Greenland, the funny country where nothing is green, has split in two, it has been claimed.
A giant sheet of ice, measuring 260 sq km (100 sq miles), has broken off the Petermann Glacier on the north-west coast of Greenland, and has formed a completely separate country, according to researchers at a US university.
Several thousand people were aboard the glacier when it broke free of Greenland; they are now making provision for an interim government until proper elections can be held, probably in January.
"It is the largest Arctic iceberg to 'calve' (separate) since 1962", said Prof Andreas Muenchow of the University of Delaware.
The ice could become frozen in place over winter, or escape into the waters between Greenland and Canada. If the iceberg moves south, it could 'interfere' with shipping.
Authorities have promised that, if the ice does escape, it will be pursued with all vigour and haste, until it is captured and returned to its rightful place.
