Yearbook 2012
Greenland. During the year, it was clear that Greenland became strategically interesting to the great powers because of the island’s large deposits of rare earth metals and other valuable commodities, such as gold, diamonds and iron. Kuannersuit (Kvanefjeld) at Greenland’s southern tip is estimated to be the world’s second largest reserve of rare earth metals, which are important, among other things. for iPhones, flat screens, solar energy, hybrid cars and cruise missiles. Kuannersuit is also believed to have the world’s sixth largest uranium reserve.
China’s Minister of Natural Resources visited Greenland in April, and in May it was announced that China was prepared to invest the equivalent of DKK 12 billion in a new iron ore mine in Greenland. Thus, a planned mining project, which is run by London Mining, looked to be able to start in 2013. The mining project is expected to provide 3,500 jobs, a very large number for Greenland, and the mining operation can then provide 750 jobs.
China’s increased interest in Greenland’s minerals prompted the EU to act. In June, the EU and Greenland (which is outside the EU) signed a letter of intent on cooperation on Greenland’s commodity production. The collaboration is expected to give Greenland SEK 1.6 billion over six years, including for geological investigations.
- AbbreviationFinder.org: Provides most commonly used acronyms and abbreviations for Greenland. Also includes location map, major cities, and country overview.
In September, South Korea’s President Lee Myung Bak came to Greenland when it agreed to strengthen cooperation in the commodities sector. During the year, plans were also discussed for two new hydroelectric plants and a large aluminum smelting plant, built by Chinese and with raw material imported from Brazil.
The fishing and hunting organization Knapk warned that the seal population in Greenland was growing out of control due to the EU’s seal ban. According to Knapk, there is not enough food in the Arctic for the growing number of seals, and they demanded that Denmark influence the EU to lift its ban.
In the summer, it was announced that for the first time, strawberries ripened in Greenland, grown in a plastic tunnel at a trial station for commercial berry production. According to Danish climate researchers, Greenland’s average temperature has increased by at least two degrees since 2000.
There were also reports that 97% of the Greenland ice cap’s top layer was affected by melting, compared with about half the usual years. It is the strongest melting recorded since satellite measurements began in the 1980s. One result was that an iceberg of close to 60 square kilometers broke away from the large Petermann glacier. According to researchers, an average of 240 billion tonnes of freshwater from the Greenland ice melts each year and contributes to increased sea level in the world.
At the same time, Danish researchers claimed that the Greenlandic glaciers are more stable than the picture given in recent years’ reports. Ice cover can stabilize faster than climate models and computer simulation predict. It is clear if you look at data for longer periods, according to the researchers.
Greenland’s whaling caught adversity at the International Whaling Commission’s annual meeting, where a majority of countries voted down the request for an increased catch quota. Greenland whaling has been seen as part of the indigenous people’s cultural heritage and self-care and has therefore been accepted, but increased sales of whale meat to tourists have made opponents consider the whaling as a commercial industry.
Population 2012
According to countryaah, the population of Greenland in 2012 was 56,266, ranking number 208 in the world. The population growth rate was -0.090% yearly, and the population density was 0.1373 people per km2.