In the Philippines foriegners can't own property...

[Lancer]

Sounds like a great idea Zkrib, but I'm a bit biased.

[:) Smiley]

In China, foreigners can't own land, but the locals can't either.

In the other nations, can foreign corporations own land?

[Winston]

As usual, us Danes have the upper hand. And this time in a rather ultimate fashion. In Greenland, nobody can own real estate, not even the Greenlanders. You can get some land alloted and build a house on it, but you can never own the land.

I only recently found out this was so, and it surprised me quite a bit. The main reason seems to be that there's no tradition of land ownership among Greenlanders, and there's no real incentive for them to change a system that seems to work fine as it is.

[Lancer]

So in China the government owns everything? Sounds very communist! I thought they were becoming capitalist...

"In the other nations, can foreign corporations own land?"

A good question. Otherwise why would anyone build a factory they can't own?

[Lancer]

Winston, so building the house gives them rights to the property? Or is it because its alloted to them? What if you don't like the land the government allots? Can you sell it? Can you buy a better one?

[Fake Boris]

Filipinos neither.

[Winston]

I have to admit I don't have a lot of detailed knowledge of the Greenlandic system, but it's my understanding that you apply for permission to build a house in a certain spot and then you gain only the right to use that particular spot for housing purposes. No ownership of the land itself. So while I suppose you could sell the house if you decided to move, the land would still belong to "nobody".

I guess one advantage is you can't get shot for trespassing this way.

Plus if everyone is accustomed to the way the system is and has always been, it's hard to see it leading to any problems. After all, with a population of ~50,000, land shortage is not the main problem they have to deal with.

[Lancer]

Whatever works. I'd worry about them removing my right to use the property if they wanted to. I like my property rights...

[DanS]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse
I mean that you can own property as a foreign citizen in Western Europe, Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand...

Which, of course leaves about 4/5th of the world as a remainder...

[Drake Tungsten]

I mean that you can own property as a foreign citizen in Western Europe, Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand...

I don't know about property, but I know you can't own some businesses as a foreigner in Japan.

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by DanS


Which, of course leaves about 4/5th of the world as a remainder...

And not leaving the US as the "1 notable exception"...

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten

I mean that you can own property as a foreign citizen in Western Europe, Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand...

I don't know about property, but I know you can't own some businesses as a foreigner in Japan.

Any in particular?

[DanS]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse


And not leaving the US as the "1 notable exception"...

Oh, so now these places are instantly notable?

[Bosh]

I don't know about owning property, but its a very big pain in the ass for a foreigner to get a business liscense in Korea, same for a lot of Korean companies to give foreigners work visas, they have to prove that no Korean can fill the job or somesuch (except with us English teachers, we're a separate visa category).

[KrazyHorse]

You don't think that the existence of Western Europe is notable?