Would a new state seem like fun? Not to me, most certainly not to about 50 million people. But what about the rest? Could a 51st state be possible? Probably. Numerous American territories have been trying to be states for years. Puerto Rico is likely the closest. Many people want it to be a state, and they’ve held referendums.
What about other countries though? In some countries, they want to become a U.S. state! How crazy is that? Well, turns out it’s more likely than you think.
During World War II, when Denmark was occupied by Nazi Germany, the United States briefly controlled Greenland for battlefields and protection. In 1946, the United States offered to buy Greenland from Denmark for $100 million ($1.2 billion today) but Denmark refused to sell it. Several politicians, including former U.S. President Donald Trump, and others have in recent years argued that Greenland could hypothetically be in a better financial situation as a part of the United States; for instance mentioned by professor Gudmundur Alfredsson at University of Akureyri in 2014. One of the reasons behind U.S. interest in Greenland could be the vast natural resources of the island. According to WikiLeaks, the U.S. appears to be highly interested in investing in the resource base of the island and in tapping the vast expected hydrocarbons off the Greenlandic coast.
Cuba, like many Spanish territories, wanted to break free from Spain. A pro-independence movement in Cuba was supported by the U.S., and Cuban guerrilla leaders wanted annexation to the United States, but Cuban revolutionary leader José Martí called for Cuban nationhood. When the U.S. battleship Maine sank in Havana Harbor, the U.S. blamed Spain and the Spanish–American War broke out in 1898. After the U.S. won, Spain relinquished claim of sovereignty over territories, including Cuba. The U.S. administered Cuba as a protectorate until 1902. Several decades later in 1959, the Cuban government of U.S.-backed Fulgencio Batista was overthrown by Fidel Castro who subsequently installed a Marxist–Leninist government. When the U.S. refused to trade with Cuba, Cuba allied with the Soviet Union who imported Cuban sugar, Cuba's main export. The government installed by Fidel Castro has been in power ever since. In 2016, the U.S. eased trade and travel restrictions against Cuba that were put in place consequently of the Bay of Pigs Invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis.
So it’s not as unlikely as it may seem.. What do you think of a 51st state?