US President-elect Donald Trump last week confirmed his interest in taking control of Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark that could be useful to the US because of its strategic location and rich mineral reserves.
A 2023 study shows that Greenland has 25 of the 34 minerals considered "critical raw materials" by the European Commission.
In Greenland, oil and natural gas extraction is prohibited for environmental reasons, and the development of its mining sector is hampered by bureaucracy and resistance from the indigenous population.
Below is detailed information on the main mineral deposits in Greenland, based on data from the Greenland Mineral Resources Office.
Rare earth minerals
Three of the largest deposits in Greenland are located in the southern province of Gardar.
The companies looking to develop rare earth mines are "Critical Metals Corp.", which purchased the Tanbriz deposit, "Energy Transition Minerals" (Energy Transition Minerals), whose Kunarsut project has been suspended due to legal disputes, and "Neo Performance Materials".
Rare earth elements are key to the permanent magnets used in electric vehicles and wind turbines.
Graphite
The possibility of mining graphite and graphite shale from many deposits on the island has been reported.
"GreenRock" (GreenRoc) has applied for an exploitation license to develop the Amitsog graphite project.
Natural graphite is mainly used in electric vehicle batteries and in steel production.
Copper
According to the Mineral Resources Authority, most of the copper deposits have been the subject of limited exploration campaigns.
The underexplored areas in the northeast and east-central parts of the island are of particular interest, the report says.
London-registered company "80 Mile" (80 Mile) is seeking to develop the Dshisko-Nusuak, which contains copper, nickel, platinum and cobalt.
Nickel
Traces of nickel deposits are numerous, according to the Mineral Resources Authority.
The major mining company Anglo American was granted a five-year exploration license in West Greenland in mid-2019 and is looking for nickel deposits, among others.
Zinc
Zinc is found mostly in the north in a geological formation that stretches for more than 2,500 km.
The companies are looking to develop the Citronen Fjord zinc deposit and a lead mining project, which is said to be one of the world's largest undeveloped zinc resources.
Gold
The most promising areas with gold potential are around the Sermiligaarsuk Fjord in the south of the country.
Last year, Amarog Minerals (Amaroq Minerals) discovered a gold mine in the Nalunaq Mountains in the Kujalleq Municipality.
Diamonds
While most small diamonds and the largest stones are found in the western part of the island, their presence in other regions may also be significant.
Iron ore
Deposits are located in Isua in southern West Greenland, in Itiliarsuk in central West Greenland, and in northwestern Greenland along the Lauge Koh River.
Titanium-vanadium
Known deposits of titanium and vanadium are located in the southwestern, eastern, and southern parts of the country.
Titanium is used for commercial, medical, and industrial purposes, while vanadium is mainly used in the production of special steel alloys. The most important industrial compound of vanadium, vanadium pentoxide, is used as a catalyst for the production of sulfuric acid.
Tungsten
Tungsten is used for several industrial applications, its deposits are located primarily in the central east and northeastern parts of the country, with estimated deposits in the southern and western parts of the country.
Uranium
In 2021, the left-wing Inuit party "Atakatigyiit" banned uranium mining, effectively halting the development of the "Quannarsut" rare earth project, in which uranium is a by-product.