In other political independence news
Say hello to the independent nation of Greenland!
From the
BBC:
Self-rule introduced in Greenland
The Arctic island of Greenland is assuming self-rule, in the latest step towards independence from Denmark.
The move follows a referendum on greater autonomy in November. It will see Greenland take a greater share of revenues from its natural resources.
The local government is taking control of the police and the courts. Greenlandic - or Kalaallisut - becomes the official language.
Denmark has the final say in defence and foreign-policy matters.
Copenhagen has ruled Greenland for three centuries. It granted the territory limited sovereignty in 1979.
But the new self-rule system takes the Arctic island and its 57,000 inhabitants closer to independence.
Greenlanders - most of whom are native Inuit - will be treated as a separate people under international law.
Much of the oil, gas, gold and diamonds the island holds has been inaccessible because of the Arctic ice covering most of the land mass.
But US experts believe it will become easier to exploit the island's mineral wealth as global warming melts the ice sheets.
Independence advocates hope the expected increase in revenues from minerals will help fund a final breakaway from Copenhagen.
But analysts say any push for independence is likely to be put on the backburner by Greenland's new leftist government.
Newly elected Prime Minister Kuupik Kleist has vowed to concentrate on tackling big social problems, such as alcoholism, domestic violence and a high suicide rate.
Greenland currently relies heavily on subsidies from the Danish government - which provide 30% of its GDP.
Emphasis mine -- do not be holding your breath on that one...
Still, this is great news. I hope one of the businesses they choose to develop is tourism -- I have always had a fascination for the remote places on this planet. I have visited Antarctica, the Galapagos Islands, spent two months backpacking through Iceland, did the same through Newfoundland, been up to Alaska a couple times. Visiting Greenland would be a treat. As for the mineral resources, the ice sheet is stable (growing actually) and it would not be an issue to drill through it to get the oil and natural gas that is probably down there.
Posted by DaveH at June 21, 2009 5:04 PM