Is Greenland Part of North America? Geologically, Yes

Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. While it has its own Greenlandic government, including a prime minister and parliament, it remains a constituent country within the Danish realm.

Denmark handles foreign affairs and defense, while Greenland manages public affairs through the Self Government Act passed in 2009.

Greenland has had home rule since 1979, and in 2009, the Self-Government Act expanded its autonomy, recognizing Greenlanders as a people with the right to self-determination under international law.

Some Greenlandic people continue to advocate for full independence. The island's political structure includes parties like Siumut (a social democratic party) and Inuit Ataqatigiit.

Kalaallisut (West Greenlandic) is the official language, while Danish and English are also widely spoken.

The Danish monarch remains the formal head of state, and the Danish government influences policies that affect Greenland, such as those related to military bases and foreign investment.

Greenland is the world's largest island that is not a continent. It spans roughly 2.16 million square kilometers (836,000 square miles) — including offshore islands — stretching from southern Greenland near the Atlantic to northern Greenland toward the North Pole.

With deep fjords and towering glaciers, Greenland's landscape is shaped by ice — especially the Greenland Ice Sheet, which covers about 80 percent of the country's landmass.

Northern Greenland is home to some of the coldest areas and oldest ice, while western Greenland is where most of the population lives. East Greenland features, well, more ice, while Southern Greenland has more greenery during the summer and historically attracted Norse settlements.

This ice sheet holds clues to climate history. Ice cores from Greenland reveal changes that occurred during the Ice Age and Little Ice Age, and they continue to provide insight into global warming and climate change today.

The idea might sound like a plot twist, but it's not fiction. In 2019, there was widespread talk about whether the U.S. could buy Greenland.

American interest isn't new; the U.S. had proposed buying Greenland in 1946, largely for strategic military purposes. The Thule Air Base in northwest Greenland is already a key site for U.S. defense.

Despite curiosity from the outside world, Greenland belongs to the Danish government as part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and the Greenland government made it clear they were not for sale.

The idea of trying to buy Greenland sparked renewed discussions about national identity and self-government. Greenland's economy and autonomy are matters of pride for its people.

Geographically, Greenland sits on the North American tectonic plate. It lies to the northeast of Canada and is separated from it by the Davis Strait and Baffin Bay.

The island has historical and cultural links to North America, especially through Inuit populations who are direct descendants of Arctic peoples found in Alaska and northern Canada.

Despite its political ties to Denmark, Greenland is technically part of the North American continent. Its earliest Norse settlements came from Iceland and Norway, but its Indigenous people have strong roots in the Arctic regions of North America.

The Greenland ice sheet is a crucial archive of climate data. Scientists drill ice cores that show how atmospheric conditions have changed over time. These ice records help track global warming and predict future climate change. Melting ice from Greenland contributes significantly to rising sea levels.

Greenland's glaciers and ice fields are monitored for signs of accelerated melting. As temperatures rise, the stability of the ice sheet becomes a growing concern, with potential impacts on global sea levels. Greenland's role in understanding Earth's climate past and future cannot be overstated.

Greenland's economy is small but resource-rich. Fishing is the backbone of Greenland's economy, accounting for over 90% of exports. While there has been interest in oil extraction and gas exploration, these activities are controversial due to environmental risks and the effects of climate change.​

Historically, the economy faced trade limitations like the European Economic Community (EEC) ban on seal products. Today, Greenland seeks economic diversification to gain more independence. Discussions around attracting settlers and foreign investment often involve Greenlandic government officials and the Danish government.

Most of Greenland's 56,000 residents live along the coast, where the climate is less extreme. The capital city, Nuuk, is the cultural and political center. Life in Greenland is shaped by its environment: ice, isolation and a close-knit population.

From northern outposts to southern fishing towns, Greenlandic people maintain traditions that go back centuries. The island's Inuit heritage is a vital part of its national identity, and there's pride in maintaining cultural autonomy despite outside influence from Europe and other countries.

We created this article in conjunction with AI technology, then made sure it was fact-checked and edited by a HowStuffWorks editor.