Talk:Greenland

Extended-confirmed-protected edit request: Add 1916 US Treaty with Denmark

Under History->Treaty of Kiel to World War II, please add: In 1916, as part of the Treaty of the Danish West Indies, the United States agreed to cede their interests in the whole of Greenland to Denmark, in return for the sale of and sovereignty over the Danish Virgin Islands, later known as the US Virgin Islands. https://web.archive.org/web/20210508035941/https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1917/d881 https://docs.pca-cpa.org/2016/01/a312b00b-us-denmark-treaty-of-the-danish-west-indies-1916.pdf Mozitor (talk) 19:04, 20 January 2026 (UTC)

The sources indicate a more nuanced situation. The declaration that the United States would not object to Denmark assuming political and economic control of all of Greenland was not part of the treaty, but was made by the US secretary of state after the treaty had been ratified. I believe including that in the article will require a reliable source on the current legal standing of such a declaration. Donald Albury 21:01, 20 January 2026 (UTC)

Respectfully, the declaration was made by the US secretary of state before the treaty was ratified.

Lansing's declaration was made on August 4, 1916. "Signed at New York, August 4, 1916; ratification advised by the Senate, September 7,1916; ratified by Denmark, December 22,1916; ratified by the President, January 16,1917; ratifications exchanged at Washington, January 17, 1917; proclaimed, January 25, 1917" as seen in the proclamation as stored by the Permanent Courts of Arbitrage as seen in the source I attached above. https://docs.pca-cpa.org/2016/01/a312b00b-us-denmark-treaty-of-the-danish-west-indies-1916.pdf Mozitor (talk) 22:47, 20 January 2026 (UTC)

This is the home page of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (correct name in English, apologies for portmanteau of French/English above). https://pca-cpa.org/home/ Mozitor (talk) 22:48, 20 January 2026 (UTC)

The sources that you linked, which are primary, place the declaration below the president's ratification, and do not otherwise state when the declaration was made. As the treaty itself is a primary source, we need at least one independent, secondary, reliable source that discusses the significance of the declaration. If there is more than one interpretation of the significance of the declaration presented in reliable sources, we must determine what weight to give each interpretation. Donald Albury 23:20, 20 January 2026 (UTC)

1. From secondary sources: At multiple points in history since 1916, the US has recognized the sovereignty of Denmark over Greenland, including failed attempts to purchase it, which presumably would not have been made if the US did not recognize Denmark's sovereignty over the island.

https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/20/politics/fact-check-trump-norway-message

https://www.rfi.fr/en/international/20260105-us-territorial-ambitions-in-denmark-from-the-danish-west-indies-to-greenland

2. To clarify further, the dates of the declaration and ratifications are all set out in the primary sources, and the ratifications of the entire convention succeeded the Lansing declaration. The declaration, its date, and dates of the ratifications are also part of the proclamation which was issued by President Wilson.

3. Also, if helpful, on page 5 of "Guiding Principles applicable to unilateral declarations of States capable of creating legal obligations, with commentaries thereto" by the UN (2006) https://legal.un.org/ilc/texts/instruments/english/commentaries/9_9_2006.pdf

"A unilateral declaration binds the State internationally only if it is made by an

authority vested with the power to do so. By virtue of their functions, heads of State, heads

of Government and ministers for foreign affairs are competent to formulate such

declarations. Other persons representing the State in specified areas may be authorized to

bind it, through their declarations, in areas falling within their competence."

Lansing, as Secretary of State, was vested with this power and is specifically mentioned in the President's proclamation that he was "duly authorized by his Government". Mozitor (talk) 23:53, 20 January 2026 (UTC)

The date of the declaration is right below the declaration. Mozitor (talk) 23:26, 20 January 2026 (UTC)

That's what we need. Donald Albury 23:58, 20 January 2026 (UTC)

Thank you! Mozitor (talk) 00:43, 21 January 2026 (UTC)

How about:

In 1916, as part of the Treaty of the Danish West Indies, President Woodrow Wilson vested Secretary of State Robert Lansing with the authority to make the declaration on August 4, 1916 that "the Government of the United States of America will not object to the Danish Government extending their political and economic interests to the whole of Greenland" in return for the expedited sale of and sovereignty over the Danish Virgin Islands, later known as the US Virgin Islands. This treaty was signed by Wilson and Lansing in New York, August 4, 1916; ratification advised by the Senate, September 7,1916; ratified by Denmark, December 22,1916; ratified by the President, January 16,1917; ratifications exchanged at Washington, January 17, 1917; and proclaimed, January 25, 1917. Mozitor (talk) 03:29, 21 January 2026 (UTC)

Source: Lansing, Robert (19 July 1931). "DRAMA OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS PURCHASE; Robert Lansing's Story of the Race We Made and Won to Gain Possession Before We Declared War on Germany". The New York Times. p. 4. Retrieved 24 January 2026. Mozitor (talk) 04:40, 10 February 2026 (UTC)

Dear Wikipedians, I am going to close this request, but you are free of course to continue working on the subject. I am doing this merely to remove it from the list if opened requests. Happy editing. Slomo666 (talk) 10:11, 14 February 2026 (UTC)

I'm not sure you understood. The Lansing Declaration regarding Greenland was made on August 4, 1916. The date of the declaration is right there on the original source. All the ratifications happened well after the declaration, and all of it was proclaimed by Wilson the next year. These dates are also on the original source.

It's not ambiguous at all. Mozitor (talk) 04:25, 24 January 2026 (UTC)

Extended-confirmed-protected edit request on 2 February 2026

Important to refer to the Spiral Case in the history of Denmark. See Wikipedia article on the topic. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiral_case It does not make sense that there is no mention of this case in the entire Greenland article. ~2026-73733-7 (talk) 21:11, 2 February 2026 (UTC)

AS per the thread immediately above this one, the Spiral Case is already mentioned in the article. Try looking. AndyTheGrump (talk) 21:14, 2 February 2026 (UTC)

Greenland is not an island it is a continent

Greenlan is a continent... ~2026-30300-34 (talk) 18:48, 20 May 2026 (UTC)

There are seven continents. Greenland is not one of them. Martinevans123 (talk) 18:55, 20 May 2026 (UTC)