Yearbook 1996
Greenland. Also in 1996, the debate was characterized by
the tours around the American so-called Thule base. In the
spring, it was proposed that the defense base be opened for
civil aviation to promote the tourism industry. During the
fall, a criticized Danish study found that the indigenous
population who had moved from the area to make room for the
Thule base's expansion in the 1950s was not forced to do so
and that financial compensation would therefore not be paid.
Thuleborna has demanded a complete investigation and an
official apology from the US and Denmark.
The economic dependence on Denmark was also strong in
1996; about 60% of the Greenland State's revenue was Danish
grants. Even in 1996, shrimp fishing was a completely
dominant export industry, although investments were made in
expanded tourism. Unemployment stopped at around 12%.
The first discovery of diamonds on G. was made in
November at a sea beach ten miles north of Nuuk by the
company Platinova. The diamond, a 0.28 millimeter micro
diamond, was found in a loose rock block of kimberlite rock.
The experts made the assumption that the kimberlite wire
with conceivable diamonds lies beneath the lake, which has
been formed by the collapse of the soft rock. Platinova has
allocated 40 million Danish kroner for diamond mining in
1996 and 1997. There are also expectations that the
Greenlandic nature, besides diamonds, will hide resources of
gold and oil, and several projects are underway to explore
this.
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