{"id":331476,"date":"2025-04-01T20:07:16","date_gmt":"2025-04-01T14:37:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/?p=331476"},"modified":"2025-04-02T11:00:11","modified_gmt":"2025-04-02T05:30:11","slug":"the-arctic-is-becoming-a-global-hotspot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/the-arctic-is-becoming-a-global-hotspot\/","title":{"rendered":"The Arctic is becoming a global hotspot"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Source<\/strong>: The post The Arctic is becoming a global hotspot. has been created, based on the article \u201c<strong>Why are tensions high in the Arctic?<\/strong>\u201d published in \u201c<strong>The Hindu<\/strong>\u201d on 1 April 2025. <strong>The Arctic is becoming a global hotspot.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-331511 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Arctic-is-becoming-a-global-hotspot.png?resize=577%2C383&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Arctic is becoming a global hotspot\" width=\"577\" height=\"383\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Arctic-is-becoming-a-global-hotspot.png?resize=300%2C199&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Arctic-is-becoming-a-global-hotspot.png?resize=1024%2C680&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Arctic-is-becoming-a-global-hotspot.png?resize=768%2C510&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Arctic-is-becoming-a-global-hotspot.png?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 577px) 100vw, 577px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>UPSC Syllabus Topic:<\/strong> GS Paper2-International Relations-Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Context<\/strong>: <strong>The Arctic<\/strong>, long isolated by ice, is now attracting <strong>global attention<\/strong> due to rapid <strong>climate change<\/strong>. <strong>Melting ice caps<\/strong> are exposing <strong>untapped natural resources<\/strong> and <strong>new trade routes<\/strong>. This shift has triggered <strong>territorial claims<\/strong>, <strong>military posturing<\/strong>, and <strong>fears of conflict<\/strong> among global powers.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Reason for the Arctic Becoming a Hotspot of Global Interest<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The Arctic, once inaccessible due to thick ice, is now opening up. <strong>Melting ice<\/strong> is revealing major resources and trade paths. The region is estimated to hold:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong> 13% of the world<\/strong><strong>\u2019<\/strong><strong>s undiscovered oil<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>30% of untapped natural gas<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Rich deposits of rare earth elements and copper<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Valuable fishing grounds<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>The Northeast Passage<\/strong>, a shorter route for China-Europe trade, saving around <strong>8,000 km<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>Control and Claim on the Arctic<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Control and Governance<\/strong>: The Arctic is managed by <strong>eight countries<\/strong> \u2014 Canada, Denmark (via Greenland), Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, and the U.S. These form the <strong>Arctic Council<\/strong>, focusing on environment and indigenous rights.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Legal Framework<\/strong>: The Arctic is governed under <strong>UNCLOS<\/strong>, which allows countries to extend <strong>seabed claims <\/strong>beyond <strong>200 nautical miles<\/strong>, based on geological continuity of the <strong>continental shelf<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Claims and Infrastructure<\/strong>: <strong>Canada, Denmark, and Russia<\/strong> have submitted <strong>overlapping seabed claims<\/strong>. <strong>Russia <\/strong>stands out with the <strong>largest fleet of icebreakers<\/strong>, including <strong>nuclear-powered vessels<\/strong>, vital for asserting presence.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Tensions and Military Posturing<\/strong>: Multiple nations are expanding <strong>military infrastructure<\/strong> to strengthen their Arctic positions, especially <strong>Russia<\/strong>, which seeks dominance.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><strong>Sources of Tension<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>U.S.\u2013<\/strong><strong>Greenland Issue<\/strong>: Former U.S. President Trump showed interest in <strong>buying Greenland<\/strong>, questioning <strong>Danish sovereignty<\/strong>. Denmark responded by pledging to <strong>boost security<\/strong> on the island.<\/li>\n<li><strong>U.S.\u2013Canada Dispute<\/strong>: Ongoing dispute over the <strong>Northwest Passage<\/strong>. <strong>Canada<\/strong> claims it as internal waters, while the <strong>U.S.<\/strong> considers it <strong>international waters<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Russia<\/strong><strong>\u2013NATO Strains<\/strong>: After Russia\u2019s <strong>2022 invasion of Ukraine<\/strong>, ties within the <strong>Arctic Council weakened<\/strong>. Russian officials claimed <strong>Norway<\/strong><strong>\u2019<\/strong><strong>s Svalbard<\/strong> should be under <strong>Russian control<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong> Strategic Military Importance<\/strong>: The <strong>Greenland-Iceland-UK (GIUK) gap<\/strong> is a key <strong>NATO choke point<\/strong>. It\u2019s the only passage for <strong>Russian submarines<\/strong> to reach the Atlantic.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><strong>Non-Arctic Countries<\/strong><strong>\u2019 <\/strong><strong>Involvement<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>China<\/strong>: Declared itself a <strong>\u201c<\/strong><strong>Near-Arctic State\u201d<\/strong> in 2018. Seeks to use the <strong>Northeast Passage<\/strong> for trade. Plans to build a <strong>nuclear icebreaker<\/strong>. Russia remains cautious about giving port access.<\/li>\n<li><strong>India<\/strong> and other <strong>observer states<\/strong> are closely watching developments.<\/li>\n<li>The <strong>UK<\/strong> highlights the Arctic\u2019s <strong>strategic value<\/strong> for NATO.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><strong>Growing Military Interest in the Arctic<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li>In <strong>2007<\/strong>, Russia planted a <strong>flag on the seabed<\/strong> at the North Pole.<\/li>\n<li>It continues to operate <strong>Soviet-era Arctic military bases<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>In <strong>2022<\/strong>, <strong>Russia and China<\/strong> held <strong>joint naval drills<\/strong> in the East China Sea.<\/li>\n<li>After <strong>Sweden and Finland<\/strong> joined NATO, the alliance held <strong>large-scale exercises<\/strong> in <strong>Finland (2024)<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Analysts warn that <strong>NATO lacks strong Arctic capabilities<\/strong>, while <strong>Russia remains better prepared<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong>Question for practice:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Discuss why the Arctic has become a hotspot of global interest and the sources of tension among major powers in the region.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Source: The post The Arctic is becoming a global hotspot. has been created, based on the article \u201cWhy are tensions high in the Arctic?\u201d published in \u201cThe Hindu\u201d on 1 April 2025. The Arctic is becoming a global hotspot. UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper2-International Relations-Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate. Context: The&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/the-arctic-is-becoming-a-global-hotspot\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">The Arctic is becoming a global hotspot<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10320,"featured_media":331511,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1230],"tags":[212,239,10498],"class_list":["post-331476","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-9-pm-daily-articles","tag-gs-paper-2","tag-international-relations","tag-the-hindu","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Arctic-is-becoming-a-global-hotspot.png?fit=1280%2C850&ssl=1","views":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/331476","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10320"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=331476"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/331476\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/331511"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=331476"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=331476"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=331476"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}