Resource-Rich Greenland Looks to Break Free

Global warming has put Greenland’s mineral and oil deposits within reach, raising the volume on long-simmering chatter about independence. Denmark supplies much of the island's budget—including a substantial welfare system—but the self-sufficiency offered by melting ice means Greenlanders may no longer need the Danes at all, reports the Christian Science Monitor.

Copenhagen may not yield readily: The prospect of Greenlandic resources has upped Danish interest in colonial rights, says an island MP. The 56,000 inhabitants have craved greater home rule for decades, but some in Europe say new wealth might make Greenland want new protection. There's even concern about US designs: The American military may want to build missile-defense systems. (More Greenland stories.)