The government of Greenland says its territory is not for sale following reports that US President Donald Trump was looking into purchasing the massive, ice-covered island.
Image: imago/Siering
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Greenland's government on Friday dismissed the idea of being purchased by the United States.
A "short comment" on the government website said that:
"We have a good cooperation with the USA, and we see it as an expression of greater interest in investing in our country..."
"...Of course, Greenland is not for sale,"
"Because of the unofficial nature of the news, the Government of Greenland has no further comments."
This is Greenland: the world's largest island
Greenland is mostly covered in ice, barely populated, and not home to many modern amenities. But despite Donald Trump's reported best efforts, the autonomous Danish country is also very much not for sale.
Image: Imago Images/UIG
Record holder
Greenland holds a number of world records. It is the world's largest island, the least densely populated territory on Earth, and home to the only permanent ice sheet outside Antarctica. Most of its 56,000 residents are Inuit, descendants of those who migrated there from what is now Canada in the 13th century.
Image: Imago Images/UIG
Home rule
Greenland was granted home rule by Denmark in 1979. In 2008, Greenlanders voted in favor of an act that granted their government even more power. Before being a Danish territory, Greenland has also been under the Norwegian crown, and was even briefly claimed by Portuguese explorers in 1499.
Image: Reuters/L. Jackson
The North Pole
Seen here in the capital, Nuuk, where about one third of Greenlanders live, is "Santa's mailbox." Thousands of letters addressed to St.Nicolas were delivered here every around Christmas each year. Some volunteers even sent handwritten responses to as many children as they could, until the mailbox was forced to close in 2018.
Image: picture-alliance/Chromorange/T. Wenning
Melting ice
Greenlanders were among the first to feel the affects of climate change, both from rising sea levels and melting arctic ice. Recently, scientists recorded a massive ice melt on the island that hadn't been predicted to occur until 2070. If the all of Greenland's ice disappears, sea levels will rise 23 feet, destroying massive amounts of coastal areas worldwide.
Image: Getty Images/M. Tama
The mighty muskox
A sign in Greenland warns travels to be aware of passing muskoxen, famous for the intense odor sometimes by males. They are native only to Greenland, northern Canada, and Alaska. After centuries of declining populations due to overhunting, muskoxen have recently been making a comeback due to new hunting restrictions.
Image: DW/Irene Quaile
Tens of thousands of seals killed annually
Much of Greenland's economy is dependent on fishing. One controversial form of fishing that is still allowed is seal hunting, often done by shooting seals that are sitting on ice sheets. Although it is widely accepted that the killing of seals could lead to extinction and other disasters for the ecosystem, some rural Greelanders entirely depend on hunting seals for their livelihood.
Image: Inuit Sila
Alternative transportation
In some parts of Greenland, there are no roads, and locals must use dog sleds to get from village to village or to the sea. Snowmobiles must be important and are too expensive for many villagers.
Image: Henry Tenenbaum
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Trump asks aides to 'look into the idea'
The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that Trump asked his aides to look into the possibility of purchasing Greenland. The US leader is poised to visit the Danish capital Copenhagen in September. A source close to the president later told The Associated Press that Trump did make the request but that he wasn't serious.
Greenland's ministry of foreign affairs insisted the island was ready to talk business, but was not for sale. "#Greenland is rich in valuable resources such as minerals, the purest water and ice, fish stocks, seafood, renewable energy and is a new frontier for adventure tourism," it tweeted. "We're open for business, not for sale."
Where is Greenland? The world's largest island is home to just 57,000 — mostly Inuit — people. It lies between the North Atlantic and Arctic oceans. It is an autonomous Danish territory, with Copenhagen in charge of foreign affairs, defense and monetary policy.
Why buy Greenland? Greenland is an autonomous country that forms part of Denmark. Some 80% of the country is covered by a permanent ice sheet. The island has snagged the attention of global superpowers like the US, China and Russia due to its mineral resources and strategic location in the North Atlantic and Arctic oceans.
Not the first time: This wouldn't be the first time that the US tried to buy Greenland. In 1946, the US offered to pay $100 million to Denmark to buy Greenland after considering swapping portions of Alaska for portions of the Arctic island.
