The key facts behind the world’s largest island 

President Trump has renewed his push to acquire Greenland, calling it essential to United States national security. Denmark and Greenland have thus far rejected any proposals to formally make Greenland a U.S. territory, with 85 percent of Greenlanders opposing annexation. However, President Trump just announced at the World Economic Forum meeting n Davos that the framework is in place for a deal that would give the U.S. a larger presence in Greenland. Details are still coming into view. In the meantime, here are key facts that help explain why Greenland keeps appearing in American security discussions, and why control matters more now than at any point since the Cold War. 

The Basics 

Greenland is the world’s largest island at 836,000 square miles, more than three times the size of Texas. But only 20 percent of that land is ice-free. The rest sits under an ice sheet up to two miles thick in places. 

That helps explain why population is only 56,542 people as of January 2025, which gives Greenland the world’s lowest population density: 0.36 people per square mile. For comparison, Alaska has 1.2 people per square mile. About 88% of Greenlanders are Inuit, and the capital, Nuuk, is home to 19,905 people, roughly one-third of the country’s total population. 

Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. It has been linked to Denmark ever since Norse settlers arrived around 985 CE, though formal Danish colonial administration began only in the 18th century. Greenland gained home rule only in 1979, with expanded self-government in 2009. The Greenlandic government. controls most domestic policy, but Denmark handles foreign affairs, defense, and monetary policy. 

Strategic Military Importance 

Greenland sits 950 miles from the North Pole and approximately 3,100 miles from Russia. That location puts it directly under the flight path of Russian intercontinental ballistic missiles aimed at the United States. 

The United States operates Pituffik Space Base (formerly Thule Air Base) on Greenland’s northwest coast. The base provides 24/7 missile warning and space surveillance that is critical to NATO and United States homeland defense, as early warning radar at Pituffik can detect and track ICBMs and submarine-launched ballistic missiles in their early flight stages, providing crucial seconds of warning integrated into United States and NATO defense systems. 

Currently, approximately 150 United States service members are permanently stationed at Pituffik. That is down from more than 10,000 United States troops at the height of the Cold War – a 98 percent reduction. The United States military presence in Greenland dates to World War II. When Nazi Germany occupied Denmark in April 1940, Denmark’s ambassador to Washington signed an agreement allowing the U.S. to build bases and station troops in Greenland. Denmark formally ratified it after liberation in 1945. As a result, American troops at one point made up roughly 25 percent of Greenland’s total population. More than 50 United States military installations, including radar and communication sites, operated across northern Greenland during the Cold War, but now, Pituffik is now the only active United States military installation on the island. 

Greenland also anchors the Greenland-Iceland-UK Gap, a vital maritime chokepoint between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans. Russian submarines must pass through this constricted area to reach the Atlantic, making it one of the most closely monitored stretches of water in the world. 

Natural Resources 

Greenland holds an estimated 36 million metric tons of rare earth elements, ranking eighth globally in rare earth reserves, however, only 1.5 million tons are currently considered economically viable, meaning it would take a lot of time and money to access the vast majority of Greenland’s mineral wealth. 

Greenland also possesses 270,000 tons of uranium, the eighth-largest uranium deposit globally. And the United States Geological Survey estimates that onshore northeast Greenland contains around 31 billion barrels of oil-equivalent in hydrocarbons, roughly equal to the entire volume of United States proven crude oil reserves. 

A 2023 survey found that 25 of 34 minerals deemed critical raw materials by the European Commission can be found in Greenland. These include lithium, graphite, copper, nickel, zinc, gold, diamonds, iron ore, and tungsten. 

Despite this wealth, Greenland currently operates only two mines on the entire island, and no rare earth or uranium projects have entered commercial production. In 2021, Greenland banned new offshore oil and gas exploration, citing climate change concerns. 

Arctic Shipping Routes 

Greenland’s position as a gateway to the Arctic has major geopolitical implications. The Northern Sea Route along Russia’s Arctic coast offers substantial distance reductions compared to traditional shipping lanes. The route from Northern Europe to Shanghai is 13,000 miles via the Suez Canal in Egypt, but only 8,000 via the Northern Sea Route, a 40 percent reduction. The journey from Murmansk, Russia, to Yokohama, Japan, drops from 12,840 nautical miles via the Suez to 5,770 nautical miles via the Arctic route. 

Some estimates suggest that taking the Northern Sea Route without any slowdowns from ice could save up to 16 days of travel time. 

These advantages explain why Russia has invested heavily in Arctic infrastructure and icebreaker fleets, and why China declared itself a “near-Arctic state” in 2018 under its “Polar Silk Road” strategy. In turn, cargo traffic through the Northern Sea Route has grown more than 17-fold in the last 15 years, from 2.1 million tons in 2010 to 36.2 million tons in 2023. 

Economic and Political Reality 

Greenland’s GDP was approximately 22.9 billion Danish Kroner in 2023 (about $3.32 billion), and Denmark provides an annual block grant of 4.1 billion Danish Kroner ($593 million) as of 2023, accounting for about 19 percent of Greenland’s GDP and just over half of government revenue. The block grant covers general government operations including payroll and administrative expenses. Beyond the block grant, Denmark’s additional expenses for police, military, defense, courts, and other services amounted to about €204 million ($188.5 million) in 2023. The subsidy amounts to more than $10,000 per person in Greenland annually. 

Greenlanders receive free healthcare and free education, including free tuition at Danish universities, as part of the Nordic welfare model that Denmark extends to the territory. 

The fishing industry dominates the economy, accounting for more than 90 percent of exports in 2024. About 43 percent of Greenlanders work for the government, compared to 15 percent in the United States. 

Given the favorable treatment form Copenhagen and the centuries of Danish ties, it is not surprising that a January 2025 poll found that 85 percent of Greenlanders oppose leaving Denmark to become part of the United States, while only 6 percent support the idea. When asked about independence from Denmark, 56 percent would vote yes if a referendum were held today, with 28 percent opposed. Greenland’s government has stated publicly that when faced with a choice between the United States and Denmark, Greenland chooses Denmark. 

Americans largely oppose annexing Greenland as well. A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted January 12-13 found that only 17 percent of Americans approve of United States efforts to acquire Greenland, while 47 percent disapprove. And opposition to using military force is especially overwhelming: 71 percent say it would be a bad idea, including 60 percent of Republicans and 89 percent of Democrats. 

The numbers show why Greenland matters for missile defense, rare earth supply chains, and Arctic competition. They also show why the path to United States control faces economic, political, and diplomatic obstacles that threats and tariffs do not easily overcome.