Arctic Ocean - geography.

« VII SOVEREIGNTY ISSUES Five nations—Canada, Denmark, Norway, Russia, and the United States—claim seabed rights in the Arctic Ocean.

The claims include rights to exploit subsurface minerals,oil and gas deposits, and potentially useful bacteria.

All five nations are signatories to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The treaty gives each nationrights to exploit all natural resources within an area 370 km (200 nautical mi) off their coastline. In addition the treaty allows each nation to claim an additional 278 km (150 nautical mi) of seabed if it can demonstrate that its continental shelf extends that far.

Under thetreaty a nation must make a formal claim to this additional area of seabed within ten years of ratifying the treaty.

As of 2007 only Norway and Russia had made a formalclaim.

Russia maintains that the Lomonosov Ridge, a seabed feature that extends from Siberia to Greenland, is part of its continental shelf. With the warming of the Arctic Ocean and the melting of sea ice, the competition for seabed rights has grown more acute as nations contemplate the ability to explore forand exploit seabed resources, especially oil and natural gas deposits.

In 2007 Russia claimed sovereignty over the North Pole, and Canada claimed sovereignty over theNorthwest Passage.

In addition, Denmark sent a geological expedition to the Arctic to determine the extent of the continental shelf below Greenland, a self-governing part ofDenmark.

A successful claim to the North Pole would allow a country to set environmental standards and regulate maritime traffic. The United States disputes Canada’s claim to the Northwest Passage sea route, which could be open to maritime traffic year-round by 2030.

The route would considerablyshorten the distance between Europe and Asia for ships that presently transit the Panama Canal. Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation.

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