The North Pole—which often draws a lot of attention at this time of year—is located in the middle of the Arctic Ocean, covered by shifting layers of ice. The nearest land is believed to be Kaffeklubben Island (above), which lies off the northern coast of Greenland about 440 miles from the North Pole.

There is some dispute over whether Kaffeklubben truly is the northernmost point on earth because at times there are gravel banks closer to the North Pole—but they are not permanent.

Kaffeklubben Island was first visited in 1921 by Danish explorer Lauge Koch and was named after the coffee club in Copenhagen’s museum of mineralogy.

Photo: Arctic Thule