Greenland: Why is this huge polar island so important?

Why in the NEWS?

America's newly elected President Donald Trump says that America should take control of Greenland and the Panama Canal because both of them are very important for America's national security.

Key Points:

Remote, icy and mostly pristine, Greenland plays a huge role in the daily weather experienced by billions of people and in the climate changes that occur across the planet.
Greenland is a place where climate change, scarce resources, tense geopolitics and new trade patterns all intersect.
The world's largest island has now "in many ways become the centre of geopolitical, geo-economics competition," partly because of climate change.
Since his first term, President-elect Donald Trump has shown interest in acquiring Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, a long-time US ally and a founding member of NATO.
It is also home to a large US military base.

The melting of the Greenland ice sheet is increasing due to climate change.
The region is warming four times faster, causing a rapid reduction in the volume of ice.
Greenland's ice melt is a major cause of global sea level rise.
Melting ice increases the amount of freshwater dissolved in the ocean, which affects ocean currents and can cause imbalances in the climate.

Greenland's ice melt affects global weather patterns and sea levels.
Melting ice leads to a rise in sea levels, increasing the risk of flooding in coastal areas.
Greenland acts as the engine for a major ocean current, the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC).
When the ice melts, the flow of freshwater into the ocean increases, slowing down the AMOC.
This can result in colder weather and changes in climate patterns in Europe and North America.

Greenland is seen as a "global thermostat" in terms of the effects of climate change.
If Greenland's ice melts completely, it can dramatically alter the weather patterns of the entire Earth.
In addition, Greenland plays an important role in climate change and global politics due to its ice density.
Many countries have economic and strategic interests in this region, as it has mineral, oil and gas reserves.

The melting of Greenland ice can cause sea level rise, increasing the risk of flooding in coastal areas.
The melting of this ice changes the state of sea water and affects ocean currents.
According to a 2022 study, up to a foot of zombie ice (which is already doomed to melt) from the Greenland ice sheet could end up in the ocean.

Greenland is also of great importance from a geopolitical point of view, as it is located between the United States, Russia and Europe.
There is competition among these countries for effective control over Greenland.
Due to the strategic and economic importance of Greenland, many countries are striving to increase their presence in the region.