3. European Colonial Competition
From the 16th century onward, European nations, including England, the Netherlands, and Denmark, competed for control over Greenland’s resources and trade routes. Whalers and explorers from these countries established seasonal bases along Greenland’s southern coasts, engaging in the lucrative whaling industry. This competition intensified tensions with the indigenous Inuit populations, who sometimes destroyed these European settlements to repurpose materials for their own use. Despite these interactions, there were no significant attempts at political domination by the Europeans (britannica.com).
