Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is the world’s largest non-continental island, located between the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic. Though geographically part of North America, it is politically linked to Europe as an autonomous territory of Denmark. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, the Greenland Sea to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and Baffin Bay to the west. Its closest neighbors are Canada to the west and Iceland to the east.
As a Danish dependent territory, Greenland has limited self-government with its own parliament. While Denmark provides around two-thirds of Greenland’s budget revenue, the economy relies heavily on fishing. The island’s vast reserves of oil, gas, and rare earth minerals have attracted increasing international interest, particularly as melting ice expands access to these resources.
Greenland experiences midnight sun for two months each summer, yet more than 80% of its surface remains covered by an ice cap that reaches up to 4 km (13,000 ft) thick in some areas. However, climate change is accelerating ice loss, raising concerns over rising sea levels while also unlocking new economic opportunities.
The United States has long recognized Greenland’s strategic importance, establishing an airbase at Thule (now Pituffik Space Base) during the Cold War, which remains a key Arctic military installation.
Despite its vast size, Greenland is home to just 57,000 people, making it one of the most sparsely populated places on Earth.