Where is the region and who controls it?

US President-elect Donald Trump has reiterated his intention to control Greenland, the Arctic region controlled by Denmark.

Why is Trump talking about this – and why now?

Greenland, the largest island in the world, is located in the Arctic.

It is the most densely populated region in the world. About 56,000 people live there, most of them indigenous Inuit.

About 80% of its territory is covered in ice, which means that most people live on the southwestern coast around the capital, Nuuk.

It is an autonomous region of Denmark and is also home to Danish and American military bases.

The economy is mainly based on fishing. The huge subsidies provided by the Danish government constitute about a fifth of the gross domestic product.

In recent years, there has been increased interest in Greenland's natural resources, including the extraction of rare earth minerals, uranium and iron. It may become more accessible as global warming melts some of the ice covering Greenland.

Greenland lies geographically within North America, and has been under the control of Denmark – about 3,000 kilometers (1,860 mi) away – for about 300 years.

The island was governed as a colony until the mid-20th century. For most of this time, she remained isolated and poor.

In 1953, it became part of the Kingdom of Denmark and Greenlanders became Danish citizens.

In 1979, a referendum on home rule gave Greenland control of most politics within the territory, with Denmark retaining control over foreign affairs and defence.

The United States has long maintained its security interests in Greenland. After Nazi Germany occupied mainland Denmark during World War II, the United States invaded Greenland, establishing military and radio stations throughout the territory.

After the war, American forces remained in Greenland. The United States has operated Petovik Space Base, formerly known as Thule Air Base, since then.

In 1951, a defense pact with Denmark gave the United States an important role in defending the territory, including the right to build and maintain military bases.

“If Russia sent missiles towards the United States, the shortest route to nuclear weapons would be through the Arctic and Greenland,” said Mark Jacobsen, an associate professor at the Royal Danish Defense College.

“That is why the Petovik Space Base is so important to the defense of the United States.”

Trump is also likely to be interested in mining potential across Greenland's vast landmass, Jacobsen added.

“Today, rare earth minerals, which have not yet been mined but are found in the southern part of Greenland, are of particular interest. They are of great importance in all kinds of technologies, from mobile phones to wind turbines.”

Trump claimed that control of Greenland was essential to US national and economic security.

Although the president-elect's speech may seem unusual, for more than a century a series of US presidents have tried to control Greenland.

“The United States has tried several times to push the Danes out of Greenland and seize it as part of the United States, or at least gain full security custody of Greenland,” said Lukas Wahden, the book’s author. 66 degrees northa newsletter on Arctic security.

In 1867, after purchasing Alaska from Russia, US Secretary of State William Seward led negotiations to purchase Greenland from Denmark, but failed to reach any agreement.

In 1946, the United States offered to pay $100 million (equivalent to $1.2 billion; £970 million today) for the area, considering it vital to national security, but the Danish government refused.

Trump also tried to buy Greenland during his first term. Both Denmark and Greenland's government rejected the 2019 proposal, saying: “Greenland is not for sale.”

Kono Venker, a member of the Greenlandic parliament for Inatsissartut, said on Wednesday that he did not see Trump's comments as a threat.

Venker, who supports Greenlandic independence, told the BBC that a sovereign Greenland could choose to cooperate with the United States on defence.

But when Trump first raised the idea of ​​buying Greenland in 2019, many locals opposed it He told the BBC They were opposed to the proposal.

“It's a very dangerous idea,” said Dennis Michaelsen, a tour operator who was born and raised in Tasiilaq, eastern Greenland.

“He treats us like a commodity he can buy,” said Alika Hammond, Greenland's first female prime minister.

“He's not even talking to Greenland – he's talking to Denmark about buying Greenland.”