The Arctic in international affairs

Abstract

It is only in the last 20 years that the Arctic has become a subject, and not merely an object, in international affairs. Although its strategic location means that its role as a potential military theater will persist, the region has evolved its own unique characteristics, and has carved out its own place in international affairs. Chief among these are the region’s focus on marine and environmental issues, as well as its privileging of Indigenous, scientific, and other non-state actors. The way the Arctic has evolved as a political region has had a strong impact on states’ behavior there, and it is overwhelmingly a cooperative place. This chapter seeks to assess the Arctic in international affairs and the factors that have contributed to its development as a political region.