It is no secret that Donald Trump has desires to take over Greenland.
A US delegation's planned visit to the Arctic territory this week has put Mr Trump's ambitions back in the spotlight, with Greenland's outgoing Prime Minister Mute Egede calling the trip a "provocation".
US Vice-President JD Vance is set to visit the US military base at Pituffik in northern Greenland on Friday. However, an earlier plan for his wife Usha to visit a popular dog-sled race was called off amid local protests.
So, what is it about Greenland that interests Mr Trump?
Here is what we know.
Why does Trump want Greenland so badly?
Greenland sits in one of the most strategically important regions in the world.
On the first day of his second term as president, Mr Trump stated that the US needed control over Greenland for its national interest.
There are two main reasons:
- It's getting easier for ships to sail through Arctic waters between Europe, Russia and North America because ice is melting in the Arctic due to ongoing warming of the Earth's surface and ocean
- Greenland has rich untapped mineral resources and oil and gas, but development has been slow
This week, Mr Trump doubled down on his suggestion that America should take over Greenland.
"I think Greenland is going to be something that maybe is in our future," he said.
Mr Trump iterated that the island was important for US national security. The US president has not clarified how or when he aims to annex it, but he has not ruled out using military or economic power.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday local time his government believed Mr Trump was serious about the annexation and that his plans were not "some extravagant talk".
"We are talking about serious plans on the American side with regard to Greenland. These plans have long-standing historical roots," he told a forum in Murmansk.
Mr Putin also said Russia was prepared to defend its interests in the Arctic if NATO member nations were to use the region as a "springboard for possible conflicts".
Acquiring Greenland could also help the US gain a military upper hand at a time of growing Russian and Chinese interest in the Arctic.
Who does Greenland belong to?
Denmark owns and runs Greenland as a semi-autonomous territory.
Greenland's colonial history begins with the Norwegian priest Hans Egede, who arrived in 1721 to establish missions in the country.
Greenland was a Danish colony until 1953, when it was redefined as a district of Denmark.
It was not until 1979 that Greenland established its first government, which has extensive self-governing rights, including its government and its parliament.
However, the island's foreign policy, defence and national security, judicial and legal affairs and the monetary system remain under the control of Danish jurisdiction.
Greenlandic has been the official language on the island since 2009.
The vast island's economy mainly relies on fishing and grants from Denmark.
Is there a history of America trying to take control of Greenland?
Yes, it goes back to the 19th century.
In 1865, then American President Andrew Johnson's Secretary of State William H Seward presented a proposal to the Danish government to buy Greenland and Iceland, after purchasing Alaska from the Russian Empire.
Denmark and the US entered negotiations, but a deal on the Arctic island was never struck.
"It's not until World War I that the topic really becomes of importance, not just in the US, but in several other European — and indeed British — imperial countries," John Mitcham, chair of the history department at Duquesne University, told the ABC.
"It's World War I that marks this watershed of the great imperial annexation, of schemes, the plotting, the backroom deals that are taking place in an attempt to sort of redraw global boundaries."
During World War II, the US occupied Greenland in the interests of national security after Germany took control of Denmark.
In 1949, the tug of war was ultimately settled when the US agreed to give up its claim to stay after Denmark joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
How have Denmark and Greenland reacted?
The Greenland government, Naalakkersuisut, is now in a caretaker phase following a parliamentary election won by the Democrats this month.
Jens-Frederik Nielsen, leader of the Democrats, called for political unity and criticised the timing of the planned US visit announced earlier this week, initially led by Vice President JD Vance's wife, Usha Vance, during coalition talks with municipal elections due next week.
"We must not be forced into a power game that we ourselves have not chosen to be a part of," Mr Nielsen said.
Similarly, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen called the visit "problematic" and showed "a lack of respect".
"These are not random tourists. And you sense it is a signal. It is a charm offensive to pull Greenland towards the United States," Mr Lokke Rasmussen said.
"There is no appetite for this neither in Greenland nor in the Kingdom (of Denmark) and it is therefore not good timing."
It has since been revealed that Mr Vance will attend the trip by himself.
All five political parties in Greenland's parliament have said they do not want the territory to become part of the US.
An opinion poll published in February also indicated that 85 per cent of Greenlanders are opposed, with nearly half saying they see Mr Trump's interest as a threat, according to Reuters.
Where is Greenland?
The world's largest island, Greenland lies in the North Atlantic Ocean, covering around 2.16 million square kilometres, which is almost one-third of Australia.
[datawrapper map of Greenland's location]Greenland's closest neighbour — Canada — is only 26 kilometres away, while Iceland is the nearest country to Greenland in Europe, with a distance of about 321 kilometres in between.
Two-thirds of Greenland lies above the Arctic Circle.
The sun does not set from May 25 to July 25 in Greenland, with June 21 being the longest day of the year and a national holiday.
ABC/wires
