What is the purpose of Greenland?

What is the purpose of Greenland?

Strategic location. The US has long considered Greenland to be a strategic location for military purposes. Less than 1,000 miles from the north pole, Thule Air Base on the island’s northwestern coast provides missile warning, space surveillance and space control US authorities.

Is there a US base in Greenland?

Thule Air Base (Greenlandic: Qaanaaq Mitarfik, Danish: Thule Lufthavn), or Thule Air Base/Pituffik Airport (IATA: THU, ICAO: BGTL), is the United States Space Force’s northernmost base, and the northernmost installation of the U.S. Armed Forces, located 750 mi (1,210 km) north of the Arctic Circle and 947 mi (1,524 km) …

Is Greenland owned by Denmark?

Before jumping into the history of Greenland’s ownership, it is important to clear up misconceptions about its status. Greenland is a self-governing territory, not a colony of Denmark, and according to NPR, Denmark does not own it. It has its own prime minister, parliament, and governing institutions.

What is the economy like in Greenland?

The island’s residents are Danish, but they have governed by self-rule since 1979. Greenland’s largest economic drivers are fishing and tourism, but the island has drawn rising interest due to its vast natural resources, including coal, zinc, copper, iron ore and rare minerals.

Is Greenland in North America or Europe?

Although Greenland is geographically a part of the North American continent, it has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for about a millennium. Since 1721, Denmark has held colonies in Greenland, but the country was made part of Denmark in 1953.

What do the Greenlanders call their own country?

The Greenlanders call their own country Inuit Nunaat or Kalaallit Nunaat, meaning Land of the People or Land of the Greenlanders, respectively. Greenland is a vast country with big contrasts and it is the worlds largest island.