# How valuable would Greenland be to the United States? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 16, 2019, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-valuable-would-greenland-be-to-the-united-states/838752 "2019-08-16T16:26:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2019, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-valuable-would-greenland-be-to-the-united-states/838752/1 "2019-08-16T16:26:49Z")
Let’s ignore for now how ridiculous it may look for the [Trump administration to be expressing interest in buying Greenland from Denmark](https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/16/politics/greenland-donald-trump-denmark/index.html), or how much of a political non-starter it may be to the Danes. How valuable is Greenland to Denmark and the US, and what price would it be worth to buy it for? Is it vaguely comparable to buying Alaska from Russia? It would give the U.S. a direct staging base in terms of the ongoing territorial issues with Arctic shipping lanes, potential fossil fuels in the Arctic, etc. What would a realistic buying price be? Is having Greenland a source of great pride to Danes? How much does the Danish government or populace really care about Greenland - is it akin to a homeowner who has a lot of stuff in the garage he doesn’t care about, but when someone wants to buy it, he suddenly can’t let go? ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2019, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-valuable-would-greenland-be-to-the-united-states/838752/2 "2019-08-16T16:43:15Z")
Can’t the US just rent it for a while and see how it goes for everyone? ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2019, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-valuable-would-greenland-be-to-the-united-states/838752/3 "2019-08-16T16:47:32Z")
It’s cold, and there’s a lot of Lutherans there. Sorry, we don’t want it - we already got Minnesota. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2019, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-valuable-would-greenland-be-to-the-united-states/838752/4 "2019-08-16T16:55:25Z")
Where the hell is _Minnesota_? ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2019, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-valuable-would-greenland-be-to-the-united-states/838752/5 "2019-08-16T17:09:12Z")
It’s probably very valuable, with lots of natural resources (both discovered and undiscovered). This is an idea that, presuming the price was right, would be beneficial to the country, IMO. But it’s got almost no chance of happening, largely because Greenland is self-governing, in my understanding. Maybe if we offered every single Greenlander $1 million dollars, they’d agree. I’m not sure if the “right” price is ~$55 billion. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2019, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-valuable-would-greenland-be-to-the-united-states/838752/6 "2019-08-16T17:09:58Z")
> **[Reasons of State: Why Didn’t Denmark Sell Greenland?](https://gwern.net/greenland)** > > Denmark turned down 100m USD from the USA; I discuss how this was a bad idea Seems like the Danes shouldn’t be quick to turn down $10 billion. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2019, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-valuable-would-greenland-be-to-the-united-states/838752/7 "2019-08-16T17:16:22Z")
In the short term, not much. but when global warming takes full effect, it will be a paradise. You’ll be on your knees thanking trump when you have to move to [del]Green[/del]Trumpland. ---
**Author:** ![Corry\_El](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@Corry\_El](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corry_El)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2019, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-valuable-would-greenland-be-to-the-united-states/838752/8 "2019-08-16T17:18:59Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > …or how much of a political non-starter it may be to the Danes. > > … Is it vaguely comparable to buying Alaska from Russia? The biggest difference is that Russia was an absolute monarchy and the popular will of the small population of Russian Alaska didn’t factor in much if at all. And popular opinion in the rest of Russia would only have mattered if selling AK had been something that would generate a revolution (assuming the monarchy could even have conceived of that). Greenland is now an ‘autonomous country’ part of the Kingdom of Denmark, a constitutional monarchy with essentially 100% of political power in the hands of the elected govt. Besides the legalities of whether the Danish govt actually retains the right to sell Greenland (I don’t know) I would think it a complete political non-starter in Denmark to do so without the approval of Greenlanders, say in a plebiscite. There might be opposition in Denmark even if it was approved (especially less than overwhelmingly) in Greenland. Greenland independence is an active issue. There’s a presumption in Danish politics of a right to self determination by Greenland. Note that the US had an official agreement with Danish authorities outside Denmark giving the US control and responsibility for defense of Greenland from 1941 to the end of WWII (having de facto controlled it since 1940, after the German occupation of Denmark, via the US Coast Guard). In that sense it’s maybe a smidgen less than a 100% crazy idea. But only a smidgen. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2019, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-valuable-would-greenland-be-to-the-united-states/838752/9 "2019-08-16T17:32:59Z")
People asked this question about the upper peninsula of Michigan after we conquered Ohio and stole it from them\*. The mineral and forest wealth was more than enough to compensate for the gift of Toledo that we have to Ohio. \*some details may subject to interpretation ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2019, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-valuable-would-greenland-be-to-the-united-states/838752/10 "2019-08-16T17:48:23Z")
I bet Donald looked at a globe for the first time in his life, saw Greenland, and thought “Wow, it must be green there! I bet I could build golf courses there if the US owned it!” ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2019, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-valuable-would-greenland-be-to-the-united-states/838752/11 "2019-08-16T18:03:04Z")
It would be the obvious next step in the strategic encirclement of Canada. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2019, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-valuable-would-greenland-be-to-the-united-states/838752/12 "2019-08-16T18:13:06Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > [https://www.gwern.net/Greenland](https://www.gwern.net/Greenland) > > Seems like the Danes shouldn’t be quick to turn down $10 billion. Danes have honour and integrity, for the most part, unlike some I could mention. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2019, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-valuable-would-greenland-be-to-the-united-states/838752/13 "2019-08-16T18:14:07Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > It would be the obvious next step in the strategic encirclement of Canada. Shouldn’t we buy the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans first? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2019, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-valuable-would-greenland-be-to-the-united-states/838752/14 "2019-08-16T18:48:33Z")
Don’t give him ideas. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2019, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-valuable-would-greenland-be-to-the-united-states/838752/15 "2019-08-16T18:52:05Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Maybe if we offered every single Greenlander $1 million dollars, they’d agree. I’m not sure if the “right” price is ~$55 billion. If getting Greenland only required a majority vote out of the 55,000 Greenlanders, then it wouldn’t even need $55 billion. It could be “$1 million for every Greenlander who agrees to the deal” and then, you’d only need 51 percent of them to vote yes. Although I think it might take more than a million dollars apiece to induce them to move out, but again, this is would be a reverse-bidding auction. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2019, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-valuable-would-greenland-be-to-the-united-states/838752/16 "2019-08-16T18:54:52Z")
Who’s the idiot who bought Trump Risk for his birthday? ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2019, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-valuable-would-greenland-be-to-the-united-states/838752/17 "2019-08-16T19:10:48Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > People asked this question about the upper peninsula of Michigan after we conquered Ohio and stole it from them\*. The mineral and forest wealth was more than enough to compensate for the gift of Toledo that we have to Ohio. > > \*some details may subject to interpretation As an Ohioan, I learned that we lost the war and had to keep Toledo. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2019, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-valuable-would-greenland-be-to-the-united-states/838752/18 "2019-08-16T19:14:42Z")
The loser of the Toledo War was Wisconsin. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2019, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-valuable-would-greenland-be-to-the-united-states/838752/19 "2019-08-16T19:18:32Z")
By now, the Danes and Greenlanders should be past their incredulity and well into derision. Anyone know of any good political cartoons, late-night comics, online snark etc. from there yet? ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2019, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-valuable-would-greenland-be-to-the-united-states/838752/20 "2019-08-16T19:20:02Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > Danes have honour and integrity, for the most part, unlike some I could mention. It isn’t even the Danes to sell. Although part of the kingdom of Denmark, Greenland is an autonomous nation. It would be like trying to buy Canada from the UK. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-valuable-would-greenland-be-to-the-united-states/838752.md?page=2)