Greenland

About Greenland

Greenland is located in the North Atlantic Ocean adjacent to the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.  It is the world's largest island and covers an area of approximately 2.2 million square kilometers, of which 84% is covered by ice, restricting human activity to the coasts.

Greenland has an arctic climate with mean temperatures do not exceed 10°C (50°F) in the warmest summer months.  In the southern part of the country and the innermost parts of the long fjords, the temperature can, however, rise to more than 20°C (68°F) in June, July or August.

Greenland’s population is approximately 56,000 people, approximately 16,000 of which live in the capital Nuuk, with most of the rest of population in towns along the fjords in the southwest of Greenland where the climate is relatively mild.

Although Greenland is a part of the Kingdom of Denmark, it has enjoyed Home Rule since 1979 and in 2009 the Self-Government Act replaced Home Rule.  A new Mineral Resources Act became law on 1 January 2010 and a handover of mineral and oil rights from Denmark to Greenland has since taken place.

The Government of Greenland is actively encouraging the development of a mining and exploration industry in their country.  The approvals process is well structured and is handled by a single government agency.  Mineral titles are secure, and there are no royalties.  This approach, together with the relatively underexplored nature of the country, and its prospective geology, makes Greenland an attractive place to explore.

It should be noted that there currently exists a ban on the exploitation of radioactive minerals in Greenland, including where those radioactive minerals would only be mined as a by-product of other minerals (as is the case at Motzfeldt).  This policy is currently the subject of political debate and a period of public consultation in Greenland.

An opposition political party has introduced a Bill into the Greenlandic Parliament to permit the exploitation of radioactive minerals (up to 1,000 ppm.) where this is as a by-product of mining other minerals.  It is believed that this Bill will be further debated later in 2010 after a period of public consultation.  In recent months, the South Greenland Municipal Council and the key Labour union have both come out in favor of a change in government policy.

Greenland Links:
www.bmp.gl
www.greenland.com