, Mexico or the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
