Superpowers: Arctic Flashcards
how have tensions arisen over the Arctic?
In 2007, a Russian submarine sailed beneath the North Pole and planted a titanium Russian flag on the seabed- staking a claim to ownership of resources there
Canada carries out military exercises in the Arctic
Russia carries out Arctic bomber patrols
Denmark is creating an Arctic military command and response force
Norway has expanded its navy to become a stronger military power in the Arctic
what are the key players in the Arctic dispute?
Russia US Canada Denmark Norway Iceland
Resources
Political and military tension due to increasingly accessible mineral wealth beneath the Arctic.
Drilling for oil and gas is increasingly possible further into the Arctic. The USGS estimates that the Arctic contains one-eighth of the world’s untapped oil and a quarter of its gas.
Drilling in the Arctic is expensive and needs high global oil and gas prices to be profitable
Transport routes
Climate change is thawing more of the Artic Ocean each summer which allows shipping to travel ‘over the top of the world’ via the Northeast Passage and the Northwest Passage.
These routes are considerably shorter, reducing transport time and costs, as well as emissions
what is the EEZ?
a country can control the seabed and its resources within 200 nautical miles of its coastline