Latest news with #Mercator
First Post
5 hours ago
- General
- First Post
Tiny Africa, Massive Europe: Why World Maps are Lying to You Vantage with Palki Sharma
Tiny Africa, Massive Europe: Why World Maps are Lying to You | Vantage with Palki Sharma | N18G Tiny Africa, Massive Europe: Why World Maps are Lying to You | Vantage with Palki Sharma | N18G The world map you grew up with is wrong- and it's not just a small mistake. The Mercator projection, used in schools and online maps for centuries, drastically distorts the true size of countries. Africa looks tiny. Europe appears massive. Greenland rivals whole continents. But none of that is accurate. Now, cartographers and campaigners are pushing for change, urging institutions to adopt fairer, more accurate representations of our planet. See More
Al Jazeera
6 days ago
- General
- Al Jazeera
‘US, China, India can all fit into Africa': On a quest to fix the world map
When Abimbola Ogundairo saw a pretty wooden map she thought would be great decor for her walls, she did something most regular buyers wouldn't think of: She messaged the manufacturers with a simple, yet charged question. 'Which map projection did you use?' she asked, referring to the method of representing maps on a flat plane. The sellers never responded, but Ogundairo suspected they used a problematic projection. Discouraged, she refused to place an order. Ogundairo's obsession with map projections is not random. The 28-year-old is leading an African-led campaign to get more of global institutions and schools to immediately stop using the Mercator Map projection – the most common version of the world map that is generally recognised – because it shrinks Africa, and much of the Global South, while disproportionately enlarging the rich and powerful regions of the world. Greenland, for example, is shown to be relatively the same size as Africa, but, in reality, can fit in the continent 14 times over. Europe, portrayed as bigger than South America, is actually half its size. Advocates like Ogundairo are pushing instead for 'equal area' map projections, which they say more accurately represent the prominence of the African continent. Since early May, Ogundairo, as lead campaigner at Africa No Filter, a nonprofit working to change negative perceptions of Africa, has hassled big institutions like the United Nations with a 'Correct the World' campaign. People are encouraged to sign an online petition to pressure their governments into compliance. Most people, Ogundairo said, don't know about the distortions and react with surprise and outrage. 'We've had a lot of, 'Oh my God, I didn't even know this was happening,'' Ogundairo told Al Jazeera. 'I have an uncle who decided to support this because I told him you can fit the US, China, and India into Africa, and he felt so betrayed. He was like 'Oh my God, I had no idea.'' Institutions have been harder to crack, Ogundairo said, but she expected some resistance to this sensitive, controversial topic. For centuries, experts have debated the question: Can anyone accurately depict a three-dimensional, spherical world on a flat surface? Is it possible to take a rounded object, like a football, for example, cut it up, paste it on a board, and have a precise representation? Many experts conclude the answer is a resounding no. Maps, they say, are inherently a lie, always compromising on something: Area, distance, or something else. Others, though, argue that near-perfect maps exist and must be believes the commonly used Mercator map affects Africa and Africans negatively, and that its widespread use for centuries is connected to the many decades of colonialism the continent endured. Now, she said, some 70 years after independence from colonial masters, is the time to press for change. 'We live in a world where size is often equated with power,' Ogundairo said, adding that the Mercator map feeds tropes that Africa is a country. 'It has a damaging impact on the way we make decisions in our everyday lives, on how we make business decisions, the way we dream, and even the way non-Africans view the continent as a tourist destination and an investment destination. It's the most lingering lie about Africa,' she said. Cartographers as far back as the early 20th century knew the Mercator projection was problematic. Developed by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator in 1599, the projection was one of the first ever to represent arched, imaginary sailing courses as visible, straight lines. Its simplicity for sea navigation cemented its popularity at the time, but its huge errors soon became hard to ignore. 'It preserves shapes and angles, and that's good for navigation, but it's terrible for scale,' geography professor Lindsay Frederick Braun of the University of Oregon said of the Mercator map. The map is most suitable for local area mapping and is used by digital platforms like Google Maps. When enlarged into a world map, though, Mercator becomes problematic, Braun said. The map's mistakes were not likely to be a conspiracy against Africa or the Global South, but its continued use, he added, is inherently political. 