MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Greenland seeks full independence.

Greenland which is celebrating the 25th anniversary of autonomous government from the kingdom of Denmark is also preparing for full independence, a target supported by 80% of the 56,000 population.

Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Greenland's autonomous president Hand Enoksen have agreed on the naming of a committee that in two years time must report on the links to be retained by the colony, thus opening the way for full independence.

Links are expected to remain in foreign affairs, defence and a small financial subvention from the Danish government. A referendum on the issue is scheduled for 2006.

The latest electoral results in 2002 gave the independent movement a clear majority and recent polls confirm 80% of the population support independence from Denmark conditioned to maintaining the current living standard.

Greenland is an enormous island of two million square kilometres but 82% is covered with ice and receives from Denmark an annual subsidy of almost 490 million US dollars.

The only source of income is fisheries although the island is believed to have significant unexplored deposits of gold, oil and zinc.

United States still holds the strategic base of Thule in Greenland territory.

Colonized by Denmark in the XVIII century Greenland was actually incorporated to the kingdom in 1953 and in 1979 managed an Autonomy Statute.

Ruled by Social democrats Greenland has autonomy in education, social policies, culture and infrastructure although not the Judiciary branch or the Police.