US President Elect US President Donald Trump has once again expressed his desire to buy GreenlandAnd Greenland again said it was not for sale.
In recent weeks, Trump has threatened to seize the Panama Canal and that Canada should become the 51st state of the United States. His claims have drawn criticism for displaying “territorial ambitions”, saying Trump is not the first US president to want Greenland, nor is he buying new territories unheard of for the US.
Why is a giant arctic island important to America? When did the US last buy land and what attempts has it made in the past to acquire Greenland? We explain in three points.
- 01
Why is Greenland important to America?
Overall, there are four reasons related to geostrategy and geography.
Greenland was once a colony of Denmark and is now an autonomous province of Denmark. It is located in the North Atlantic Ocean, between Europe and North America, across Baffin Bay from Canada. Its strategic importance increased during the Cold War, and the US has a large air base there, Pitufic Space Base, formerly Thule Air Base. From Greenland, the US can monitor and intercept any missiles coming from Russia, China or North Korea. Similarly, missiles and ships can be launched from Greenland easily towards Asia or Europe.
Second, Greenland is rich in rare earth minerals, which are used in mobile phones, electric vehicles and other consumer electronics, but also in bombs and other weapons. Currently, China is the major supplier of these minerals. In 2021, Greenland passed a law banning uranium mining.
Third, as global warming melts the ice, new waterways may open up in the Arctic region, and all major powers are keen to increase their presence here. The US wants to pre-empt a larger Russian or Chinese role in Greenland and its neighbours.
- 02
When was the last time America tried to get Greenland?
Trump proposed buying Greenland during his last term, calling his proposal a “huge real estate deal.” When Danish Prime Minister Mette Fredriksson called the idea absurd, Trump canceled a scheduled visit to Denmark.
Before that, in 1946 after the end of World War II President Harry S. Truman offered $100 million Denmark for Greenland. Truman had previously considered exchanging parts of Alaska for parts of Greenland. The proposal did not proceed.
In 1867, the US State Department pointed to the fact that Greenland’s strategic location and abundant natural resources made it ideal for acquisition. However, there was no formal effort to advance the proposal.
- 03
And when has America bought land before this?
a famous An example is the Alaska Purchasewhich the Russian Empire transferred to the United States in 1867 when Andrew Johnson was president for $7.2 million. This purchase added about 1.5 million square kilometers of land in the US. In 1959, the modern state of Alaska was created.
Earlier, in 1803, America bought more than two million square kilometers of land from France, which was called the Louisiana Purchase. The acquisition of Louisiana took place while Thomas Jefferson was president, and the US paid $15 million for the settlement.
In 1917, the US bought a group of Caribbean islands from the Danish West Indies and called them the US Virgin Islands.
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