'Part of the reason Mercator got wide use is because it was widely available for nautical charts, but also because it rings true as a vision of the world to the people who were looking at it, the people whose countries are a little bigger.' Several map projections over time have tried to fill Mercator's gaps, but all of them compromise on one or more factors. That has made it hard for social justice crusaders looking to support a projection that better represents the Global South. One cartographer's claims, though, shook the cartography world in 1973, causing an outpouring of condemnation on the one hand, and on the other, a loyal cult following. German activist Arno Peters declared his Peters Projection as the 'only' precise map, and the true alternative to the Mercator model. Peters, whose parents had been imprisoned by Nazis and who focused on social inequalities as a journalist and academic criticised the Mercator projection as 'Euro-centred'. The fervour with which he and his supporters promoted the projection as a scientific feat and a social justice breakthrough bordered on what some called propaganda. It caused concerned groups like the United States National Council of Churches to take notice and immediately adopt the map. Critics, though, were quick to call out Peters on two things. The map, observers pointed out, was only distorted differently: Where the Mercator projection makes areas near the poles appear much larger, the Peters projection relatively represents accurate sizes throughout, but slightly stretches areas near the equator vertically, and areas near the poles horizontally. 'There was also the fact that this map had already been presented by another cartographer decades ago,' Braun said, explaining the second problem. Scottish scientist James Gall indeed first published an identical projection in a science journal in 1855, but it went unnoticed. There is no proof, some researchers say, that Peters outrightly plagiarised Gall, but critics say his failure to credit the earlier researcher is still problematic. In 2016, the debate resurfaced with renewed vigour after public schools in the US city of Boston switched to what many now refer to as the 'Gall-Peters' projection. Officials said the move was part of a three-year effort to 'decolonise the curriculum'. Teachers said they were amazed to see students questioning their view of the world after the switch. However, many experts and map enthusiasts were annoyed by the fact that Boston chose Peters, and as such, gave the projection renewed relevance. Al Jazeera reached out to the Boston Public Schools (BPS) for comment. Amid the Boston schools' drama, one group of researchers decided they'd had enough of Peters and set out to do something. Cartographer Bernard Jenny, who teaches immersive visualisation at Australia's Monash University, said he was approached by Tom Patterson, a retired cartographer with the UN National Parks, for the task. Together with software engineer Bojan Savric, the team in 2018 created an equal area map they called the 'Equal Earth' projection. That version, which sees Africa expand impressively, is increasingly seen as the closest thing to a perfect area map. It's the same one Ogundairo's team is pushing for. 'But that's maybe a slightly pretentious name,' Jenny laughed over a Zoom call, explaining that Equal Earth is still not a perfect representation of the Earth. 'We were just tired of the Peters resurgence and wondered why people would go with that when it's not even the best in terms of anything,' he new projection tries to correct the Robinson projection, created in 1963 by American Arthur H Robinson. Many scientists use Robinson's map because it is more visually balanced, although it compromises on area, size and scale, and particularly enlarges areas close to the north and south poles. 'We tried to come up with a version of Robinson that does not distort area,' Jenny explained. 'So we stretched it in a way such that the different areas are not enlarged or shrunken. So Greenland is 14 times smaller than Africa on the globe, and it's also 14 times smaller on the Equal Earth map.' Jenny said the team never set out specifically to correct some of the most highlighted errors of the Mercator projection. Subconsciously, though, he said, they knew they wanted their map to better represent historically distorted regions like Africa. 'I would guess any reasonable geographer would support that idea,' the scientist said. Equal Earth rose in popularity after a NASA scientist saw it online right after it was published, and the organisation immediately switched to it. The World Bank, too, has picked it up. The institution, since 2013, has experimented with different projections, including the Robinson map, but in 2024 settled on the Equal Earth map. 'The World Bank Group is committed to ensuring accurate representation of all people, on all platforms,' a spokesperson told Al Jazeera. Progress is slow but steady, Ogundairo of Africa No Filter said. Prominent organisations changing their stances means a universal pivot is possible, she said. Yet, there's much more work to be done by Africans, she added. Just as Mercator painted an image that prominently represented his part of the world, Africans, too, need to lead the way in pushing for what they want, Ogundairo said. One missing factor is that Africans have not insisted enough on change, in her view. It's why her campaign is also urging African countries and the African Union to be particular about how they are represented on the map. 'It's always going to start with us,' Ogundairo said. 'Unless you learn to tell your story, someone else will tell it for you. We need to say, regardless of why they choose to do whatever it is they did, we see the truth. This is the story we want to tell now. This is how we want to show up visually on a map.'
