If you travel directly north from Maine, you can cut through which possession of Denmark?

While a glance at a standard flat map suggests Canada is the only country directly north of the United States, the Earth's curvature reveals a more interesting path. When you travel "directly north," you are following a line of longitude toward the North Pole. The easternmost part of Maine sits around 67 degrees west longitude. If you follow this line northward, you will cross over parts of Quebec and Nunavut in Canada before your path eventually intersects with the massive, ice-covered western coast of Greenland.

This immense island is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. Although it has its own government and makes most of its own decisions, its defense and foreign affairs are still handled by Denmark. This unique political status is a remnant of centuries of colonial history, beginning with Norse settlement and later Danish rule.

As the world's largest island, Greenland is geographically part of North America but politically and culturally tied to Europe. Its strategic location in the Arctic has made it a point of interest for centuries. So, while it feels a world away, a straight line north from the woods of Maine will lead you directly to this Danish territory long before you reach the North Pole.