Longest Countries

Interesting article. The Danes, as the article points out, are in control of foreign affairs and defence (one wonders where the Greenlandic coastguard would invade otherwise), though the 2009 referendum determined that Greenland government will be given significant autonomy in determining foreign affairs; with many aspects of foreign affairs policy no longer be linked to Danish policy; and control of the militarised Greenlandic Coast Guard transferred to the Government of Greenland. In my book that's independent enough to qualify Greenland as a country. (Also note Greenland has control over its own policing, judicial system, company law, accounting, auditing, mineral resource activities, aviation, law of legal capacity, family law and succession law, aliens and border controls, the working environment, and financial regulation and supervision).

Yes, I've read Matt Rosenberg's articles on that website - of which the one you link to is one - and he sets up criteria for deciding whether it's a country that in my opinion are (a) way overblown and (b) inconsistently applied. So I take his opinions with a grain of salt.