GREENLAND

In the last few months there has been a profusion of news with respect to Greenland. In particular, Donald Trump has been signaling that the US is interested in purchasing it from Denmark. Is he serious, or is this just another example of Trump speaking off the cuff to get a reaction? Why the sudden interest in an island that had always flown under the radar? I wondered about it myself. Read on for the answers.

Heretofore, most Americans have had only a passing interest in Greenland. They may know it is an island located in the North Atlantic near Iceland, but that is about it.

My research has disclosed that Greenland has actually had an interesting and colorful history. Below please find a brief summary as well as some information that will explain the sudden interest in the island. Please be advised that the following has been gleaned from various media sources except where otherwise noted:

1. Greenland is the largest island in the world. It is surrounded by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Greenland Sea to the east, the North Atlantic Ocean to the southeast and the Davis Straits to the southwest. Roughly 3/4 of the land is covered by a permanent sheet of ice, the only one in the world other than the one that covers Antarctica.
2. With a population of some 57,000 over approximately 836,330 square miles it is the world’s least densely populated area. The weather can be harsh; the population is highly concentrated along the more moderate southwest coast.
3. Generally, Greenlanders are well educated. Children are required to attend a minimum of ten years of primary school. Secondary schools offer both a pre-university and a work education program. Many students may then enroll in a university either on the island or in Denmark.
4. The literacy rate is 100%.
5. Most residents speak both Danish and West Greenlandic Kalaallisut, which is actually the official language of the island. Some 12% speak Danish as their primary language.
6. The most common religion is Protestant.
7. Greenland has the highest suicide rate of any country in the world.
8. Greenland has a small, but significant music culture. The drum is the traditional musical instrument. Years ago, people would commonly engage in drum dances for entertainment, to settle disputes, to conjure up spirits or to while away the long winter nights.
9. Greenlanders engage in a wide variety of sports including skiing, fishing, ice climbing, rock climbing and even golf, however, the national sport is handball.
10. Greenland was named by the Norse explorer, Erik the Red, who, along with his father and his thralls (slaves and workers), was exiled there from Iceland as punishment for a crime committed by the father. Given the inhospitable climate the name may appear to be a misnomer, but supposedly Erik chose that name purposely in a vain attempt to attract settlers.
11. It is an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. Despite its geographic location as part of North America, since 986 it has been associated more closely associated with Europe, particularly Denmark and Norway, both politically and socially. The populace are citizens of the European Union.
12. Its capital, which is also its largest city, is Nuuk, which is pronounced “nook.” Nuuk is located on the southwestern coast of the island, which, as I said, is where most of the population resides. It is also the cultural and administrative center of the island. The name translates into “Cape” in the Greenlandic language due to its location near the outlet for the enormous Nuup Kangerlua Fjord – the world’s second-largest fjord system.
13. Greenland has been inhabited by a variety of peoples and cultures. According to archaeological findings the earliest settlers emigrated from present-day Canada around 2,500 BC settling primarily along the west and south coasts. The Norse arrived in the 10th century from nearby Iceland followed by the Inuit in the 13th century. Inuit is another name for the indigenous people of the Arctic area.
14. The early Norse settlements thrived for a while, but most of them vanished during the 14th and early 15th centuries most likely due to malnutrition, disease, marauders from Europe, and the climate turning significantly colder.
15. Around 1000 the Thules began to migrate eastward from Alaska and Canada. They began to arrive in Greenland around 1300. The Thules were responsible for various technological advances that improved everyday life including dog sleds and toggling harpoons. Present-day Greenlanders are the genetic descendants of the Thules.
16. Dano-Norwegian explorers began arriving in the early 17th century (the two countries were united between 1380 and 1814). When they separated, Greenland became a territory of Denmark’s as it remains today.
17. When the US purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867 it also explored the possibility of purchasing Greenland from Denmark, but nothing came of it. In 1946 the US renewed its interest in the island. It offered Denmark $100 million, but it refused to sell. The governments of Denmark and Greenland have been reiterating that Greenland is not for sale, but as we know Trump can be very persistent and persuasive. In a more conciliatory vein, recently Denmark’s foreign minister said that Denmark is “open to a dialogue with the Americans on how we can possibly cooperate even more closely than we do to ensure that the American ambitions are fulfilled.”
18. The relationship between Denmark and Greenland is somewhat complicated. Denmark granted home rule to Greenland in 2008, however it has retained control of monetary policy, citizenship and foreign affairs.
19. Both Denmark and the US maintain various military bases on Greenland.Greenland has an abundant supply of many vital and valuable minerals such as copper, uranium, tungsten and nickel to name a few. In the last several decades much of the permafrost has been melting resulting in easier access to these resources. This has attracted the attention of Russia and China as well as the US. who are now recognizing the value of the island.

Greenland has significant quantities of valuable natural resources including oil, gas, copper, and “rare earth” minerals. Rare earth minerals include a group of 17 metals that are essential for items such as batteries for electric vehicles, electronics, cell phones and even weapons of mass destruction. In conjunction with the melting of the permafrost these resources have become more accessible. Every country needs them; few countries have enough.

For example, consider lithium. Lithium is a key component in batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage.  China and Chile are both major players in the lithium industry. In 2023, Chile possessed an estimated 9.3 million metric tons of lithium reserves, which was more than one-third of the world’s total. China has been importing significant quantities of lithium from Chile. According to available data, primarily due to its dominance in lithium refining and processing China controls a significant portion of the global lithium market, holding between 60% and 80% of the world’s lithium chemical production capacity, despite only having around 8% of the world’s lithium reserves,

China has been focusing on the production of rare earth minerals since the 1980s. According to the International Energy Agency currently it controls 87% of the global rare earth refining capacity. On the other hand, the US possesses and controls minimal amounts of these minerals. In particular, we are heavily dependent on China for lithium. In the second quarter of 2024, China supplied 82% of the lithium-ion batteries imported to the US.  Obviously, this dependence on a potential enemy is an alarming and untenable situation and cannot be allowed to stand. Indeed, China has already signaled the possibility of restricting the export of critical minerals and associated technologies prospectively.

Greenland’s importance is enhanced by its strategic location. It is the gateway to the Arctic Circle. It is fewer than 2,000 miles from Eastern Canada, and a little over 3,000 miles to the US. It would be very dangerous for the US to allow Russia or China to gain a foothold there. President-elect Trump and many others have recognized this. He noted with some concern that Chinese and Russian ships have been cruising around the island. Trump response is that “we need Greenland for [national] security purposes.” Hence his comments regarding Greenland.

Conclusion

Trump has a history of saying outrageous things just to gauge public reactions. However, in this case I believe he is serious. It is interesting that Donald Trump, Jr. recently visited the island where he was greeted warmly by the citizenry.

I don’t think Trump will go so far as to authorize military action to take it as he has hinted, at least not at this time, but the Danes should be mindful of the possibility prospectively, especially if they cozy up to the Russians or the Chinese. In any event, if nothing else, his pronouncements have sent a message to Denmark that we are closely monitoring their governance of the island and to China and Russia that we will not tolerate their intrusion into it.