Why does Donald Trump want to buy Greenland?

Why does Donald Trump want to buy Greenland?

The US president has confirmed he is interested in buying Greenland, saying it would be "essentially a large real estate deal".

ILULISSAT, GREENLAND - JULY 30: An iceberg floats in Disko Bay behind houses during unseasonably warm weather on July 30, 2019 in Ilulissat, Greenland. The Sahara heat wave that recently sent temperatures to record levels in parts of Europe is arriving in Greenland. Climate change is having a profound effect in Greenland, where over the last several decades summers have become longer and the rate that glaciers and the Greenland ice cap are retreating has accelerated. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
Image: China has also shown an interest in Greenland in recent years
Donald Trump may be in the Oval Office now, but his recent interest in buying Greenland suggests his heart is still in real estate.
The president's intentions emerged last week when he reportedly discussed buying the Danish territory in a private meeting with advisers.
So, why would Mr Trump want to buy Greenland, and what do we really know about it?
Donald Trump and Greenland
Image: What's in it for the president if the US buys Greenland?

:: It's untapped

Greenland's ice sheet is melting. And quickly.
The land is thought to be rich in gold, rubies, diamonds, coppers, olivine, marble and oil.
The rapidly melting ice means previously out-of-reach energy and minerals are now more accessible.
China has shown an interest in recent years too...

:: For his legacy?

CLEVELAND, OH - JULY 21: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump delivers a speech during the evening session on the fourth day of the Republican National Convention on July 21, 2016 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump received the number of votes needed to secure the party's nomination. An estimated 50,000 people are expected in Cleveland, including hundreds of protesters and members of the media. The four-day Republican National
Image: Mr Trump is hoping to succeed where former US president Harry Truman failed
Mr Trump might think it would be pretty cool to buy Greenland.
Former US president Harry Truman offered to buy it in 1946 so Mr Trump would probably like to be the one to pull it off.
But it seems unlikely.

:: 'It would be nice'

Mr Trump's own words.
When asked about reports that he was exploring the purchase of the 850,000 square mile island from Denmark, the US president said he was "looking at it" as "strategically for the US it would be nice".

:: To do Denmark a favour?

US President Donald Trump speaks to the press before boarding Air Force One in Morristown, New Jersey, on August 18, 2019. (Photo by Nicholas Kamm / AFP) (Photo credit should read NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images)
Image: Mr Trump has confirmed he is interested in buying Greenland
The president has suggested he has Denmark's best interests at heart by wanting to buy Greenland.
He said: "A lot of things could be done, essentially it is a large real estate deal. It's hurting Denmark very badly because they are losing almost $700m a year carrying it."

:: How much would it cost?

President Truman offered $100m for it in 1946 - which in today's money would be about $1.3bn.

:: What else do we know about Greenland?

Population: It's home to 56,000 people. Greenlanders call themselves "Kalaallit" and are an indigenous Inuit people. Inuit means "human being" or "people". According to Greenland's government, the indigenous Inuit people make up 85% of the population - the rest are primarily Danes.
The land: It's officially the world's largest island that's not a continent. About 80% of Greenland is covered by ice and snow. People mostly live in the 20% of the country that isn't - mainly on the coast.
Stock photo ID:184923392 Upload date:October 15, 2013
Image: Greenlanders live in coastal towns and cities
Weather: Average temperatures rarely exceed 10C (50F) during the summer, and that's usually just in July - the only month when the temperature reaches above freezing. The longest day of the year is 21 June - which is also a national holiday. Donald Trump's birthday is on 14 June so maybe he'd make it a week-long celebration. The nation celebrates on 21 June because that's the day the flag received its official introduction in 1985.
The snow-covered shore is reflected in the still water of a fjord near Tasiilaq, Greenland, June 16, 2018. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson SEARCH "JACKSON TASIILAQ" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.
Image: Only 56,000 people live in Greenland
Speaking of flags: The white half of the flag symbolises Greenland's icecap. The red half symbolises the rising and setting sun.
Stock illustration ID:452121659 Upload date:November 24, 2013
And speaking of the sun: It doesn't set from 25 May to 25 July. Good for people with low vitamin D.
Language: The official language is Greenlandic. Children learn Greenlandic at school as well as Danish and English. West Greenlandic is the official language but there are dialects spoken in Eastern and Northern Greenland.