Where is the territory and who controls it?

The president-elect of the United States, Donald Trump, has reiterated his intention to take control of Greenland, the Arctic territory controlled by Denmark.

Why is Trump talking about this and why now?

Greenland, the largest island in the world, is located in the Arctic.

It is the least populated territory in the world. About 56,000 people live there, mostly Inuit indigenous people.

About 80% of its territory is covered in ice, meaning that most people live on the southwest coast around the capital, Nuuk.

An autonomous territory of Denmark, it is also home to Danish and American military bases.

The economy is mainly based on fishing. The Danish government’s large subsidies account for about a fifth of GDP.

In recent years, there has been increased interest in Greenland’s natural resources, including the extraction of rare earth minerals, uranium and iron. These may become more accessible as global warming causes some of the ice covering Greenland to melt.

Geographically located within North America, Greenland has been controlled by Denmark (almost 3,000 kilometers away) for about 300 years.

The island was governed as a colony until the mid-20th century. For much of this time she remained isolated and poor.

In 1953, it became part of the Kingdom of Denmark and Greenlanders became Danish citizens.

In 1979, a referendum on autonomy gave Greenland control of most policies within the territory, while Denmark retained control of foreign affairs and defence.

The United States has long maintained a security interest in Greenland. After Nazi Germany occupied mainland Denmark during World War II, the United States invaded Greenland and established military and radio stations throughout the territory.

After the war, American forces remained in Greenland. Pituffik Space Base, formerly known as Thule Air Base, has been operated by the United States since then.

In 1951, a defense agreement with Denmark gave the United States a major role in defending the territory, including the right to build and maintain military bases.

“If Russia were to send missiles toward the United States, the shortest route for nuclear weapons would be through the North Pole and Greenland,” said Marc Jacobsen, an associate professor at the Royal Danish Defense College.

“That’s why Pituffik Space Base is immensely important to the defense of the United States.”

Trump is also likely interested in the mining potential in the vast Greenland landmass, Jacobsen added.

“Of particular interest today are rare earth minerals, which have not yet been mined but are found in the southern part of Greenland. They are immensely important in all kinds of technologies, from mobile phones to wind turbines.”

Trump has asserted that control of Greenland is essential to the national and economic security of the United States.

Although the president-elect’s rhetoric may seem unusual, for more than a century a succession of American presidents have attempted to gain control of Greenland.

“The United States has tried several times to expel the Danes from Greenland and take it as part of the United States, or at least have full security guardianship over Greenland,” said Lukas Wahden, author of 66° Northa bulletin on Arctic safety.

In 1867, after purchasing Alaska from Russia, United States Secretary of State William H. Seward led negotiations to purchase Greenland from Denmark, but failed to reach an agreement.

In 1946, the United States offered to pay $100 million (equivalent to $1.2 billion; £970 million today) for the territory, judging it to be vital to national security, but the Danish government refused.

Trump also tried to buy Greenland during his first term. Both Denmark and the Greenland government rejected the 2019 proposal, saying: “Greenland is not for sale.”

Kuno Fencker, a member of Inatsisartut, Greenland’s parliament, said Wednesday that he did not see Trump’s comments as a threat.

Fencker, who supports Greenlandic independence, told the BBC that a sovereign Greenland could choose to cooperate with the United States on defense.

But when Trump first floated the idea of ​​buying Greenland in 2019, many locals he told the BBC They opposed the proposal.

“This is a very dangerous idea,” said Dines Mikaelsen, a tour operator who was born and raised in Tasiilaq, east Greenland.

“He’s treating us like a commodity he can buy,” said Aleqa Hammond, Greenland’s first female prime minister.

“He’s not even talking to Greenland; he’s talking to Denmark about buying Greenland.”