The world’s largest landowners as researched by Madison Trust. The largest landowner is King Charles III of England and the British Royal Family, owning 1/6 of the planet’s surface. Other major landowners include the Catholic Church, the Inuit people of Nunavut, Gina Rinehart in Australia, the Inuvialuit people of Canada, and the Mudanjiang City Mega Farm in China. The piece also discusses general statistics about land availability and usage on Earth, including the distribution of habitable land.
Key Points:
- King Charles III and the British Royal Family: The largest landowners globally, they own over 6.6 billion acres, including territories in the United Kingdom, Canada, and other regions, comprising 1/6 of the Earth’s surface.
- Other Significant Landowners: The Catholic Church ranks second with 177 million acres; the Inuit people own 87 million acres due to the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement; Gina Rinehart, the richest Australian, owns 23 million acres; the Inuvialuit people possess more than 22 million acres; and the Mudanjiang City Mega Farm in China ranks sixth.
- Habitable Land on Earth: There are 36 billion acres of land on Earth, but only 15 billion acres are habitable, resulting in less than 2 acres per person. The article also notes that 900 million acres in the U.S. are considered farmland, comprising about 40% of the land in the country.
- Largest Land Claim Settlement in Canada’s History: The Inuit people’s ownership of Nunavut, 87 million acres in size, is the largest land claim settlement in Canada’s history.
- Insight into Land Distribution: The article provides a comprehensive overview of land distribution, including details about farms, forests, rural properties, and various significant landmarks owned by different organizations and individuals.
Source: https://www.madisontrust.com/information-center/worlds-largest-landowners/
