How Greenland Became Part of Denmark

How did Greenland become part of Denmark? Greenland’s story begins with the Inuit,

whose ancestors settled the island thousands of years ago, mastering Arctic

travel with kayaks and dog‑sleds. In 985 CE, Erik the Red—exiled and opportunistic—founded

Norse colonies that farmed during a warm spell, traded walrus ivory, and built stone

churches before disappearing in the 1400s as the climate cooled. In the early 1700s,

Denmark‑Norway re‑established contact through missionaries and traders. When the union split

in 1814, Denmark kept Greenland, and a 1933 international ruling confirmed it.

After World War II, the island’s strategic value soared. That’s why the United