Watch Out, Santa. Denmark Says It Owns the North Pole. The Nordic country is making a power play for natural resources that could eventually be big business.
By Jason Fell
Santa, man, you better dig up your deed and call your city officials, pronto. It looks like Denmark is making a power play to be the sole owner of the North Pole.
Following a 12-year, $50 million survey of an underwater mountain range, the Nordic country -- located in Northern Europe just south of Norway and Sweden -- has concluded that it is the rightful owner of the North Pole. Its research apparently shows that the Arctic region is geologically attached to Greenland, which Denmark also controls.
For those of us who need a quick refresher on where the North Pole is, it's the 556,463-square-mile area in the middle of the Arctic Ocean that represents the northernmost point on Earth. So, no, residents of North Pole, Alaska, can rest easy.
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Turns out, a number of countries have voiced interest in owning the North Pole over the years, including the U.S., Russia, Canada and Norway. Denmark's claim is uncharacteristically bold for a country that's otherwise considered a pretty chill, diplomatic place.
As with most things, there appears to be some business strategy behind Denmark's northern land grab. The North Pole is believed to contain 30 percent of the world's undiscovered natural gas and 15 percent of its oil. As the polar ice melts, getting to these resources becomes more feasible.
In other words, Denmark is seeing dollar signs.
I wonder if Santa knew what was under his feet if he would have gotten into a different line of business. Or, maybe he would have diversified revenue streams, at least.
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