Photos show what daily life is like on Greenland, the massive ice-covered island Trump said he wants to acquire

Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? . People first arrived to Greenland over 4,000 years ago, and it has a unique culture. Its population is mostly Inuit, though it's been part of the Danish kingdom for hundreds of years. There are Scandinavian influences, but Inuit traditions remain strong. President Donald Trump has made no secret of his desire to acquire Greenland , the world's largest island and an autonomous Danish territory. The president resurfaced the issue this week by appointing Jeff Landry, the Republican governor of Louisiana, as a special envoy to Greenland. Trump told the BBC that acquiring the island is necessary for "national protection," adding, "We have to have it." In an interview on Monday, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen told TV2 that the appointment was "completely unacceptable." Denmark said it will summon the US ambassador to explain. Earlier this year, US Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha , traveled to the island. Following criticism from Denmark and Greenlanders over the trip, the Vances' itinerary was amended so they only visited the US military base on Greenland , a change the Danish government called "very positive." Greenland is known for its long, freezing winters, stunning glaciers , and fishing industry, but in many ways, it remains a frozen mystery to much of the world. Part of that mystique is because it's been difficult for some tourists to travel to, except by cruise ship or lengthy plane rides. A new international airport is making the country more accessible, including to US residents. Marianne A. Stenbaek, a professor of cultural studies at McGill University who studies Greenlandic art and literature, described Greenland as a "modern society with a traditional touch." That's because Denmark colonized it hundreds of years ago, but aspects of its Inuit traditions remain. From its arts to its cuisine, Greenland has a culture all its own. Greenland is located between Canada and Iceland, with much of the country above the Arctic Circle. The country is a little bigger than Mexico. It's also much colder. About 80% of Greenland's 836,330 square miles are buried in snow and ice. An enormous national park, the world's largest, covers much of the northeast. The island has long made it of interest to many other countries for military purposes and as a source of natural resources, from rare minerals to natural gas and oil. But to Greenlanders, it's simply home. Greenland's first humans arrived over 4,000 years ago. Pre-Inuit groups, including members of the Saqqaq culture, came to the island around 2,500 BCE via Canada. They settled in northern, western, and southeastern Greenland. Today's Greenland Inuit population is descended from the Thule people, who moved into the country's north from Alaska through Canada around 1,000 years ago. Between 985 and roughly 1450 CE, Vikings lived and then died out in Western Greenland. Erik the Red was the one who called the icy island Greenland. In Greenlandic, its name is Kalaallit Nunaat. Danish-Norwegian missionary Hans Egede...

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