Opinion: Strategic Greenland

Climate change is occurring before our eyes. We can track significant alterations in weather patterns within lifetimes, rather than over generations or centuries. Some parts of the globe are affected differently from other parts, and melting ocean ice in the Arctic Circle has made the island of Greenland of strategic importance to certain countries, including the United States. As polar ice melts, it opens new shipping lanes. Additionally, the island is positioned to house early warning systems for missiles as well as equipment for space surveillance.

Historic Greenland

I suspect that most Americans don’t know much about Greenland, mainly because of its geographical location. It is the largest island in the world — 836,336 square miles, six times the size of Germany — but 2/3 of the land mass lies within the Arctic Circle. It is populated by only 55,000 people (about the same as the City of Delano, located in a largely agricultural area about halfway between Bakersfield and Fresno). Its first human habitants were the Inuit (colloquially called Eskimos). But the island was uninhabited off and on during various eras until the Vikings arrived toward the end of the 10th century.

Erik Thorvaldsson, known as Erik the Red, sailed to the island around 982 and liked the southern shore. He called the territory Greenland, hoping to attract settlers. In 985, about two dozen ships set sail from the European continent, but only 14 completed the journey. At the time, climate was rather mild, and two settlements were founded. By the early twelfth century, population had grown to about 3,000 Europeans, and Greenland became part of Norway. However, in 1380, Greenland came under Danish rule.