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Graphano Engages Mercator for NI 43-101 Resource Estimate and Launches Exploration at Black Pearl Project
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 6, 2025) - Graphano Energy Ltd. (TSXV: GEL) (OTC Pink: GELEF) (FSE: 97G0) ("Graphano" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has engaged Mercator Geological Services Limited ("Mercator"), an independent geological consulting firm based in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, to prepare a National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101") compliant mineral resource estimate. Concurrently, the Company has initiated an exploration program focused on the Black Pearl graphite property in Québec, Canada. Engagement of Mercator Geological Services The engagement of Mercator marks a significant milestone for Graphano as the Company advances toward development of its several mineral projects. The resource estimate will incorporate both recent and historical exploration data, including Graphano drilling programs conducted between 2021 and 2024. It will cover three of the eight mineralized zones at the Lac Aux Bouleaux project – Zone 1, Zone 3, and the Historical Pit – as well as the Standard Mine project. The resulting NI 43-101 resource estimates will serve as the foundation for upcoming technical and economic studies and planning for a producing future. "We are pleased to work with Mercator, a firm with deep experience in NI 43-101 resource reporting," said Dr. Luisa Moreno, President and CEO of Graphano. "This step is critical in demonstrating the value of our assets and positioning the Company for the next phase of growth. Coupled with our new exploration efforts at Black Pearl, we are laying the groundwork for long-term resource expansion and shareholder value." Black Pearl Exploration Program Underway In parallel with the resource estimation work, Graphano has commenced an exploration program, which targets a new graphite discovery made by Graphano in 2024 on the Black Pearl graphite property. As reported by Graphano on July 16, 2024, the new graphite discovery returned surface channel sample results including 15.1% Cg over 14 metres (m) and 17.9% Cg over 9 m. This discovery of important grades and thicknesses of graphite mineralization within geological units, similar to the major graphite deposits of the Lac des Iles region, confirm the excellent potential of this previously unexplored area. The current program, carried out by St-Pierre Exploration of Amos, Québec, is focused on delineating the extent of the kilometre-long mineralized trend, with the objective of advancing the zone to drill-ready status. "Black Pearl is an exciting grassroots discovery with potential to host a large and high-grade graphite system," added Dr. Moreno. "We're acting quickly to define its scale and incorporate it into our broader development strategy." Black Pearl Discovery Highlights (News Release July 16, 2024) Discovered through prospecting by St-Pierre Exploration of Amos, Québec. 42 channel samples collected within an approximate 1,200 m2 stripped bedrock area averaged 13.2% graphitic carbon (Cg). Channel sample results include 15.1% Cg over 14 m and 17.9% Cg over 9 m. Grab samples of mineralized bedrock from hand dug trenches 700 malong trend to the northeast of the discovery stripping area returned grades of 20.1% Cg and 15.6% Cg. The Black Pearl graphite trend has been outlined by prospecting and limited ground geophysical surveys for an approximate strike length of 1,000 m and remains open. The geophysical surveys indicate a wide conductive corridor (75 to 150 m in width) hosting multiple anomalies associated with graphite mineralization. The immediate extensions of this recently discovered prospective trend, as well as the remainder of the claim group remain unexplored to date. (Note: All channel sample results reported are based on bedrock surface widths, true widths of mineralization will be determined with drilling programs). About Mercator Geological Services Mercator is a Canadian consulting firm specializing in geological modeling, mineral exploration, and preparation of NI 43-101 compliant technical reports across a broad range of commodities. About St-Pierre Exploration St-Pierre Exploration is a Québec-based geological services firm headquartered in Amos. The company provides field support, project design, and technical expertise for mineral exploration programs across the province. About Graphano Energy Graphano Energy Ltd. is an exploration and development company that is focused on evaluating, acquiring, and developing energy metals resources from exploration to production. Graphite is one of the most in-demand technology minerals that is required for a green and sustainable world. The Company's Lac Aux Bouleaux property, situated adjacent to Canada's only producing graphite mine, in Quebec, Canada, has historically been an active area for natural graphite. With the demand for graphite growing in some of the most prominent and cutting-edge industries, such as lithium batteries in electric cars and other energy storage technologies, the Company is developing its project to meet the demands of the future. