ARCTIC CIRCLE60 ̊NMENDELEEV RIDGE
North
PoleLO
M
O
N
OS
OV(^) R
ID
G
E
Hans Island
Cornwallis I.
New
Siberian Is.
North Land
Novaya^ Z
emly
a
King
William I.
ARCTIC CI
RCLE
R
U S S I
A
Franz Josef Land
(RUSSIA)
Jan Mayen
(NORWAY)
FAROE
ISLANDS
(DENMARK)
SVALBARD
(NORWAY)
GREENLAND
(KALAALLIT NUNAAT)
(DENMARK)
FINLAND
ICELAND
NORWAY
SWEDEN
Gjoa Haven
Murmansk
Arkhangelsk
Norilsk
Nanisivik
Keflavík
Thule (U.S.)
Nuuk
Alert
Danish
claim
Danish
claim
Russian
claim
Russian
claim
Canadian
claim
Norwegian
claims
RUS
SIA
N (^) E
EZ
(^) BO
UN
DARY
CAN
ADIA
N^ EE
Z^ BOU
NDARY
DA
NIS
H^ EE
Z^ BO
UNDARY
NORWE
GIAN
(^) EEZ
(^) BOU
NDARY
Unc
laim
ed
Median
September
ice extent
1981-2010
Air Land
Naval Rescue
Polar competition
Russia argues the Lomonosov
and Mendeleev Ridges are on
the Eurasian continental shelf—
and thus that its exclusive
rights to the seafloor extend
all the way to the pole.
Flying eyes
From a base at Keflavík, Ice-
land, NATO sends up regular
air patrols to conduct surveil-
lance and provide an early
warning in the event of an
incursion by Russian forces.
Airfields
All Arctic countries rely on
a mix of civil and military
airfields to move throughout
their frozen territories.
Military bases
Russia’s military is
outpacing its Arctic
neighbors as it builds new
bases and stations larger
forces in the far north.
Arctic refueling
The new port at Nanisivik
will provide refueling for the
Canadian Coast Guard and
Navy, which will patrol the
Northwest Passage as melting
opens it to shipping.
Canadian claims
In May Canada submitted a
claim to the UN for 463,000
square miles of the Arctic sea-
floor, contesting Danish and
Russian claims to some of the
same territory.
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