Identifying the largest landowners globally is a challenging task that requires extensive research and investigation. It is a complex matter that demands thorough examination.
However, Madison Trust, an IRA company, took it upon itself to research those who own the most land in the world. The people or groups of persons who made the list come from the most random places on Earth. Some of these lands are group owned, while others are personal possessions, inherited or purchased.
King Charles III
Starting first on the list compiled by Madison Trust, King Charles III and the entire royal family of England is the biggest landowner in the world. In fact, the amount of land they own goes beyond those in England.
It's not shocking that England has a vast amount of land, considering its history of colonization. The royal family, led by King Charles III, possesses over 6.6 billion acres of land across the globe. To put it into perspective, this is equivalent to 1/6 of the Earth's surface. Most of their landholdings are in England, Canada, and other previously colonized nations.
The Catholic Church
Taking its place as the number one Christian branch, the Catholic Church proves that by the number of lands they own worldwide. The land they own is not only limited to their churches. The researchers also considered things such as farms, schools, and monasteries. Even historical sites owned by the Catholics, such as the Scala Sancta and the Apostolic Palace, were considered. The Catholic Church's land is more than 177 million acres.
Nunavut in Canada
The amount of land they own makes them hold the record of the largest land claim settlement in the history of Canada. The land ownership claim was according to the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act 1993. In this agreement, the government of Canada and the government of the Northwest Territories granted the Inuit people territory. The name of the separate territory granted to Inuit people is called Nunavut. This land involved in the claim settlement is around 87 million acres.
Gina Rinehart
She is the wealthiest person in Australia and has a net worth of more than $30 billion. The majority of the money she makes comes from mining. In her case, some of the lands she owns came from inheritance. Note that she is the daughter of iron-ore explorer Lang Hancock. The amount of land she owns is approximately 23 million acres, and it is mainly made up of farms and cattle ranches.
Inuvialuit people
Did you know that the Inuvialuit people from the Inuvialuit Settlement Region in Canada are the fifth biggest landowners in the world? It's true! They own around 22 million acres of land, which was designated by the Canadian government in 1984. Their land is spread across various locations in Canada.