About this book:

"Borderlines and Baselines: Geopolitics of Greenland in the 21st Century" examines Greenland's pivotal role in Arctic geopolitics, analyzing how its unique geography, climate change impacts, and aspirations for self-rule intersect with great power interests. The book argues that Greenland anchors the crucial GIUK Gap, hosts vital defense infrastructure like Pituffik Space Base (formerly Thule Air Base) for missile warning and space tracking, and sits adjacent to emerging Arctic shipping lanes and vast resource frontiers. These factors make Greenland indispensable to North American and European security, drawing significant attention from the United States, Denmark (as the sovereign power), the European Union, Russia, and China.

The book delves into Greenland's journey from a distant colony to an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, highlighting the Self-Government Act of 2009 as a framework for potential independence. This path is intricately linked to economic development, particularly the exploitation of critical minerals like rare earths and hydrocarbons, and the challenge of diversifying its fisheries-dominated economy. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is crucial, but Greenlandic authorities must carefully screen projects for environmental, social, and strategic implications, often balancing economic opportunity with concerns about creating dependencies on external actors, particularly state-linked entities from non-allied nations.

Security in Greenland is presented as a multi-domain concept, extending beyond traditional military posture to encompass environmental security, maritime safety, infrastructure resilience, and cybersecurity. Climate change is a pervasive threat, altering ice conditions, impacting traditional livelihoods, and jeopardizing infrastructure through permafrost thaw and coastal erosion. This dynamic environment necessitates robust search and rescue (SAR) capabilities and adaptive governance. The book also explores the growing threat of gray zone competition, including information operations, espionage, and coercive statecraft, which target Greenland's limited institutional capacity and seek to influence its political choices.

Ultimately, "Borderlines and Baselines" concludes by outlining various future scenarios, from "Integration and Stability" to "Fragmentation and Competition" and "Pragmatic Autonomy." It emphasizes that Greenland's agency is the decisive variable in shaping the Arctic's future. The book advocates for a policy roadmap focused on strengthening Greenlandic governance, promoting sustainable economic diversification, enhancing domain awareness and resilience, and fostering stable cooperation through multilateral institutions and respectful partnerships. By grounding strategy in local realities and robust analysis, the aim is to ensure Greenland's future contributes to an Arctic defined by managed competition and sustainable development, rather than escalating conflict.

What You'll Find Inside:

• Greenland's pivotal role in Arctic security architecture, including the GIUK Gap, missile warning systems at Thule/Pituffik Space Base, and its importance for NATO and NORAD operations
• The evolving sovereignty relationship between Greenland and Denmark, covering the transition from colony to self-rule and the ongoing debate over independence pathways
• Great power competition dynamics involving US strategic interests, Danish stewardship, EU Arctic policy, Russian military expansion, and China's 'near-Arctic' engagement
• Resource development challenges and opportunities, particularly rare earth elements and critical minerals, and their implications for global supply chains and Greenland's economic development
• Environmental security considerations including climate change impacts, infrastructure resilience, and the intersection of ecological changes with geopolitical strategy

Who's It For:

This book is designed for analysts, policymakers, and security professionals seeking to understand Greenland's strategic role in 21st-century Arctic geopolitics. It integrates defense, legal, economic, and environmental perspectives to provide practical insights for decision-makers navigating great-power competition, resource development, and sovereignty questions in the High North.