World Questions - Greenland

世界之问——格陵兰岛

The Documentary Podcast

2026-01-08

49 分钟
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单集简介 ...

In a programme which first aired in November 2025, Jonny Dymond chairs a debate about the future of Greenland. Leading Greenlandic and Danish politicians discuss questions of American territorial ambitions, independence, mining and human rights on this Arctic island.
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单集文稿 ...

  • Welcome to the documentary from the BBC World Service.

  • I'm Johnny Diamond.

  • In November,

  • we recorded an episode of World Questions which looked at the future of Greenland with leading politicians and the public from across Greenland and Denmark.

  • Since then,

  • President Trump has repeated his desire to take over and control this vast Arctic Territory,

  • which is a former colony of Denmark, now part of the Kingdom of Denmark and the Faroe Islands.

  • It has its own language and parliament, but it remains dependent upon Denmark for half its budget,

  • and Denmark currently has control of key areas, such as foreign policy and defence.

  • And Denmark is, of course, a member of the NATO Military Alliance.

  • It's the world's largest island, extending more than 2600 kilometres from north to south,

  • and over 1,050 kilometres from east to west at its widest point,

  • a wilderness in the Arctic, most of which is covered in snow and ice all year round.

  • Greenland's home to around 57,000 people, mostly Inuits, who live on the southern tip of the island.

  • And it's been in the news ever since President Trump signalled his desire to buy it back in 2019.

  • He continues to make that case,

  • arguing ownership of the island is essential to international security.

  • But could he also be eyeing up the natural resources that lie beneath the ice?

  • Greenland has vast supplies of lithium,

  • cobalt and rare earth elements which are vital