- Contested territories
- Discovered 12 May 1926
- Claimed by Denmark, Russia, Canada, Norway, United States
- Administered by International Seabed Authority
The North Pole is the northernmost point of the earth and lies in the middle of the Arctic Ocean. Contrary to Antarctica there is no landmass here, just ice sea, the Arctic Ocean. The North Pole first appeared on a map as early as 1595, but the first successful expedition was in 1926 by Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen. Officially the North Pole and the Arctic Ocean don’t belong to any country but there are claims made by at least five countries: Canada, Denmark, Norway, the United States and Russia. The area, which is now covered by shifting sea ice, is supposed to be rich in natural resources like gas and oil.