Whether President Trump likes it or not, Greenland is not “for sale”, but while Greenlanders are dreaming of their independence from Denmark, the island is the focus of strategic competition between major powers. Despite the distance between Greenland and Denmark about 3532 km between their respective capitals – Greenland has been politically associated with Denmark (and the kingdom of Norway) for more than a millenium. The first humans to set foot on Greenland arrived some 4,000-5,000 years ago from the North American continent via Canada, after the sea freeze in the narrow strait at Thule in Northern Greenland. No less than six different Inuit cultures have migrated in separate waves. Greenland’s current population is descended from the last migration, the Thule culture, beginning from AD 1200s.
Author: Jakob HENIUS for Polar WATCH.
This article is available on the Cercle Polaire website.
The French version is available here.
