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Why the Arctic Pole will become the next major battleground for global powers
The Arctic covers an area of approximately 5.4 million square miles (14 million square kilometers), including the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, the United States (Alaska), Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Finland.
Canada claims the majority of the Arctic Archipelago and its surrounding waters as internal Canadian waters, with the longest Arctic coastline of any country, extending over 162,000 km. Russia claims the largest portion of the Arctic, including the Laptev Sea, East Siberian Sea, and parts of the Arctic Ocean.
The United States claims the state of Alaska, which includes part of the Alaskan Arctic region. Norway claims the Svalbard archipelago and the surrounding maritime zones. It also has territorial claims in the Barents Sea.
Denmark claims Greenland, which includes a significant portion of the Arctic region. Greenland has a high degree of autonomy from Denmark, but Denmark is responsible for Greenland’s foreign affairs and defense. Iceland has jurisdiction over the Icelandic continental shelf, which extends into the Arctic Ocean.
Global warming
The warming of the Arctic due to climate change is leading to the rapid melting of Arctic sea ice. This is opening up new shipping…
