News that researchers have produced the world's first map of the Arctic, showing a number of land disputes between countries looking to tap into the oil and natural resources market has caused some concern in international circles. A mixture of improved technology and the fact that the ice caps are melting has brought the possibility of drilling for oil in the Arctic much closer. So who owns what and where are the disputes?
The whole issue of land, oil and mineral right claims came to the fore last year after Russia carried out a very public flag planting PR stunt on the sea bed of the Arctic. Now that the situation has risen higher up the international agenda it seems that while many areas remain uncontested by the six countries staking a claim, there are areas of concern.
In theory there are international laws in place to ensure the battle for land in the Arctic does not turn nasty but the provocative move by the Russians has cast doubts on whether these international laws will be enough. Russia, United States, Canada, Denmark, Norway and Iceland are the countries in the frame for land claim rights, but who will ultimately take the vast majority of the spoils remains to be seen. Research shows that twenty percent of the world's oil supplies may actually be under the Arctic meaning there are literally billions upon billions of dollars at stake! |
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