Moving mountains: Norway wants to give Finland a new highest peak

This may be the pinnacle of gift-giving.

Some people in Norway are mounting a campaign to give part of a mountain to their vertically challenged neighbor, Finland, to mark the 100-year anniversary of Finnish independence in 2017.

The Norwegians have taken pity on Finland, which has no high mountains.

The Halditcohkka peak of the Halti mountain, at only 4,366 feet, is outside of Norway’s top 200 highest points, but it could become the highest point in Finland.

The proposal suggests adding a triangle to the border between the two countries, by drawing a line just 656 feet north and 492 feet to the east of the current line.

The Facebook campaign has more than 5,400 likes.

“We have a lot of mountains, and this is just a small mountaintop,” said Sondre Lund, a Norwegian student who set up the page.

“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 set up the page after reading about the scheme — originally dreamed up by Bjørn Geirr Harsson. A retired employee of the Norwegian Mapping Authority, Harsson thought of the plan in 1972 when he was taking border measurements.

“I was taken aback by why on earth (Finland) had not received this peak,” Harsson told the Norweigian English language newspaper, The Local.

“It would barely be noticeable (for Norway). And I’m sure the Finns would greatly appreciate getting it.”

He seems to be on to something. The reaction from Finns has been overwhelmingly positive.

Jiri Keronen from Finland posted: “Thank you very much. It would be nice to have a mountain. Norway is the best and we love you.”

But will this actually happen?

The head of the Norwegian Mapping Authority, Cathrine Frøstrup, has already expressed support for the donation of the snow-covered mountain peak.

“I must say that I think it’s a very good idea,” she told local broadcaster NRK.

“It is a nice gift to give to a country that lacks a high mountain, where the highest point isn’t even a peak.”

The Norwegian Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a CNN request for a comment on the idea.

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