Greenland

4/1/25

Overview

At over 836,000 square miles (25% larger than Alaska), Greenland is a massive land located in the North Atlantic.  Its small population (just about 50,000) rule themselves as an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.  Greenland, however, has come to the world’s attention since President Trump has expressed his desire to acquire the territory, saying “We need Greenland for national security purposes.”  Join Active Minds as we discuss the history of this remote but strategically placed part of the global story.

Key Lecture Points

  • The largest non-continental island in the world (three times the size of Texas), Greenland has captured US President Donald Trump’s interest.  The combination of Greenland’s natural resources, including rare earth elements, and its strategic location for US defense interests have led Trump to declare that acquiring the island is an “absolute necessity”. US interest in Greenland dates back to the 19th century, but Trump’s expressions of intent are the most significant in a generation.
  • Politically, Greenland is a self-governing territory of Denmark, a status that rooted in the history of European presence, first by Norse Vikings in 982 CE and later by Danish colonization beginning in 1721.  Given that Denmark is a founding member of NATO (1949), Trump’s statement to Congress that “we will get [Greenland] one way or another” has increased the strain within the NATO alliance.
  • Greenland’s strategic importance emerged in World War II, with both German and United States interest.  The United States established a military presence that has continued to today, notably at its farthest most military base, the Pituffik Space Base, considered an important part of the United States military surveillance capability.
  • Greenland’s tiny population of 58,000 is mostly native Inuit.  They have a traditional subsistence culture and lifestyle, which is threatened by both modernization and climate change. While some Greenlanders favor independence from Denmark, this is tied into controversy about mineral development, whose economic impact would probably be needed to sustain greater independence.  There is concern about this impact from both cultural and environmental perspectives.
  • The March 2025 Greenland general elections resulted in the surprise victory of a center right party that does favor independence from Denmark but on a slower schedule.  Additionally, the elections were significantly affected by the rhetoric coming from Washington.  The leader of the victorious party, Jens-Frederik Nielson stated after the elections, “The US is not ‘getting’ [Greenland]. We don’t belong to anyone else. We decide our own future.”
  • 80% of Greenland is covered by an ice sheet that approaches 2 miles thick in some places.  This has made it a focus of concern as a warming climate has increased ice melt across the Arctic.  There is clear evidence of accelerated melting of the ice sheet, which could result in a rise in sea levels. Perhaps ironically, this warming is also accelerating the accessibility to natural resources that would otherwise have been locked in ice.

Discussion Questions

  • What are the justifications for the US to seek to acquire Greenland?  Do they reach to the level of straining or perhaps breaking the NATO alliance?
  • Are there alternatives that could meet US interests while respecting Danish and/or Greenlandic sovereignty?
  • What rights do the majority Inuit Greenlanders have in the emerging battle of larger powers over the potential resources that Greenland possesses?

More to Explore

Books for Further Reading

  • Nansen, Fridtjob. Farthest North: The Greatest Arctic Adventure Story.  Gibson Square, 2024.  400 pages.  One of many editions of Nansen’s account of his time in the Arctic.
  • Gertner, Jon. The Ice at the End of the World: An Epic Journey into Greenland's Buried Past and Our Perilous Future.  Random House, 2019.  448 pages.  978-0812996623.  A comprehensive account of historic exploration and current science.
  • Rix, Robert. The Vanished Settlers of Greenland: In Search of a Legend and Its Legacy.  Cambridge University Press, 2023. 217 pages. 978-1009359474.  Research and analysis of what happened to the Norse settlers of Greenland.