What’s all the fuss over Greenland?

Moments after taking office March 28, Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen had a message for U.S. President Donald Trump: Greenland would “never be for sale.” Trump has repeatedly questioned Denmark’s sovereignty over Greenland and called for the territory to join the United States. The president’s rhetoric may be over the line, but there’s no doubt about Greenland’s strategic importance.

How big is Greenland? At 836,330 square miles, the island is over three times the size of Texas. A permanent sheet of ice covers about 80% of its landmass. With only 56,000 human inhabitants, Greenland is the most sparsely permanently populated region in the world. Roughly 90% of the population is Inuit and almost 8% is Danish.

What is the territory’s geopolitical significance? During World War II, Denmark asked the United States to defend Greenland from Germany after the Nazis occupied Denmark. After the war, maritime passages between Greenland, Iceland, and the U.K.—the “GIUK Gap”—became critical to NATO’s defense strategy. Today, as polar ice recedes, new sea passages are opening up. Russia, Canada, and China are all vying with the United States for control over this new ice-free ocean.

Does the U.S. still have military operations in Greenland? America’s northernmost military installation, Pituffik Space Base, lies in Greenland within the Arctic Circle and operates critical systems for missile warning and defense and space surveillance. Located across the North Pole from Russia, the base also hosts the world’s northernmost deep water seaport.

What natural resources does Greenland have? Geological surveys show large deposits of graphite, copper, and rare earth elements like yttrium and scandium. Surveys also indicate offshore deposits of oil and natural gas. Currently, fishing is the territory’s main industry.

How did Denmark acquire Greenland? Beginning in A.D. 985, Norwegian Vikings under Erik the Red settled Greenland, sharing the island with native inhabitants. In the early 1600s, King Christian IV of Norway and Denmark sent expeditions to reassert rule over the land. The treaty that ended the union of the two countries in 1814 gave Denmark control of Norway’s former colonies, including Greenland. In 1979 Greenland gained limited autonomy to control internal affairs, but it receives a $565 million grant from Denmark each year to maintain its economy.

Has the United States tried to buy Greenland before? In 1946, the United States offered to buy Greenland for $100 million in gold. Denmark refused. With NATO’s founding in 1949, the two nations agreed to cooperate on defense, with Denmark permitting the United States to maintain military bases in Greenland as needed.

What do Greenlanders think? While 84% of Greenlanders support eventual independence from Denmark, an equally large number agree they don’t want to become part of the United States. Nielsen’s pro-business Demokraatit party, which won elections in March, promotes a delayed path to independence. “Greenland will never be a part of America,” Nielsen said. “We want to trade. We want a strong partnership on national security, of course, but we want it in mutual respect.”