Greenland celebrates self rule

Greenland has introduced self-rule and moved a step closer towards independence from Denmark.

The territory’s new status was celebrated yesterday – 6 months after the majority of Greenlanders voted for greater autonomy.

Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II visited the capital Nuuk to hand the law of self rule over to the chairman of the Greenlandic Parliament Josef Motzfeldt.

He said: “Your royal majesty, prime minister, chairman of the parliament, members of parliament, I welcome you to this special day to mark the inauguration of self rule and to thank you on behalf of all the Greenland people.”
Greenland has huge untapped natural resources including oil, gas, gold and diamonds.

But almost 80 per cent of the island is covered with a massive ice cap up to 4 kilometres thick.

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tags: Greenland, Independence