Denmark is now one more country adding its name to the list of contenders for who gets final control over the land that is the North Pole.
After new scientific data showed a connection between the continental shelf under Greenland and the North Pole beneath the Arctic Ocean, the Danes announced their claim over the North Pole with other countries interested in the land there, as well as its resources. Greenland is an autonomous country within the kingdom of Denmark.
"The Lomonosov ridge is the natural extension of the Greenland shelf," says Christian Marcussen, a senior geophysicist with the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland. "Coincidentally, the North Pole which is a tiny, tiny abstract spot lies in the area."
Danish scientists spent around 12 years and millions of dollars studying a 1,240-mile-long mountain range beneath the Arctic Ocean. They determined that this ridge geologically attaches Greenland to the North Pole.
Other countries wanting the 345,600 square miles of land at the North Pole include Russia and Canada, both which also have land surrounding the North Pole. Other countries attached by land include the U.S. and Norway, but those nations have not yet announced an interest in claiming it.
In 2008, all five countries attached to the area agreed to let the United Nations decide who eventually gets the land there. The land is garnering new interest, thanks to global warming which is shrinking ice caps and opening up new shipping lanes, as well as tapping into undiscovered oil and gas supplies.
However, a decision will take some time. Meanwhile, the competing countries are working together.
"This is a historical milestone for Denmark and many others as the area has an impact on the lives of lot of people," says Denmark Foreign Minister Martin Lidegaard. "After the U.N. panel had taken a decision based on scientific data, comes a political process. I expect this to take some time. An answer will come in a few decades."
Denmark's claim is the first outright claim of ownership of the North Pole. The other countries interested are finalizing bids to claim the land there.
The North Pole is the most northernmost point on Earth and the point where the Earth's axis meets the surface of the planet. It's also most famously known as the home of Santa Claus, who supposedly spends all his free time there making toys for children with his elves.
Here's hoping Santa doesn't get the boot when the dispute for the land there is finally settled.
[Photo Credit: NASA]
