Douglas Bacon, age 7 of Peterborough: Ont., for his question:

To which country does the North Pole belong?

The North Pole is way out in the Arctic Oceans far from any country. By International law, countries have the right to the waters which surround their shores for a distance of three miles. Outside the three mile limit, the ocean belongs to everyone. Hence, the North Pole does not belong to any country.

The Pole itself, of course, is under a mile or more of ocean water, chilly water often choked with ice. No country can claim a territory if it cannot occupy it and certainly the North Pole would be an impossible place to occupy. There are walruses up there at certain times of the year and we might say that the Polo belongs to them. But if you asked one of these solemn fellows about it, ‑Andy is sure he would not be interested.