Can a country be Sold – Essay for UPSC

July 24, 2022 Vikramjit Singh

How can a country be Sold: Historical Examples

In August 2019, a statement by Donald Trump caused a lot of stir in the world. He was talking about the possibility of purchasing Greenland from Denmark. He believed it to be seen as a real estate deal. Denmark will benefit from this because Denmark has to spend thousands of million on this island. What could be the benefit of America behind the proposed deal? In fact, large deposits such as Uranium, Neodymium, Dysprosium, Terbium, and Zinc are found in Denmark. This proposal of the trunk becomes controversial because for many people the idea of buying or selling sovereignty is quite unsettling. But you will be surprised to know that it has been seen many times in International Scenarios.

Moreover, some people found this statement of Trump strange, while some people seem to be a common thing. Further, the US acquired through its existing territory land purchases from the early 1800 to the early 1900s. The purchase of sovereignty has been the primary vehicle of America’s expansion history. You must remember that United Stated came under the existence of various treaties. At that time, the government usually operated like a business, transacting their jurisdictions through mergers and acquisitions. Maybe this Greenland Deal could give Trump a Special Status Like Former President Jefferson’s. Former President Jefferson purchased Louisiana from France in 1803.

Further, President Johnson purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867. It was difficult for France to maintain Louisiana resources due to the large geographical distance. Similarly, Alaska was far away from Russia’s mainland. That’s become an opportunity for the United States. Recently, US special operations command wrote about the purchase of Guantanamo Bay Naval Station, that Sovereignty is a commodity controlled by market-like forces.
Moreover, Pakistan, Nicaragua, Chile, Ethiopia, Peru, Mexico, Mauritius, etc bargained for his jurisdiction. These are often Overseas territories.

What are the Reasons for Selling the Country’s Land?

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Access to natural resources, water bodies, settling of territorial disputes and climate change are reasons behind sovereignty transactions. Defeated countries Lost their territories after the war. After World War 1, the Rhineland of Germany was handed over to Allied troops.
Settling of territorial disputes through land sales. In 2012, Japan purchase three islands in the east china sea from a Japanese family. Even today, the dispute is between China and Japan.
Global leaders treat sovereignty as a cheap commodity only when it benefits them. Moreover, Leasing out land is more affordable compared to purchasing a territory for access to mineral resources and military bases.

In the above article, we discuss the secrets of selling sovereignty & how can a country be sold with historical examples of Alaska and the Rhineland.