05-10-04

Denmark aims to show that the North Pole belongs to it and is sending an expedition to try to show that the ocean floor from northern Greenland to the North Pole is geologically a natural extension of Danish territory, the Science Ministry said.

The key to Denmark's claim is Greenland, the world's largest island and a Danish territory, whose northern tip lies just 725 km south of the North Pole.

Science Minister Helge Sander said that success would give Denmark access to "new resources such as oil and natural gas." The potential return far outweighs the $ 25 mm the Danish government has allocated to support the investigation.

The Danish bid rests on a UN convention allowing coastal nations to claim rights to offshore seabed resources. Countries that ratify it have 10 years to prove they have a fair claim to the offshore territory and its resources.

Other claimants to the area, including the pole itself, include Russia, Canada and Norway, and the United States.

Source: Moscow Times