Posted on 06/22/2009 10:34:44 AM PDT by oldmomster
Greenland, the world’s biggest island, made an important step towards its independence on June 21. The island, which is presumably populated by the Eskimos, has been a part of Denmark for over 300 years. The Parliament of Denmark passed the law to expand Greenland’s autonomy at the end of May.
The law asserted the results of the referendum which took place in Greenland last year. About 75 percent of the island’s 63,000-strong population supported the idea to expand the self-administration on the island with 23 percent voting against it.
The new status, which the island will obtain, will give the Greenlanders a right to manage the natural resources of the island. The local authorities will also be able to solve the issues of the judicial and the law-enforcement systems and to partially control Greenland’s foreign politics. The authorities were previously in charge of the island’s healthcare, school education and the social servicing of the population. The majority of Greenlanders are presumably employed in the fish-processing industry.
However, it is too early to speak about Greenland’s independence. Oil is the corner stone of the issue: there are billions of barrels of oil near the island’s coast. Permafrost used to be the major obstacle for the development of the oil industry in Greenland. However, ice continues to melt in the region because of the global warming phenomenon, which opens new horizons for world’s oil giants.
The agreement about the expanded autonomy says that the first 14 million dollars of oil sales revenues will be transferred to the budget of the island. All other revenues will have to be shared 50-50 with Denmark. In addition, Denmark will continue investing in the local economy - $600 million a year (which makes 30 percent of Greenland’s GDP) – until Greenland is able to extract oil in the sum of $1.5 billion.
Many in Denmark believe that the Greenlanders are not ready for their independence. It’s not for the high level of social problems, alcoholism and suicide rate. The majority of Greenland’s qualified specialists come from Denmark. The gap between them and the culture of hunters and fishers is too large.
There is another relevant reason which puts Greenland’s independence into question. The island may quickly become the 51st state of the United State if it acquires sovereignty. The White House has been showing interest in the island since the 20s of the 19th century.
Oh no, Pravda has an unimpeachable source: a Russian scientist who found this out by interviewing the marooned captain of the UFO that exploded over Tunguska in 1908. You see, he was here to try to make contact with the “Trogs,” a mysterious race of technologically advanced amphibians that live deep in the earth’s crust, and who are led by the clone of Elvis Presley.
Oh so I read in Pravda...
bttt
This article probably says far more about the mindset of Pravda (and by extension, Russia) than it does about the mindset of Greenland.
With all due respect, and I don't mean to insult you, but I believe you mean "exorbitant prices."
Yeah, just what we need... a new state full of Scandinavian socialists voting in our elections.
And another state whose natural resources are off limits to exploration by federal restrictions.
Funny thing is, we acquired Alaska specifically for the oil and natural gas.
And yet Congress has made most of it off limits.
No thanks, Greenland.
Total bullcrap. American "interest" was based on Greenland's strategic position near the convoy route to Britain in WWII and later the Soviet route out of it's northern ports and into the Atlantic.
The only base left is Thule, which monitors any possible Russian air activity.
No chance Greenland would have any interest in becoming a State and we shouldn't have any interest in such a money pit.
We should add Newfoundland and Labrador. They have oil and also contol the Churchill hydropower project(which Quebec steals from them).
Fine with me. I want to see Texas leave anyway so this way the people who need round numbers for everything won’t mind us leaving.
Um yaaa, I gonna have to disagree with you on that one...
I would predict that all of the present U.S. territories plus Cuba officially become new states of the U.S. before Greenland ever does becomes a state, that’s if Greenland ever does eventually become a state (I doubt that Greenland will ever become a state.).
There is no global warming, only global cooling since 1998. Volcanic activity under the glaciers is what is causing the melting.
Those prices just sucked up all the cash...
With a population of only 63,000, there is no way Greenland could qualify for statehood.
But, always remember, there is no truth in Pravda and there is no news in Izvestia.
any oil in greenland? gold? uranium?
You do know that Iceland and Greenland are different countries, right?
When did it become the world’s largest island?
Not sure if this is Pravda’s equivalenbt of an onion column or what.
Exorbitant is the word for high prices. Kitty litter, or sawdust, etc. are absorbents.
That's why we decided in Texas not to secede from the Union. We knew the minute we did you crazy ass Americans would invade us for our oil.
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