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We are happy to report that we found an answer to your question in record time. First, we searched Yahoo! for the term "Greenland." The first category we saw, Regional > Countries > Denmark > Autonomous Areas, seemed to imply the answer: Denmark "owns" it, but Greenland's residents control it themselves. Still, it was hard to tell the whole story from the category name. We decided to visit some sites to learn more. First, we clicked on FAQ - Greenland and found a detailed resource of travel information about the world's largest island. From defending yourself
against polar bears to widely accepted credit cards, the folks at Greenland Guide have it covered. We took a closer look at their Comprehensive Guide and found interesting entries under both "Recent History" and "Home Rule." Here is a short summary: In 1721, Norwegian priest Hans Egede, under the auspices of the Danish king, went to Greenland to "rechristianize" the Norsemen that had settled there many hundreds of years earlier. The only problem was the Norse were long gone, having long since moved on to greener pastures. In any case, Egede's expedition led to the establishment of a trading post and mission, and marked the beginning of Greenland's time as a Danish
colony. Then, in 1953, Denmark's constitution was modified and Greenland became an official part of the country, gaining voting membership in the Danish parliament. In 1979, Greenland was finally awarded "home rule within the Danish Commonwealth," allowing them to elect their own parliament and set up their own local government. And the rest is history.
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