ग्रीनलैंड क्यों बना दुनिया का नया हॉटस्पॉट: आर्कटिक की बर्फ पिघलने से हमले का खतरा बढ़ा; लाखों टन खनिज पर ट्रम्प-पुतिन-जिनपिंग की नजर

Greenland is the largest island in the world, 57 thousand people live here, it is an autonomous region of Denmark.

Greenland, situated between America and Russia, is gradually becoming a very important area. The biggest reason for this is the warming of the world and the melting of ice in the Arctic. When the ice is receding, new sea routes are opening up and resources hidden under the ground are also coming to light.

For this reason, Greenland has now become more important than ever in terms of military, business and natural resources. According to The Guardian report, Greenland ranks eighth in the world in terms of rare minerals and is estimated to have mineral reserves of about 1.5 million tonnes.

Even in his first term, Trump had expressed his desire to buy Greenland. It was not taken seriously then. It was ignored as mere political rhetoric or show-off. But now the situation has changed a lot. Trump is now threatening to capture it. Now this is being seen as a serious warning.

The sea areas which were previously impossible to reach due to thick ice, are now opening up water routes due to the heat.

New trade routes of the world are being built in the Arctic

The Arctic is an area where many of the world’s major powers come very close to each other. Here Russia, Canada, America and Greenland are almost face to face. For this reason, competition between countries regarding this area is increasing.

There are three big reasons for this competition-

1. Increasing need for natural resources like oil, gas and rare minerals

2. Increasing geopolitical tension around the world, where every country wants to show its strength

3. The most important reason is climate change

Due to global warming, Arctic ice is melting rapidly. The area which earlier remained hidden due to snow, is now slowly opening up. It seems as if a new area has suddenly emerged on the world map. There is a competition among countries to capture this new opportunity.

Greenland’s importance increased due to global warming

Due to global warming, new sea routes are now being created in the Arctic, which can be used by commercial ships. These routes can make travel between Asia, Europe and America shorter and cheaper, so big powers are now eyeing them.

Not only sea routes, precious natural resources buried under the ice have also become visible. It is believed that Greenland and the Arctic region contain large reserves of oil, gas, rare minerals and other important metals. As the ice is melting, it is becoming easier to extract these resources. This is the reason why America, Russia and other big powers are trying to increase their presence in this area.

For all these reasons, Greenland is no longer just a remote area covered with ice. It is gradually becoming an important center of global politics, where conflict and competition between countries may increase in the future.

Greenland alone is bigger than countries like France, Britain, Spain, Italy and Germany combined. If Trump ever brings Greenland under US occupation, it will be the largest territory in US history.

It will be bigger than even big states like Alaska and California. This is the reason why Greenland and the entire Arctic region have become so important in world politics today.

Nuuk area of ​​Greenland. The ice sheet is melting rapidly here. Due to this melting water, the speed of currents flowing in the sea is slowing down.

Ice in an area larger than Libya melts in the Arctic region

In the last five years, the average area of ​​sea ice in the Arctic region has reduced to 46 lakh square kilometers. This is 27% less than the average from 1981 to 2010. The area of ​​ice that has melted is almost equal to that of the African country Libya.

Due to melting ice, the sea in the Arctic region has now started remaining open for a longer period. Earlier there used to be such thick ice here that it was impossible for normal ships to pass through. At that time only special ice breaker ships could reach these areas. But now the situation is changing and common commercial ships have also started using these routes.

The most important among these new sea routes is the Northern Sea Route. This route runs along the Arctic coast of Russia and connects Europe to Asia. Through this route, the journey of ships becomes much shorter, which saves both time and fuel. For this reason this route is becoming increasingly popular.

For Russia, the Northern Sea Route is not just a sea route, but an important part of its long-term strategy. Russia wants to increase trade through this route and strengthen its hold in the Arctic.

This is why it is emphasizing on increasing ports, infrastructure and military presence on this route. These sea routes opened by the melting of ice are now making the Arctic more important than ever for the world’s major powers.

Apart from this, the North-West Passage passing through the Arctic islands of Canada and the Central Arctic Route passing over the North Pole are also considered important in the future. These routes can significantly reduce the travel time from Europe to Asia and can become an alternative to the Suez Canal.

America, Russia, China all have claims in the Arctic area

In the year 2025, a container ship named ‘Istanbul Bridge’ reached China from Britain via the Northern Sea Route in just about 20 days. Generally this journey takes more time than other routes.

