The abundance of natural resources on the largest island on Earth is tied to its hugely varied geological history over the past four billion years

There are many reasons why Trump might want Greenland, but natural resource extraction is unlikely to feature centrally

The country’s natural landscape makes the task extremely difficult

Greenland is rich in natural resources, such as metals and other rare-earth minerals. But actually getting those resources out of the frozen ground is no simple matter.

Greenland’s rare earths, graphite and other critical minerals come into focus as US leaders meet Danish and Greenlandic ministers after Trump remarks.

The EU’s 2024 Critical Raw Materials Act seeks to improve European supply security of these, and both Trump and the EU want to weaken Chinese dominance in the trade. Meanwhile, vast reserves of oil are found offshore across eastern and western Greenland.

Venezuela is home to the world’s largest reported oil reserves. The country’s other commodities have also caught the Trump administration’s attention.

Beyond oil, Venezuela’s minerals could offer new opportunities for the U.S., though rare earth potential is uncertain.