All About Greenland — Ice-Capped Island That’s ⅔ India’s Area — And Trump’s Plans To ‘Buy It’
Donald Trump’s claims seemed to take a more tangible shape this week as Republican legislators in US began to rally support for legislation that will allow him to open negotiations with Denmark.
US President-elect Donald Trump has stirred quite a controversy with his claims about wanting to acquire Greenland, the world’s largest island and a largely autonomous territory under Denmark. His refusal to rule out military might in this pursuit has stoked worry even though the prospect is believed to be improbable. Trump’s claims seemed to take a more tangible shape this week as Republican legislators in the US began to rally support for legislation that will allow him to open negotiations with Denmark in this regard following his inauguration on January 20.
Trump’s designs on Greenland — according to him — are about securing the US’ national and economic security. With its location at the top of North America — it sits like a crown tilted to one side — Greenland lies on the shortest route between the continent and Europe, and is thus seen as key to accessing the US mainland.
Some analysis in this respect has also noted that Trump might have his eyes on Greenland’s vast — and untapped — mineral and potential oil and gas reserves, which could become more accessible because of climate change. This becomes crucial in light of China’s domination with respect to rare earth minerals, which are key to the green transition in a warming world.
Greenland, which has ambitions of independence but depends on subsidies from Denmark, has said it’s open to working with the US but reiterated that it’s not up for sale. Trump’s claims have drawn a cold response from Europe in general, and pit two NATO constituents against each other.
Here’s all you need to know about Greenland.
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World’s Largest Island
With an area roughly 2/3rd that of India, Greenland is about 80% ice-capped, according to the CIA World Factbook. It has a population of just about 58,000 — concentrated on the southwest shoreline, with limited settlements scattered along the remaining coast, the factbook notes, adding that the island’s interior is uninhabited.
It was in the 18th century that Danish colonisation began in Greenland, and it became part of the Kingdom of Denmark in 1953. “The Danish parliament granted Greenland home rule in 1979; the law went into effect the following year. Greenland voted in favor of self-government in 2008 and acquired greater responsibility for internal affairs when the Act on Greenland Self-Government was signed into law in 2009,” the factbook adds. The Kingdom of Denmark, however, continues to “exercise control over several policy areas on behalf of Greenland, including foreign affairs, security, and financial policy, in consultation with Greenland's Self-Rule Government”, it adds.
Greenland has no regular military forces and the Danish military’s Joint Arctic Command in its capital Nuuk is responsible for coordinating Denmark’s defence of Greenland.
US, Greenland & World War II
When Denmark was occupied by Germany during World War II, Greenland “became part of the United States’ sphere of interest and several military facilities were established in the country”, notes Trap Greenland, an information portal focused on the territory. When Denmark was liberated in 1945, the connection between the country and Greenland was resumed.
This is not the first time the US has expressed plans to buy the island.
It was in 1946 that the US last offered to buy Greenland. At the time, notes a report in Politico Europe, “Washington offered $100 million in gold bullion and a land swap that would have transferred ownership of Point Barrow in Alaska over to Denmark.”
A CNN report talks about another offer predating the 1946 one by nearly a century. “:In 1867, when President Andrew Johnson bought Alaska, he also considered purchasing Greenland. At the end of World War II, the Truman administration offered Denmark $100 million for the island, according to documents first reported on by Danish media,” it notes.
Under a 1951 treaty, the report adds, “the US got an air base now called Pituffik Space Base, in northwest Greenland”. “Midway between Moscow and New York, it’s the northernmost outpost of the US armed forces and is equipped with a missile warning system,” it says.
Will The US Go Ahead With Its Plans?
A report in the BBC has charted out four possible ways the Greenland imbroglio may play out. It dubs a military approach “far-fetched”, but says any such eventuality would spell bad news for the Western alliance. It also refers to the fact that there “is some speculation that Trump’s move is just bluster, a move to get Denmark to boost Greenland’s security in the face of the threat of both Russia and China seeking influence in the region”.
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