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Arctic Sovereignty Facts & Worksheets

Arctic sovereignty is referred to as the consolidation of political control over distant Northern regions by the southern capitals of circumpolar states and tended to focus on maritime boundary disputes, perceived foreign threats to territory, and control over natural resources.

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Arctic sovereignty is referred to as the consolidation of political control over distant Northern regions by the southern capitals of circumpolar states and tended to focus on maritime boundary disputes, perceived foreign threats to territory, and control over natural resources.

See the fact file below for more information on the Arctic sovereignty or alternatively, you can download our 26-page Arctic Sovereignty worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

TERRITORIAL CLAIMS

  • The Arctic is the northernmost region of the Earth, centered on the North Pole with polar conditions of climate, plant and animal life, and other distinct features.
  • It consists of land, internal waters, territorial seas, exclusive economic zones and international waters above the Arctic Circle.
  • The territories in the Arctic are under the jurisdiction of one of the eight Arctic coastal states: Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, and the United States.
  • In 1925, Canada became the first country to extend its maritime boundaries northward to the North Pole.
  • The following year, the USSR declared their arctic territory from west of Murmansk to the North Pole and from the eastern Chukchi Peninsula to the North Pole.
  • Norway and the United States (via Alaska) made similar sector claims, but since the claimed territories contained only a few islands, it was not pressed.
  • After Denmark’s sovereignty over Greenland was recognized, it also posted its claim in an Arctic sector.
  • Until 1999, the North Pole and the majority of the Arctic Ocean had been generally considered an international space – meaning, it was not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty.
  • However, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) provided a 10-year processing, thus prompting several countries to submit claims or to reinforce pre-existing claims to portions relative to their territorial laws.
  • If deemed valid, claims to extended continental shelves gave the claimant state exclusive rights to the sea bottom and resources below the bottom, but it did not extend the state’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
  • The potential value of the North Pole and the surrounding area resides in the possibility that petroleum and natural gas reserves exist below the seafloor – that’s why many countries persevere to claim Arctic Sovereignty.
  • Certain areas that are still disputed include the Hans Island (Canada vs. Denmark), the Beaufort Sea (Canada vs. US), the Northwest Passage (Canada vs. international straight for all foreign vessels) and the Northeast Passage (Russia).

Canadian Arctic Sovereignty

  • The Canadian government had long argued that the presence of Inuit and other Indigenous peoples in Canada’s Arctic territories helped establish Canada’s historic title to those lands.
  • Canada’s claim to its North was based on the ownership of the Hudson Bay Company (HBC) of the present-day Northwest Territories and Nunavut south of the Arctic coast in 1821.
  • When the company transferred its land title to Canada in 1870, the latter acquired sovereignty over all of the present-day Northwest Territories and Nunavut except for the Arctic islands.
  • In the 1880s, the Canadian government sponsored voyages to the Eastern Arctic to establish ownership in support of its territorial claims.
  • Soon, the Canadian Arctic Expedition (1913-1918), including many Iñupiat, Inuvialuit, and Inuinnait peoples, asserted Canada’s sovereignty in the Arctic Archipelago and remade the map of the Far North territories.
  • In 1903, the Canadian government established of a North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) post at Herschel Island.
  • 19 years later, RCMP posts were established at Craig Harbour at the south end and at Pond Inlet on Baffin Island.
  • Another detachment was placed at Pangnirtung and Dundas Harbour on Devon Island.
  • In 1926, the Bache Peninsula detachment was established on the east coast of Ellesmere Island. To establish proof of sovereignty, the RCMP operated a post office (mail delivery was once a year).
  • On Baffin Island, the RCMP visited each Inuit camp annually, took census, explained Canadian laws and reported to Ottawa to demonstrate sovereignty.
  • In more remote areas, Canadian Rangers consisting of local Indigenous people have provided a paramilitary presence since 1947. In the following decades, the Rangers were developed as a sub-component of the Canadian Army Reserve.
  • To further Canadian claims, the RCMP relocated 92 Inuits from Inukjuak and Mittimatalik to settle two locations on the High Arctic islands – Resolute Bay and Grise Fiord between 1953 and 1955.
  • However, their settlement was met with great difficulties due to extreme climate and the remoteness of the location.

Challenges Enforcing Arctic Sovereignty

  • Though Canada’s claim to its Arctic land area is considered secure, large sections are still uninhabited and undefended, which raises the possibility that it may still be refuted by other states eventually.
  • Furthermore, the Northwest Passage, considered by the Canadian government to be an extension of its territory, is not universally recognized.
  • With the prospect of bringing home oil from Arctic discoveries off Alaska, the United States has always considered the Northwest Passage as international waters.
  • It sent its oil tanker Manhattan (1969) and the United States Coast Guard Ship Polar Sea (1985) into the Arctic.
  • Canada and Denmark have also debated over the tiny, uninhabited Hans Island. In a peaceful dispute, Canadian troops will visit the island to raise the Canadian flag and leave behind a bottle of whisky for the Danes, who in turn visit, raise their flag, and leave behind a bottle of schnapps (akvavit).
  • Currently, state claims are yet to be affirmed and recognized internationally, especially for the disputed areas of the Arctic.

Arctic Sovereignty Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Arctic Sovereignty across 26 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Arctic Sovereignty worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Arctic sovereignty which is referred to as the consolidation of political control over distant Northern regions by the southern capitals of circumpolar states and tended to focus on maritime boundary disputes, perceived foreign threats to territory, and control over natural resources.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Arctic Sovereignty Facts
  • UNCLOS
  • Our Territory
  • The Arctic
  • Canada Land
  • The Claimants
  • Eight Claims
  • Arctic Evidence
  • Your Ruling
  • Territorial Disputes
  • Territorial Boundaries

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Link will appear as Arctic Sovereignty Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, January 2, 2021

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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