Knowledge Nugget: Greenland and Geopolitics – What all you need to know for UPSC Exam?

Key Takeaways :

1. Greenland’s new Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen criticised the visit of US Vice President JD Vance in Greenland, calling it a “lack of respect” and urging political unity in the face of “pressure from outside.”

2. Notably, The visit of US Vice President JD Vance to the US military base at Pituffik, located in northern Greenland, came just hours after a new broad government coalition was formed in the capital, Nuuk, with leaders reaffirming their ties to Denmark for now. Vance on Friday said Denmark has “underinvested” in Greenland’s security and demanded that Denmark change its approach as Trump pushes to take over the Danish territory.

3. Under a 1951 agreement, the US is entitled to access its base at Pituffik whenever it chooses, provided it notifies Greenland and Denmark in advance. The base, strategically positioned along the shortest route between Europe and North America, is a critical part of the US ballistic missile warning system.

4. However, Trump, who previously expressed interest in purchasing Greenland during his first term, reiterated his stance on Wednesday (March 26). “So, I think we’ll go as far as we have to go. We need Greenland and the world needs us to have Greenland, including Denmark,” he said.

Greenland 

1. Greenland, part of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) through the membership of Denmark, has strategic significance for the US military and for its ballistic missile early-warning system since the shortest route from Europe to North America runs via the Arctic island.

Location of Greenland, in the Kingdom of Denmark. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

2. Greenland is the largest island on Earth. It is situated in the Arctic and is the most sparsely populated territory in the world. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Arctic Ocean on the other. It is home to the northernmost point of land in the world—Kaffeklubben Island.

3. Greenland is mineral-rich with large deposits of traditional resources such as gold, nickel, and cobalt. It also has some of the biggest reserves of rare earth minerals such as dysprosium, praseodymium, neodymium, and terbium. Of the 34 classified rare earth minerals, Greenland has about 23. It is these that have brought the island a lot of attention, along with several prospecting mining companies.

4. As an autonomous territory of Denmark, Greenland hosts both Danish and US military bases. Its economy relies heavily on fishing, while substantial subsidies from the Danish government contribute about 20% of its GDP.

5. Greenland, though geographically part of North America, has been under Denmark’s control—located nearly 3,000 km (1,860 miles) away—for around 300 years. Initially governed as a colony, Greenland remained isolated and economically underdeveloped for much of its early history.

6. In 1953, it was integrated into the Kingdom of Denmark, granting Greenlanders Danish citizenship. A significant shift occurred in 1979, when a referendum on home rule allowed Greenland to take control of most internal policies, while Denmark retained authority over foreign affairs and defence.

US quest to acquire Greenland: A Historical Perspective

1. Donald Trump in his last term had proposed buying Greenland, terming his proposal a “large real estate deal”. When the Danish PM, Mette Frederiksen, called the idea absurd, Trump cancelled a scheduled visit to Denmark.

2. Before that, in 1946, just after the end of World War II, President Harry S Truman offered $100 million to Denmark for Greenland. Truman had earlier considered exchanging some portions of Alaska for certain parts of Greenland. The proposal did not progress.

3. In 1867, the US State Department pointed to the fact that Greenland’s strategic location and abundant natural resources make it ideal for acquisition. However, no formal effort was made to move on the suggestion.

BEYOND THE NUGGET: Panama Canal

1. In January this year, the administrator of the Panama Canal said that the vital waterway will remain under Panamanian control and open to commerce from all countries, rejecting claims made by President-elect Donald Trump that the United States should take over the canal.

2. Completed in 1914, the Panama Canal is one of the two most strategically important artificial waterways in the world, alongside the Suez Canal. It connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. For ships traveling between the east and west coasts of the United States, the canal reduces the journey by 8,000 nautical miles, avoiding the dangerous passage around Cape Horn.

Route of the Panama Canal. (Source: X/@thepanamaCanal)

3. The Panama Canal is more than just a channel of water that links two larger bodies; it is a complex, highly engineered system that incorporates locks and elevators to transport ships from one end to the other. This design is necessary because the two oceans connected by the canal are not at the same elevation, with the Pacific Ocean being slightly higher than the Atlantic

Post Read Question

With reference to the Greenland, consider the following statements:

(Sources: JD Vance lands in Greenland, new PM says visit sign of ‘lack of respect’, Why Trump wants to buy Greenland, and why he is not alone in this, Knowledge nugget of the day: Panama Canal)

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