What to know about Greenland's flag as a potentially perilous fight with US appears to be averted

LONDON (AP) — At the height of tensions among NATO allies over U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated calls for Greenland to become U.S. territory, he posted online a map of the island covered in the colors of the American flag.

That potentially perilous fight now appears to have been averted after Greenland, Denmark and the United States announced a deal over the future of the icy, mineral-rich territory.

The accord, signed Tuesday on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, could give the U.S. a bigger military presence on the semiautonomous Danish territory — and could lead to the Stars and Stripes flying more often near Greenland's own distinctive flag.

Here’s a look at Greenland’s relatively young flag:

The flag of the world’s largest island is typical of the most effective flags: Simple in construction.

Designed by Greenland native Thue Christiansen, the flag was adopted on June 21, 1985. It features two equal horizontal bands of white and red, and a large circle positioned off-center, slightly closer to the flagpole.

The circle, which like Japan’s flag represents the sun, is “counterchanged” — meaning that it's divided into red and white in the reverse color of the two bands.

The offset catches the eye and carries symbolism of a sun setting on the horizon, suggestive of the light and relative warmth that return in midsummer to the island. About two-thirds of Greenland sits inside the Arctic Circle.

Greenland today is a semiautonomous territory of Denmark, which ruled the island for centuries. The choice of red and white, the same colors of the Danish national flag, reflects that longtime affiliation.

A conscious decision was made to highlight the island’s distinctiveness and autonomy: Unlike the flags of Finland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark itself, Greenland’s flag is the only one representing a Nordic territory without an offset cross.

In Greenlandic, the flag is called both Erfalasorput — “our flag” in Greenlandic — and Aappalaartoq, meaning “the red one.”

The notion of a flag for Greenland first surfaced in the early 1970s.

In 1979, the island won home rule from Denmark after a referendum. The new government, the Naalakkersuisut, organized a design contest to create a new national flag: Hundreds of submissions poured in.

Greenland’s parliament was unable to reach consensus, and an impasse took several years to resolve. The choices were winnowed down to two — Christiansen’s design and another featuring a green and white Nordic cross design.

Parliament finally voted in 1985. A narrow majority of members — 14 of 25 — opted for the flag flying over Greenland today.

Jamey Keaten contributed to this report from Geneva.

FILE - People protest against Trump's policy towards Greenland in front of US consulate in Nuuk, Greenland, Jan. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka, File)

FILE - A woman pulls her children on a sled during a protest against Trump's policy towards Greenland in front of the US consulate in Nuuk, Greenland, Jan. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka, File)

FILE - People protest against Trump's policy towards Greenland in front of the US consulate in Nuuk, Greenland, Jan. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka, File)

Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, left, and Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen arrive for a press conference after the signing of a security agreement with the US, in New York, Thursday Sept. 22, 2026. (Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)

FILE - Women walk on a street in front of national flags in Nuuk, Greenland, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka, File)

Jaxson Dart’s injured left knee is being evaluated and no decisions have been made, New York Giants coach John Harbaugh said Tuesday in the aftermath of the starting quarterback exiting the game at the Los Angeles Rams on Monday night.

Harbaugh refused to confirm reports that Dart’s injury is worse than the initial diagnosis of a sprained medial collateral ligament and that the 23-year-old would be out an extended period of time, with season-ending surgery a possibility.

“We’ve learned a lot more,” Harbaugh said on a video call with reporters. “When we know what direction we’re going to have to go or whatever it might be, we’ll announce that. But we don’t have that yet, so I don’t want to get out over our skis on that.”

After the 28-6 loss, Harbaugh said it was “in the neighborhood” and that an MRI would lead to more information. He was unwilling to share where the Giants were in the testing and evaluating process on Dart.

“It’s an ongoing conversation about the health of a player, of a person,” Harbaugh said. “We’ve got to prepare for the range of possibilities, and then once we know where we’re at, make a plan going forward. And that's what we're going to do."

Dart was 3 of 5 passing before getting injured on the first drive at LA. He threw for three touchdowns, had 230 yards passing and 54 rushing in a season-opening victory against Dallas.

The Giants have not had a QB start every game of a season since Eli Manning in 2018. That dubious streak looks to continue, with Jameis Winston is expected to step in for however long Dart is out. Winston was 11 of 27 for 111 yards in relief during the Rams game.

The one thing playing in their favor is a soft upcoming schedule.

Tennessee, with former coach Brian Daboll as the Titans' offensive coordinator, comes to town on Sunday, followed by Arizona. A visit to Washington, which lost franchise quarterback Jayden Daniels to a dislocated left elbow, is next on Oct. 11, followed by a home game against New Orleans and a visit to Houston.

Just about everything. It is difficult to envision New York contending for a playoff spot without Dart.

“It’s an important position, obviously,” Harbaugh said.

After beating the Cowboys, it looked as if Harbaugh's first season in charge could exceed expectations. Now it is about teaching and building toward the future.

Safety Jevon Holland has intercepted Dak Prescott and Matthew Stafford and forced a fumble by Kyren Williams that he also then recovered. Holland is looking like the big-money defensive back he was signed to be in March 2025.

The offensive line that paved the way for 170 yards rushing in Week 1 was overpowered by the Rams. It could serve as a lesson for rookie right guard Francis “Sisi” Mauigoa, the 10th pick in the draft who got plugged into the starting lineup right away.

In addition to Dart, edge rusher Brian Burns sprained his left ankle and starting left tackle Andrew Thomas limped off with a groin injury. No. 1 receiver Malik Nabers said he popped his right shoulder back into place but would be getting further tests.

3 — wins in 12 NFL starts for Winston since 2022. In 26 appearances over that time, he has 21 TDs and 23 interceptions.

Winston will get the snaps with the first-team offense, and Harbaugh and general manager Joe Schoen need to decide whether to bring back training camp QB Brandon Allen or promote Jake Haener from the practice squad as the new backup. The Giants are 3-point favorites against the Titans even after Dart was injured.

See AP’s full NFL coverage here

New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart, center, watches from the sideline during the second half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams in Inglewood, Calif., Monday, Sept. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Caroline Brehman)

New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart, left, walks off the field with linebacker Abdul Carter (3) after an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams in Inglewood, Calif., Monday, Sept. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Caroline Brehman)

New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (6) walks off the field with an injury during the first half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams in Inglewood, Calif., Monday, Sept. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Caroline Brehman)

New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (6) walks off the field with an injury during the first half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams in Inglewood, Calif., Monday, Sept. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Caroline Brehman)