Countries with a sense of humor…

…about their borders are relatively rare in the modern world. Yet there are plenty of places where borders are clear on maps but vague on the ground because there’s really nothing there to defend. Example: I know I’ve been in the UAE but may or may not have been in Oman at some point. (If you want to try this yourself bring food, lots of water, and multiple very capable 4X4s rigged for towing and tire inflation because you WILL get stuck. Repeatedly. And a camera: wild camels. They like hot dog buns. For extra entertainment points, do it with a bunch of Australians who, I learned, actually do barbecue lobsters. In the damndest places.) But I’m unaware that either country considers their putative border a source of much humor.

Not so in Scandinavia. There is a place where Sweden, Norway and Finland come together…

…and apparently some people have thought it would be fun to go there and run in a circle yelling, “I’m in Sweden/Norway/Finland!”

Okay, I don’t judge. Trouble is, the place is located in the Käsivärsi wilderness, a good day’s hike from anything, and to make matters worse the exact spot is covered with water: Specifically, Goldajávri Lake. So getting to that spot is almost as difficult as pronouncing it.

But from the evidence, Finns/Swedes/Norwegians do not lack a sense of humor – so they solved the problem. In fact they apparently went to considerable trouble to do so…