Knowra Arctic geopolitics Arctic geopolitics Arctic geopolitics is political competition and cooperation over Arctic territory, resources, and access, shaped by sovereignty claims, strategic interests, and environmental change.
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea : The international treaty that governs maritime zones, navigation, and seabed rights. Its rules determine coastal states’ maritime claims and rights to Arctic seabed resources.
Hans Island : A small island in the Nares Strait claimed by Canada and Denmark. Its peaceful resolution illustrates how a long-running sovereignty dispute can be settled by agreement.
Arctic sea ice decline : The long-term reduction in the extent, thickness, and duration of Arctic sea ice. Less sea ice can lengthen navigation seasons and increase access to contested areas.
Arctic exceptionalism : The idea that the Arctic can remain insulated from wider geopolitical rivalries through regional cooperation. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine challenged expectations that Arctic cooperation could remain separate from global conflict.
Northwest Passage : A group of sea routes through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Canada and the United States dispute whether these passages are internal waters or an international strait.
Beaufort Sea dispute : A maritime boundary dispute between Canada and the United States in the Beaufort Sea. The unresolved boundary affects potential access to offshore resources.
Arctic shipping : Commercial and other vessel traffic through Arctic waters. Growing traffic raises questions about regulation, infrastructure, safety, and control of routes.
Arctic Council : An intergovernmental forum for cooperation among Arctic states and Indigenous representatives. Its non-military mandate contrasts with security competition, which it does not address.
Northern Sea Route : A shipping route along Russia’s Arctic coast connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Russian control over permits and navigation rules makes access a geopolitical issue.
Lomonosov Ridge : An underwater mountain range extending across the central Arctic Ocean. Russia, Denmark, and Canada cite it in overlapping claims to extended continental shelves.
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