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Should the US hand over Minnesota's Northwest Angle to Canada?
It's a geographic curiosity - a bit of US land at the top edge of Minnesota, disconnected from the rest of the state. The Northwest Angle is known to local residents, people who love to fish - the region is famous for its walleye - and geography buffs. It is accessible by land only through the Canadian province.
Now, someone has anonymously launched a petition urging the US to hand the land over to its northern neighbours. "Make America great by correcting this critical survey error," states the petition posted on 30 December on the White House "We the People" site, which allows citizens to petition Congress on issues that matter to them. The petition is titled "Give Canada back the Northwest Angle located in Manitoba".
The nub of Minnesota state is roughly 123 square miles (318 square km) and is farther north than any other part of the contiguous United States. Living above the 49th parallel, Angleites - as local residents are known - are the northernmost American citizens, barring Alaskans. It can be reached by driving through Canada or by boat across the Lake of the Woods.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday January 04 2019, @11:25PM (3 children)
Angleites themselves have been asking for it for decades. I remember seeing something about it on tv almost 30 years ago. They'd gladly become canadian citizens if it meant no longer having to go through customs twice just to go grocery shopping, or when the kids go to school.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 05 2019, @12:20AM
TFA says the opposite, based on its interview sampling of roughly 1% of Angleites (1 person).
(Score: 1) by bussdriver on Saturday January 05 2019, @02:55AM
FYI: Nearly all of it is state park or WATER; it's a huge mistake that only could have been made while the lake was frozen. So few people live in the small part that you can live in.
I'm from MN. We don't care. Give it to Canada. It costs more to keep it, it was a mistake from the start. MN has the most fishing spots in the country; plenty of walleye too. We will never miss it. As far as the border crossing, you can hardly even notice in many places up there when you do cross over. Just treat it like the Lake Superior border already.
(Score: 2) by Nuke on Saturday January 05 2019, @09:50AM
I was going to suggest a referendum, but we have seen a couple of times lately that the losers are incapable of accepting the result.