out the Paris Climate Deal, which is a global agreement to lower greenhouse emissions.

Greenland officials say the agreement would cost them “hundreds of millions of dollars”,

and further distance the country from achieving independence from Denmark.

It has only been in recent years that Greenland has been economically able to exist independently.

So, can Greenland achieve independence from Denmark?

Well, their power struggle dates back to 1721, when a Danish-Norwegian missionary first colonized

the Greenland region. Denmark and Norway split a century later,

leaving Greenland completely under Danish rule.

Greenland took their first step toward independence in 1953, when they gained representation in

Danish parliament. Roughly two decades later, Greenland was granted

“home rule”, which gave them greater control over internal policies.

In 2008, an overwhelming majority of Greenlandic citizens voted in favor of a self-governing

referendum. The vote turned over control of law enforcement,

coast guard and the legal system, and even changed the official language from Danish

to Greenlandic But despite recent legislative and social

strides toward an independent Greenland, the country is far from complete autonomy.

As one of three countries in the Kingdom of Denmark, Greenland is entitled to roughly

$650 million dollars a year, which is a significant amount considering Greenland’s GDP is only

about $2 billion dollars. Moreover, Denmark supports Greenland’s population

of less than 60 thousand by providing them with a military and handling their foreign

affairs. In order to make up for potential losses,

Greenland would have to tap into their recently discovered offshore oil and mineral reserves.

In 2010, oil executives poured into Greenland after traces of oil were discovered in their

territorial waters. Three years later, a 25-year ban on the mining

of radioactive materials was lifted, giving the country access to Uranium and other potentially

lucrative resources. Moreover, rapidly melting Arctic ice as a

result of global warming has made mining and drilling operations possible in places they

were not in the past. Greenland’s government plans to use these

natural resources to end their financial dependency on Denmark.

This has, in turn, led Greenland to reject global climate change efforts in support of

their own sovereignty. When talks of independence ensue, Greenland

officials repeatedly voice the country’s desire to run their own foreign policy, and

create a self-sustaining economy. Additionally, many Greenlanders have spoken

out against Danish rule, saying that their indigenous culture is neglected and that influence

from Denmark is patronizing and overbearing. But Greenland still has no workable plan in

place to claim their independence. Exploiting offshore oil and mineral reserves

could make their emissions greater than anywhere on earth, all while climate change disrupts

their ecosystems and ways of life. Many politicians have hinted at an emancipation

timeframe, however their predictions range anywhere from eight to 50 years from now.

With more pressing issues at hand, like widespread alcoholism and a high unemployment rate, an

independent Greenland will likely remain in the distant future.  

But Greenland isn’t the only country seeking recognition as an independent country. While

Greenland is held back by economic woes, regions like Somaliland are held back by war and poverty.

To learn more about why Somaliland isn’t recognized as independent, check out this

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