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, Luisa MorenoChief Executive Officer and Director E: info@ Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, without limitation, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "potential", "possible", and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results "will", "may", "could", or "should" occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements in this news release relate to, among other things, the preparation and timing of the NI 43-101 compliant mineral resource estimate; the use of such estimate for future technical and economic studies; the advancement of the Black Pearl property to a drill-ready status; the potential of the Black Pearl graphite trend; expectations regarding resource expansion and shareholder value; and the Company's development plans and market outlook for graphite. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by Graphano, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and the parties have made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation, risks associated with possible accidents and other risks associated with mineral exploration operations, the risk that the Company will encounter unanticipated geological factors, risks associated with the interpretation of exploration results, the possibility that the Company may not be able to secure permitting and other governmental clearances necessary to carry out the Company's exploration plans, the risk that the Company will not be able to raise sufficient funds to carry out its business plans, and the risk of political uncertainties and regulatory or legal changes that might interfere with the Company's business and prospects. These risks, as well as others, are disclosed within the Company's filing on SEDAR+ at the Canadian Securities Administrators' national system that all market participants use for filings and disclosure, which investors are encouraged to review prior to any transaction involving the securities of the Company. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release concerning these items. Graphano does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by applicable securities laws. To view the source version of this press release, please visit
Telegraph
28-03-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Why does Donald Trump actually want Greenland?
Donald Trump wants the United States to buy Greenland for its strategically vital resources, to bolster US security and give China a bloody nose. But he also wants to strike his largest ever real estate deal because Greenland is 'massive', he 'loves maps' and because he is very, very stubborn. Who owns Greenland? World's largest island To impress his billionaire allies Space base and missile defence Russia and China's arctic alliance Treasure trove of rare minerals Can Trump even buy Greenland? What is Greenland's response? Who owns Greenland? Mr Trump's desire to swell the US with a territory roughly the size of Texas and Alaska combined is nothing new. He tried to bounce Denmark into selling Greenland, which is geographically in North America, during his first presidency – but was rebuffed. Mr Trump cancelled a 2019 state visit and branded Mette Frederiksen, Denmark's prime minister, 'nasty' after she said the idea was 'absurd'. Like all hard-nosed negotiators, Mr Trump doesn't take no for an answer and took the chance of naming his ambassador to Denmark to revive the demand this weekend. As his son Donald Trump Junior arrived for a visit to Greenland, Mr Trump declared: 'I am hearing that the people of Greenland are 'MAGA'.' He added: 'Greenland is an incredible place, and the people will benefit tremendously if, and when, it becomes part of our nation. We will protect it, and cherish it, from a very vicious outside world. MAKE GREENLAND GREAT AGAIN!'. Greenland is beautiful!!! 🇬🇱 — Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) January 7, 2025 World's largest island Greenland is a very large, strategically important landmass. 'You take a look at a map. I'm a real estate developer,' Mr Trump said in an interview for The Divider, a book by The New York Times' Peter Baker and The New Yorker's Susan Glasser. 'I love maps. And I always said: 'Look at the size of this. It's massive. That should be part of the United States',' he added. However, Greenland is actually much smaller than it appears on maps because of the Mercator projection, which makes it look a similar size to Africa. The projection is used to create flat maps but makes landmasses larger the further away from the Equator they are. To impress his billionaire allies Mr Trump reportedly insists that the idea of making America's largest land buy since the Alaska Purchase in 1867 is all his own. But according to The Divider, Mr Trump got the idea from Ronald Lauder, a billionaire heir to the Estée Lauder cosmetics fortune. Mr Lauder, 80, a longtime friend of Mr Trump and a New York-born political activist, reportedly offered himself as a back channel negotiator with the Danish government. Some Left-leaning commentators have branded Mr Trump's coveting of Greenland as a neo-colonist urge to emulate nationalist autocrats like Vladimir Putin. The United States has history when it comes to buying land. Its last land purchase was 1917's acquisition of the US Virgin Islands … from Denmark. Before then it bought Alaska from the Russian Empire (which was widely seen as an expensive mistake until gold and oil were discovered there), Louisiana from France, as well as territory from Mexico and the Philippines, now independent, from Spain. Space base and missile defence The US offered Denmark $100 million (£79 million) for Greenland after the Second World War. Washington instead secured a defence treaty centred on a US military base on Greenland. Pituffik Space Base, formerly Thule Air Base, has been strategically vital ever since the first years of the Cold War. It is the US military's most northerly outpost and is a vital location for missile defence and space surveillance, housing America's solid state phased array radar system, known colloquially as the ballistic missile early warning system radar network. Buying Greenland would ensure continued access to the base, although there is no suggestion that it is at risk. Mr Trump, nevertheless, is adamant he wants Greenland for national security reasons. 