Norse Settlers from present-day Norway and Iceland established the 1st European presence.

Initiated over 1,000 years of association with Scandinavian kingdoms.

Arrival of the Inuit, the direct ancestors of today’s majority population.

Original Norse settlements disappeared from the island.

Dano-Norwegian presence

Founded Nuuk (formerly Godthaab), the current capital.

Greenland officially became a territory of the Kingdom of Norway.

Norway entered a political union with Denmark, bringing Greenland under joint administration.

Denmark officially declared full sovereignty over the entire island of Greenland.

A dispute arose after Norway occupied parts of Eastern Greenland.

The Permanent Court of International Justice (PCIJ) ruled in favor of Denmark.

Following the court's decision, Norway formally renounced all territorial claims, solidifying Denmark’s legal status.

The Danish Constitution integrated Greenland as a regular county of Denmark.

Referendum granted Greenland its own local government (Home Rule).

Recognized under international law as a people entitled to external self-determination.

Nordic Council : Associate member.

European Union: One of the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT).

Denmark : PM Mette Frederiksen called the idea "absurd" and "unconstitutional." Greenland : Stated they were "open for business, not for sale."

The "Arctic Watchtower": Perfectly positioned between North America and the North Pole; acts as a "tripwire" for early missile detection.

Pituffik Space Base: A permanent U.S. footprint since WWII (formerly Thule); the primary hub for monitoring missile threats and space debris.

The "Missile Shield" Geometry: Ideally located to track and intercept aerial or maritime threats crossing the Arctic.

Cold War "Iceworm" Legacy: Secret 1960s plans to hide nuclear missiles under the ice were scrapped due to shifting glaciers and Danish political pushback.

The Rare Earth Goldmine: Massive untapped reserves of rare earth minerals (essential for tech/EVs), plus uranium and iron.

Energy Frontier: Potential for major offshore oil and gas deposits as ice cover recedes.

Scope : 10,000+ soldiers from 9 nations (including the US, UK, and Canada).

Objective : Testing "Host Nation Support" and the ability to defend NATO’s northern flank in harsh winter conditions.

Surveillance : Long-range drones and new air surveillance radar in Eastern Greenland.

Maritime : Acquisition of ice-capable Arctic ships and maritime patrol aircraft.

Infrastructure : New headquarters and logistics units for the Joint Arctic Command.

Cold War Peak: ~10,000 US personnel.

2026 Status: Reduced to approximately 150 personnel.

Key for global missile warning and space surveillance.

Renamed in 2023 to honor Greenlandic cultural heritage.

Invoked Article 5 (Collective Defense) for the first time in history.