Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous region in the kingdom of Denmark.
Contents
History
Inuit cultures have inhabited the island for millennia. For the most part, the modern population identifies as one of:
The Kalaallit descend from the proto-Inuit Thule culture who settled on the western shores in the 13th century. Their name for the island is Kalaallit Nunaat.
The Tunumiit or Iivit spread across the eastern shores. The largest settlements in this region date back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The Inughuit are a small community in the far north. They were practically cut off from all outside contact until European expeditions in the 19th century.
Norse and Icelandic settlers first appeared on Greenland in the 10th century. These settlements were in contact with the pre-Thule Dorset culture, and flourished before disappearing in the 15th century.
As early as 1605, the Norwegian and Danish monarchs began planning to reclaim the old Norse settlements. Godthaab was founded in 1728, the first in a new wave of Danish colonization.
The Danish governed over Greenland through the Royal Greenland Trading Department. Inspectors were appointed to act on behalf of the board of managers.
The Danish enforced a strict monopoly on all trade with Greenland. The primary product of interest to the colonists was cryolite.
During World War 2, when Denmark came under Nazi occupation, the U.S. Coast Guard intervened to keep the Germans off of Greenland. The War Department invested substantially into the military infrastructure there, particularly air bases and weather stations. Denmark became a founding member of NATO. The commitment to joint Danish-U.S. air bases was cemented with the Thule Air Base, constructed in 1951.
Government
A new constitution was adopted through referendum in 1953, through which Greenland became a fully incorporated state of Denmark. For statistical purposes, Greenland was divided into three counties: West Greenland (with nearly all of the population), East Greenland, and (the nearly uninhabited) North Greenland.
Home rule was adopted through a referendum in 1979; the vast majority voted in favor. The counties were renamed to Kitaa, Tunu, and Avannaa (respectively). The capital was similarly renamed to Nuuk.
Self-government was adopted through another referendum in 2008, then formalized in the Self-government Act in 2009. Part of this is the right to hold a further referendum on independence.
For actual administrative purposes, Greenland is divided into 5 municipalities plus the vast Northeast Greenland National Park.
- Avannaata
- Kujalleq
- Qeqertalik
- Qeqqata
- Sermersooq
The Thule Air Base was transferred to the U.S. Space Force in 2020 and was renamed to Pituffik Space Base in 2023. This is considered an enclave separate from Avannaata, which surrounds it.
Reading Notes
Greenland Has Been Fighting Off Americans for Over a Century, Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory, 2025