Strategic Importance of the Arctic Circle

The Arctic Circle has a concentration of resources, as well as a strategic importance, that are highly desirable to several countries. This work sought to answer the question of what resources were available for exploit and what the pursuit of those resources would have on international relations between the Arctic powers. Russia, The United States, Canada, Norway, Iceland, and Greenland are the major players in concerns to the competition for control of the Arctic Circle. Primarily these countries are concerned with the stockpiles of oil and natural gas within the region and control of the lucrative trade routes that run through the Arctic Circle. For Russia, and others, there is an interest in militarizing the Arctic Circle for strategic purposes. This work determined there was a multitude of resources and advantages that came with control of the Arctic Circle. Utilizing structured analytic techniques it was determined the most likely scenario for the pursuit of these resources would be weak collaboration between the Arctic powers with military involvemen