An example of kindness and respect
" I got the idea in 1972 when I did a study on gravity in the border area explains Bjørn Geirr Harsson, a 76-year-old retired Norwegian geophysicist, in a new film about this curious gift, Battle for Birthday Mountain. Bjørn wants to fix this anomaly along the Norwegian-Finnish border. mountain even if no one has asked for it, it's a gift from the heart of Norwegians so we don't expect anything in return ; we just want to give them something really nice when they celebrate 100 years as a free nation," says Bjørn.
A gift that can change the maps
Jon Henley explains the phenomenon in eldiario.es : "Until now, the highest point in Finland is located in an inhospitable section of the mountain known as Hálditšohkka. At 1,324 meters above sea level, it is part of a much larger mountain called Halti, 320 kilometers inside the Arctic Circle." The 1,365-meter-high peak of Mount Halti would change this situation. Norway's gift would be 0.015 square kilometers of its Norwegian national territory , according to what Harsson explained to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in July 2015.
Bjørn Geirr Harsson exploring the area
As published by The Indepentent, Svein Oddvar Leiros, mayor of the municipality of Kåfjord, where the hill is located, is in favor of the idea and hopes that it will be " an example for other countries that are fighting over national borders Altering the border would only encroach 31 meters into Norwegian land and, according to The Independent, most residents seem to like the idea - it's just a few politicians backing up the proceedings with debates over their constitutional repercussions. Will Bjørn Geirr Harsson achieve his dream? We will remain vigilant.
Battle for Birthday Mountain from MEL Films on Vimeo .
The Scandinavian Alps seen from the top of Halti