Who Owns The Arctic: Understanding Sovereignty Disputes In The North

Synopsis

A topical and informed primer for the most urgent yet least understood geopolitical issue of our time-Arctic sovereignty.Who actually controls the Northwest Passage? Who owns the trillions of dollars of oil and gas beneath the Arctic Ocean? Which territorial claims will prevail-those of the U.S., Russia, Canada or the Nordic nations-and why? And, in an age of rapid climate change, how do we protect the fragile Arctic environment while seizing the economic opportunities presented by the rapidly melting sea ice?In this highly readable book, Michael Byers, a leading Arctic expert and international lawyer, explains the sometimes contradictory rules governing the division and protection of the Arctic and the disputes that remain unresolved. What emerges is a vision for the Arctic in which co-operation, not conflict, prevails, and where the sovereignty of individual nations is exercised for the benefit of all.