Danish Colonial Empire

The Danish Colonial Empire consisted of territories controlled by Denmark from the 17th to the 20th centuries. It included parts of North America (such as Greenland and the former Danish West Indies, now the U.S. Virgin Islands), Africa (notably Danish Ghana and the Danish Gold Coast), India (Tranquebar), and the North Atlantic territories like the Faroe Islands and Greenland. Denmark established these colonies mainly for trade, resource extraction, and strategic positioning. Over time, most—except Greenland—were relinquished or sold due to changing economic and political circumstances, leaving Greenland as the world's largest island under Danish sovereignty today.