Similarly, in 2024, 665 ships passed through the Bering Strait between Russia and America. This number is many times more than that of 2010. This means that the movement of ships has increased rapidly in the last few years.

However the dangers are still not over. Sometimes even in summer, ice suddenly freezes and ships get stuck in it. Therefore, these routes are beneficial, but not completely safe yet.

Tension is also increasing between countries regarding the Arctic region. Canada, Denmark, Norway, Russia, and the United States all have claims to the region.

The reason is clear that there are new sea routes here and huge resources are expected to be found in the future. The US already has a military presence in Greenland, where a military base provides missile warning and space surveillance.

Russia has also opened several military bases in the last ten years and reactivated old Soviet-era bases. In 2018, China declared itself a ‘Near Arctic Country’ so that it could increase its role in this region.

According to experts, military activities in the Arctic have increased significantly in the last 10 to 15 years. The situation has further changed after the Ukraine war in 2022. Now the Arctic is no longer just an area of ​​ice and cold, but is becoming a new field of competition and strategy between the world’s major powers.

The decreasing ice from Greenland increased the world’s interest

There has been a major change in the security situation with the joining of Finland and Sweden into NATO. This has further intensified Russia’s efforts to maintain its control over areas like Kola Island and the Barents region. Despite the Ukraine war, Russia has maintained its presence in the Arctic.

The security situation in the Arctic region has changed significantly after Finland and Sweden joined NATO. Earlier both these countries were outside NATO, but now with their joining, NATO has come closer to the northern border of Russia. This has increased Russia’s concern.

For this reason, Russia is intensifying its efforts to maintain its strong control over areas like the Kola Peninsula and the Barents Sea. These areas are very important for Russia, because bases related to its naval and nuclear capabilities are present here. Despite being embroiled in the Ukraine war, Russia has not allowed its military presence in the Arctic to weaken.

On the other hand, NATO countries are also not behind. They are increasing their naval strength in the Arctic and especially announcements are being made to build new icebreaker ships so that they can maintain access to the icy seas.

Following the expansion of NATO, the Danish Air Force is now conducting military exercises and surveillance more closely than ever with Norway, Finland and Sweden. China’s interest in this area is also increasing. In the year 2024, China sent three of its icebreaker ships to the Arctic.

Why is Greenland strategically important?

Know Greenland

57 thousand people live in Greenland, it is an autonomous region of Denmark. Greenland is the largest island in the world, with an area of ​​approximately 21 lakh square km. 85% of Greenland is covered by an ice sheet up to 1.9 miles (3 km) thick. It contains 10% of the world’s fresh water. It is between the North Atlantic and the Arctic Ocean. Greenland is facing the crisis of climate change.

Greenland has reserves of many rare minerals such as neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, terbium and uranium. These minerals play a very important role in the production of electric vehicles.

Apart from this, due to the ever increasing global warming in the world, the ice of Greenland and the Arctic continent is melting rapidly. In such a situation, the strategic and economic importance of this place is increasing rapidly. China also has a major stake in the companies doing mining work here.

This is not the first time that an American President has expressed his desire to buy Greenland. Earlier in 1946, the then US President Harry Truman had offered to buy this icy island from Denmark for 100 million dollars. There is a US Air Force base in the north-western region of Greenland, where about 600 soldiers are deployed.

Why is Greenland important for India?

Greenland, located in the Arctic region, is important for India because the climate changes taking place in the Arctic have a direct impact on the Indian monsoon and Himalayan glaciers.

According to scientists, the Arctic is warming almost four times faster than the rest of the world. Melting of the huge ice sheet of Greenland increases the sea level and can also affect India’s coastal areas and weather patterns.

The second big reason is science and research. India has been conducting scientific research in the Arctic since 2007 and India’s ‘Himadri’ research station is functioning in the Svalbard region of Norway.

Data from Greenland and surrounding Arctic regions helps Indian scientists understand how melting ice in the Arctic will impact the Himalayas and India’s rivers, on which a large population of the country depends.

Greenland is also strategically and economically important for India. Reduction of ice in the Arctic is opening up new sea routes, which can significantly reduce travel time between Europe and Asia.

Apart from this, rare minerals in Greenland are necessary for mobile phones, electric vehicles and modern technology. India is exploring opportunities for sustainable and rule-based cooperation and investment in these resources as part of its Arctic policy.

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