With the recent kidnapping of the Venezuelan president, Nicolas Maduro, president Trump of the U.S. is looking towards a new venture that involves taking Greenland. He has not given a true purpose for taking this on but there are many guesses. 

In 1953, the kingdom of Denmark took control of Greenland which is a large, primarily frozen island off the coast of Canada and is technically a part of North America but geopolitically, European. Throughout the past there have been many ethnic groups that inhabited the island. About 4,500 years ago Greenland was the home to some Paleo-Eskimo groups. 2,000 years after that the Dorset people moved in. The Norwegian explorer, Leif Erikson, discovered Greenland for Europeans in 985 ad and settled some European people there. This was the first time that any Europeans set foot in North America. At about the 12th or 13th century the Inuit people, who can be further specified as Kalaallit, migrated from Canada as Thule people to the area. They are the native population that still makes up most of Greenland’s population to this day. 

Today Greenland is seen as an icy island that is not the best to live on and has little supporting infrastructure. To travel to different parts of the nation you must usually get a plane, helicopter, or boat ride. Greenland has gained more independence from Denmark in recent times because of a loosening of control by them. Greenland doesn’t have its own military but rather is protected by Denmark as a territory. The population in Greenland is around 56,000 to 57,000 people. For comparison the city of Greensboro has around 300,000 people living within its limits. The main source of income in Greenland is its fisheries with some more support from tourism. Greenland also has some varied wildlife with large animals like muskoxen, domesticated Greenland dogs, and various oceanic animals like humpback whales. Bilingualism and trilingualism is quite common on the island because the official language is Greenlandic which is an Inuit language, Danish is commonly spoken because of it being a Danish territory, and English is commonly spoken by younger generations. 

President Donald Trump of the United States has made claims that the U.S. should “control” Greenland since his last presidency in 2019. This has left many Americans wondering why the U.S. would have any reason to want to take control. One of the most likely reasons has to do with oil. Greenland has oil and natural gas reserves, specifically off of its east coast, that could have up to billions of barrels worth. Greenland has had a ban on oil licenses in the nation since 2021 because of their natural conservation views. Many believe that the U.S. will want to buy out or even conquer Greenland for control over these reserves. 

President Trump has made claims that the people of Greenland want to be owned and controlled by the U.S.. Though surveys with the people have said otherwise with an 85% opposition to U.S. control which shows how the people of Greenland would prefer to stay Danish and more independent. This is because with the oil based approach that is likely and the values around nature in Greenland, there is not a lot of compatibility between the 2 nations. Greenland would also most likely just become a territory rather than a state which would give them less legislation power that is similar to other American territories like Guam, American Samoa, and Puerto Rico. There has also been some divisive interactions between the current president and these territories that may also ward off wants to become American.