Description

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Context:

US President-elect Donald Trump has once again expressed his desire to take ownership and control of Greenland. Greenland, the world's biggest island, has been part of Denmark for 600 years although its 57,000 people now govern their own domestic affairs.

About Greenland

Feature	Details
Location	Between North America and Europe in the North Atlantic Ocean
Geographical Aspect	Part of the North American continent
Surrounding Waters	Arctic Ocean (North), Greenland Sea (East), North Atlantic Ocean (Southeast), Davis Strait (Southwest), Baffin Bay (West)
Historical Aspect	Once a Danish colony; now an autonomous province of Denmark
Climate	Polar zone; winter temperatures as low as -50°C, summer rarely exceeding 10–15°C. Temperature varies by region.
Highest Point	Gunnbjorn's Fjeld
Capital	Nuuk

Significance for the USA

Its strategic importance increased during the Cold War, and the US has a large air base there, Pituffik Space Base, formerly Thule Air Base.
From Greenland, the US can track and intercept any missile that comes at it from Russia, China, or even North Korea.
Greenland is rich in rare earth minerals, which are used in cell phones, electric vehicles, and other consumer electronics, as well as bombs and other weapons.
As global warming leads to melting ice, new waterways may open up in the Arctic region, and all major powers want to strengthen their presence there. The US would like to prevent a greater Russian or Chinese role in Greenland and its neighborhood.

READ ABOUT THE

FOREST FIRES

WILDFIRES

Source:

THE HINDU

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q.Which of the following countries share maritime boundaries with Greenland?