United Nations Special Political and Decolonization

The Arctic is the region around the Earth’s North Pole, including parts of the Arctic Ocean and land controlled by countries such as Russia, the United States, Canada, Denmark (via Greenland), and Norway. For most of history, the Arctic was difficult to access due to thick ice and extreme weather; however, climate change has caused Arctic ice to melt at a rapid pace. As ice disappears, new shipping routes, oil and gas reserves, and mineral resources are becoming accessible. This has created a global race for influence and control in the Arctic.

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