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| The Vow |
Just by chance we were engaged in some study on Greenland this evening, and this is what we read.
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| Downtown Nuuk |
As a consequence of political
complications in relation to Denmark's entry into the European Common Market in
1972, a further desire to establish the legality of Greenland's status formed
in Denmark, resulting in the Home Rule Act of 1979, which gave Greenland
limited autonomy with its own legislature taking control of some internal policies, while
the Parliament of Denmark maintained full control of
external policies, security, and natural resources.
The law came into effect on 1 May
1979.
The Queen of Denmark, Margrethe II, remained Greenland's Head of state.
In 1985, Greenland left
the European Economic Community (EEC) upon
achieving self-rule, in view of the EEC's commercial fishing regulations and an
EEC ban on seal skin products.[47]
A referendum on greater autonomy was approved on
25 November 2008.[48][49]
On 21 June 2009,
Greenland gained self-rule with provisions for assuming responsibility for
self-government of judicial affairs, policing, and natural resources. Also, Greenlanders were recognized as
a separate people under international law.[50]
Denmark maintains
control of foreign affairs and defence matters. Denmark upholds the annual block grant of
3.2 billion Danish kroner, but as Greenland begins to collect revenues of
its natural resources, the grant will gradually be diminished. It is considered
by some to be a step toward eventual full independence from Denmark.[51] Greenlandic became the sole
official language of Greenland at the historic ceremony.
So devo max, by anyone's standards?
It might be worth noting that Greenland is the largest island in the world. It has a total population of around 65,000 people. Its capital city, Nuuk, has about 16,500 people. Scotland's population is 5.3 million and its capital city, Edinburgh, has a population of around half a million.
Why is Scotland lumbered with a lesser deal? Too wee, too poor or too thick?
