Featured Image Credit: JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP via Getty Images
Topics: News, World News, Weird
Callum Jones
Topics: News, World News, Weird
An entire city in Europe is being moved 'building by building' to a brand new location after an incredibly rare discovery was made.
The picturesque Kiruna is found in the far north of the Swedish Lapland, and had just over 17,000 inhabitants as of 2016.
The city certainly has a lot of history too, thanks to a huge iron ore mine and its underground visitors center.
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In recent times, valuable minerals have been found in Kiruna, with the largest known deposit of rare earth elements found in the city just earlier this year.
These particular elements are used to produce electric car batteries and wind turbines - certainly something that is very handy indeed.
Subsequently, Sweden's deputy prime minster Ebba Busch has labelled her home country as a 'goldmine' and urged the rest of Europe to 'learn the lesson'.
As we have become all too aware with Russia's war in Ukraine, much of the world relied on the country for many resources, something that has now skyrocketed in price in the past 18 months.
But the iron ore mine found in Kiruna, run by Swedish state-owned company LAB, produces 80 percent of the European Union's supply.
However, Kiruna's incredible success with the mining has seemingly become its own downfall.
Each day, as much as the six Eiffel Towers worth of ore is extracted from the mine, causing land deformation on its western border.
Such problems put residents at risk while also threatening to swallow the town.
In fact, local reports have suggested that cracks have been found in a hospital in the city, while a local school is no longer deemed safe for students and teachers.
Due to all the risks, a project is now in place to essentially move Kiruna 1.9 miles east of its old town - something that is expected to be completed by 2026.
It will allow historic landmarks such as a church which opened in 1912 to continue as was.
Vicar Lena Tjärnberg told EuroNews: "It is very important to move the church for us and for the city. People are very happy about that... that the church is going to the new city, and is not going to be torn down. I think people are looking forward to the move, for the day when it is going to happen."
The project will see almost 6,000 people move their home, though tenants will certainly see that hit their pocket a little.
That is because they will see a cap 25 percent higher than the old rate.