Where is the territory and who controls it?

US President-elect Donald Trump has repeatedly announced his intention to take control of Greenland, an Arctic territory controlled by Denmark.

Why is Trump talking about this, and why now?

Greenland, the world’s largest island, is located in the North Pole.

It is the most sparsely populated region in the world. About 56,000 people live there, most of them indigenous Inuit.

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

An autonomous territory of Denmark, there are also Danish and US military bases.

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

Interest in Greenland’s natural resources, including rare earth minerals, uranium and iron mining, has grown in recent years. This approach may become easier as global warming melts some of the ice covering Greenland.

Geographically located within North America, Greenland was ruled by Denmark, located about 3,000 km (1,860 miles) away, for about 300 years.

The island was ruled as a colony until the mid-20th century. During this period it remained isolated and poor.

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

A referendum on autonomy in 1979 gave Greenland control over most policies within the territory, while Denmark retained control over foreign affairs and defence.

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

Even after the war ended, American troops remained in Greenland. Pitupik Spaceport, formerly known as Thule Air Base, has been operated by the United States since then.

The 1951 defense agreement with Denmark gave the United States a major role in the defense of 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 a nuclear weapon would be via the Arctic and Greenland,” said Marc Jacobson, associate professor at the Royal Danish Defense College.

“This is why PituPik Spaceport is so important to the defense of America.”

China and Russia have begun strengthening their Arctic military capabilities in recent years, according to a report from the Arctic Institute. The paper called for the United States to further strengthen its presence in the Arctic to counter its rivals.

On Wednesday, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Roque Rasmussen said Denmark was open to discussions with the United States, adding that the United States has “legitimate” interests in the region.

“We are seeing Russia arming itself,” Rasmussen said. “Also, China is starting to take interest.”

Mr. Trump is also likely to be interested in the mining potential across Greenland’s vast swaths of land, Mr. Jacobson added.

“Of particular interest today are the rare earth minerals that are not yet mined but are found in southern Greenland. These are very important for all kinds of technologies, from mobile phones to wind turbines.”

Trump has argued that control of Greenland is essential to America’s national and economic security.

The president-elect’s rhetoric may seem strange, but for more than 100 years, successive U.S. presidents have tried to take control of Greenland.

“The United States has tried several times to oust the Danes from Greenland and absorb them as part of the United States, or at least get full security protection for Greenland,” Lukas Wahden said. 66°NNewsletter on Arctic Security.

In 1867, U.S. Secretary of State William H. Seward purchased Alaska from Russia and then led negotiations to purchase Greenland from Denmark, but no agreement was reached.

In 1946, the United States decided that the territory was essential to national security and offered to pay $100 million (equivalent to $1.2 billion today) for the territory, but the Danish government refused.

Trump also attempted to purchase Greenland during his first term. Both the Danish and Greenlandic governments rejected the 2019 proposal, saying “Greenland is not for sale.”

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

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

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

“This is a very dangerous idea,” said Dains Mikaelsen, a travel agent who was born and raised in Tasilak, eastern Greenland.

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

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