Story highlights
Prime Minister says Norway is looking into proposal to move the border
Move would give Halti Mountain to Finland to mark its 100th year of independence
Thinking of giving a little summit to your neighbor for a 100th birthday present? What about a mountain?
Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg said this week her government was considering a proposal to move the country’s border 40 meters (about 130 feet) – gifting Finland a mountain for its 100 years of independence in 2017.
“So far I have not made any decisions, but we are looking into this matter,” Solberg told state broadcaster NRK.
The proposal follows a public campaign on Facebook to give Finland the Halditcohkka peak of Halti Mountain. The mountain sits on the border between the two countries – with its peak on the Norwegian side.
By shifting the border slightly, the summit, measuring 1,331 meters (4,366 feet), would instead reside in Finland.
While Norway has many high mountains, its neighbor is a little more vertically challenged. Should the proposal go ahead, the Halditcohkka peak would become Finland’s highest point.
How Norway is changing the way we drink coffee
“We have a lot of mountains, and this is just a small mountaintop,” said Sondre Lund, a Norwegian student who set up the initial Facebook campaign.
“It’s such a small thing, but such a big thing also. All the Nordic countries have great relations; this is just a part of that.”
Lund was inspired by Bj?rn Geirr Harsson, a retired employee of the Norwegian Mapping Authority who suggested the idea while taking border measurements in 1972.
Where the pros go for snow: Skiing in Scandinavia
“I was taken aback by why on earth (Finland) had not received this peak,” Harsson told The Local, a Norwegian English-language newspaper.
“It would barely be noticeable (for Norway). And I’m sure the Finns would greatly appreciate getting it.”
Journalist Will Heilpern contributed to this report.