'For purposes of national security and freedom throughout the world, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity,' the president said on social media. Aside from the base, Greenland is on strategic sea lanes like the Northwest Passage and the Greenland-Iceland-UK gap, and is beneath Arctic flight paths. It is on the shortest route from North America to Europe. Russia and China's Arctic alliance Moscow and Beijing have been working hand in glove to bolster their influence in the Arctic, which is a key region for transportation and resources. Climate change could mean new waterways and new territories for settlement being opened, raising the likelihood of a race for the Arctic amid competing superpowers. Chinese leaders see the region as a new crossroads of the world, a new source of raw materials and new avenues for manifesting its growing power, the US defence department has said. In 2019, Republican politicians warned China was trying to build airports on Greenland and even buy an old American naval base there. Beijing's activities are being facilitated by Russia, which continues to invest heavily in both military and economic terms in the Arctic despite its illegal war in Ukraine. US officials have also been concerned by joint Russian-Chinese military drills in the area, which seem aimed at Washington and its Nato allies. Buying Greenland would be a show of strength from the US at a time when its rivals are encroaching into the region. Treasure trove of rare minerals Greenland is a potential treasure trove of natural resources, including rare earth minerals. These minerals are vital for high-end military, green energy and industrial technologies but their production and supply is dominated by China. Beijing last month imposed export controls on the minerals in response to US controls on advanced semiconductors. Some 37 of the 50 minerals seen as 'critical' by the US could be found in moderate or high quantities in Greenland, based on a 2023 survey. Lessening US dependence on Chinese supplies would be a geopolitical boost but some experts point out that buying Greenland would mean subsidising an area with the lowest per capita disposable income of any Arctic region except Russia. Greenland's ice-sheet boasts 7 per cent of the world's fresh water and its undeveloped oil and gas resources are thought to be the third largest in the Arctic. Can Trump even buy Greenland? There is no guarantee that the almost 57,000 Greenlanders will be willing to become part of the US. In 2009, the island assumed self-rule from Denmark under an agreement that gives it the right to one day declare independence. By becoming part of the US, Greenland would gain independence from one country while coming under the control of another. It would also be an expensive acquisition. In 2019, the Washington Post estimated that Greenland could cost up to $1.7 trillion – on the assumption that the island was up for sale. What is Greenland's response? Múte Egede, Greenland's prime minister, has rebuffed all advances to date. 'We are not for sale and we will not be for sale,' he said in response to Mr Trump's comments, adding: 'We must not lose our long struggle for freedom.'
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Why does Donald Trump actually want Greenland?
X / @justinbwells Donald Trump wants the United States to buy Greenland for its strategically vital resources, to bolster US security and give China a bloody nose. But he also wants to strike his largest ever real estate deal because Greenland is 'massive', he 'loves maps' and because he is very, very stubborn. Who owns Greenland? World's largest island To impress his billionaire allies Space base and missile defence Russia and China's arctic alliance Treasure trove of rare minerals Can Trump even buy Greenland? What is Greenland's response? Mr Trump's desire to swell the US with a territory roughly the size of Texas and Alaska combined is nothing new. He tried to bounce Denmark into selling Greenland, which is geographically in North America, during his first presidency – but was rebuffed. Mr Trump cancelled a 2019 state visit and branded Mette Frederiksen, Denmark's prime minister, 'nasty' after she said the idea was 'absurd'. Like all hard-nosed negotiators, Mr Trump doesn't take no for an answer and took the chance of naming his ambassador to Denmark to revive the demand this weekend. As his son Donald Trump Junior arrived for a visit to Greenland, Mr Trump declared: 'I am hearing that the people of Greenland are 'MAGA'.' Credit: @OJoelsen/@DonaldJTrumpJr/X He added: 'Greenland is an incredible place, and the people will benefit tremendously if, and when, it becomes part of our nation. We will protect it, and cherish it, from a very vicious outside world. MAKE GREENLAND GREAT AGAIN!'