Greenland & Faroe Islands

Denmark is not simply a small northern European nation but the centre of a kingdom that spans three distinct and geographically remote territories: Denmark itself, the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic, and Greenland, the world’s largest island. The Faroe Islands and Greenland are both autonomous territories within the Kingdom of Denmark, meaning they govern themselves in most domestic matters while remaining part of the Danish realm for foreign policy, defence, and constitutional purposes.

Greenland, home to approximately 56,000 people, mostly Inuit, occupies a strategically extraordinary position in the Arctic and has become increasingly central to international geopolitical attention, particularly following renewed great-power competition over Arctic resources and routes and statements by international leaders about Greenland’s strategic importance. The question of Greenlandic independence is an active and sensitive political debate, with a growing independence movement reflecting Greenlandic desires for full self-determination while grappling with the economic realities of dependence on the Danish block grant that currently funds a large portion of the Greenlandic public sector.

The Faroe Islands, home to approximately 55,000 people, have developed a remarkably vibrant and self-confident national culture, a thriving fishing and aquaculture economy, and a growing international profile in music, art, and tourism. The Faroese have their own language, Faroese, their own parliament, the Logting, and their own football team recognised by FIFA. Both territories remain outside the European Union, meaning that travel and trade arrangements for both differ from those applying to metropolitan Denmark.

Understanding the full extent of the Kingdom of Denmark and the distinct histories, cultures, and aspirations of Greenland and the Faroe Islands is essential for a complete understanding of what Denmark is and what it may become in the decades ahead.