THE NORTH POLE is a polarising topic. President Donald Trump has repeatedly said that he wants to acquire Greenland; he has not ruled out taking it by force. A delegation of American officials will arrive in the autonomous Danish territory later this week, ostensibly to learn about its culture and history. But what really motivates Mr Trump’s lunge for Arctic land is Greenland’s “rare earths”—a category of materials vital to modern armies and economies.