. Greenland is a very large, strategically important landmass. 'You take a look at a map. I'm a real estate developer,' Mr Trump said in an interview for The Divider, a book by The New York Times' Peter Baker and The New Yorker's Susan Glasser. 'I love maps. And I always said: 'Look at the size of this. It's massive. That should be part of the United States',' he added. However, Greenland is actually much smaller than it appears on maps because of the Mercator projection, which makes it look a similar size to Africa. The projection is used to create flat maps but makes landmasses larger the further away from the Equator they are. Mr Trump reportedly insists that the idea of making America's largest land buy since the Alaska Purchase in 1867 is all his own. But according to The Divider, Mr Trump got the idea from Ronald Lauder, a billionaire heir to the Estée Lauder cosmetics fortune. Mr Lauder, 80, a longtime friend of Mr Trump and a New York-born political activist, reportedly offered himself as a back channel negotiator with the Danish government. Some Left-leaning commentators have branded Mr Trump's coveting of Greenland as a neo-colonist urge to emulate nationalist autocrats like Vladimir Putin. The United States has history when it comes to buying land. Its last land purchase was 1917's acquisition of the US Virgin Islands … from Denmark. Before then it bought Alaska from the Russian Empire (which was widely seen as an expensive mistake until gold and oil were discovered there), Louisiana from France, as well as territory from Mexico and the Philippines, now independent, from Spain. The US offered Denmark $100 million (£79 million) for Greenland after the Second World War. Washington instead secured a defence treaty centred on a US military base on Greenland. Pituffik Space Base, formerly Thule Air Base, has been strategically vital ever since the first years of the Cold War. It is the US military's most northerly outpost and is a vital location for missile defence and space surveillance, housing America's solid state phased array radar system, known colloquially as the ballistic missile early warning system radar network. Buying Greenland would ensure continued access to the base, although there is no suggestion that it is at risk. Mr Trump, nevertheless, is adamant he wants Greenland for national security reasons. 'For purposes of national security and freedom throughout the world, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity,' the president said on social media. Aside from the base, Greenland is on strategic sea lanes like the Northwest Passage and the Greenland-Iceland-UK gap, and is beneath Arctic flight paths. It is on the shortest route from North America to Europe. Moscow and Beijing have been working hand in glove to bolster their influence in the Arctic, which is a key region for transportation and resources. Climate change could mean new waterways and new territories for settlement being opened, raising the likelihood of a race for the Arctic amid competing superpowers. Chinese leaders see the region as a new crossroads of the world, a new source of raw materials and new avenues for manifesting its growing power, the US defence department has said. In 2019, Republican politicians warned China was trying to build airports on Greenland and even buy an old American naval base there. Beijing's activities are being facilitated by Russia, which continues to invest heavily in both military and economic terms in the Arctic despite its illegal war in Ukraine. US officials have also been concerned by joint Russian-Chinese military drills in the area, which seem aimed at Washington and its Nato allies. Buying Greenland would be a show of strength from the US at a time when its rivals are encroaching into the region. Greenland is a potential treasure trove of natural resources, including rare earth minerals. These minerals are vital for high-end military, green energy and industrial technologies but their production and supply is dominated by China. Beijing last month imposed export controls on the minerals in response to US controls on advanced semiconductors. Some 37 of the 50 minerals seen as 'critical' by the US could be found in moderate or high quantities in Greenland, based on a 2023 survey. Lessening US dependence on Chinese supplies would be a geopolitical boost but some experts point out that buying Greenland would mean subsidising an area with the lowest per capita disposable income of any Arctic region except Russia. Greenland's ice-sheet boasts 7 per cent of the world's fresh water and its undeveloped oil and gas resources are thought to be the third largest in the Arctic. There is no guarantee that the almost 57,000 Greenlanders will be willing to become part of the US. In 2009, the island assumed self-rule from Denmark under an agreement that gives it the right to one day declare independence. By becoming part of the US, Greenland would gain independence from one country while coming under the control of another. It would also be an expensive acquisition. In 2019, the Washington Post estimated that Greenland could cost up to $1.7 trillion – on the assumption that the island was up for sale. Múte Egede, Greenland's prime minister, has rebuffed all advances to date. 'We are not for sale and we will not be for sale,' he said in response to Mr Trump's comments, adding: 'We must not lose our long struggle for freedom.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
