8.4

• Territorial waters


  Ships from other countries can sail in a country's territorial waters, but they are not allowed to fish or drill for oil
• Exclusive economic zone (EEZ)

  Coastal states hold all the fishing rights and rights to extract raw materials in their EEZ
• Expanding territory in the Arctic region


  Countries can expand their territory if they can prove that the floor of the Arctic Ocean is part of their continental shelf
• Russia claims part of the Arctic region


  Because the Lomonosov Ridge runs right through the middle of the Arctic Ocean
• Denmark claims the same area as its territory


  As Russia claims part of the Arctic region
• Countries claiming parts of the floor of the Arctic Ocean

  • Russia
  • Denmark
  • Norway
  • Canada
• The Arctic is sparsely populated, with more than 4 million people living in this region
• Climate change is having a tremendous impact on the peoples of the Arctic


  • Their natural sources of food are moving or disappearing
  • Changing weather conditions are already making their traditional way of life impossible
• If the Arctic Ocean becomes ice-free in summer because of climate change


  • There will be new maritime shipping routes through the Arctic
  • There will be new fishing grounds
  • There are oil and gas fields under the ice that could be exploited in the future
  • Mining companies are expecting to find natural resources like oil, uranium and molybdenum
• Human activity is responsible for roughly 200 non-native plant and animal species living in Antarctica and the subantarctic islands
• Invasive species often cause disruptions to ecosystems by reducing populations of native species or driving them to extinction
• Antarctic Treaty


  • Countries agreed that Antarctica should only be used for scientific research, and that military activities are prohibited
  • Until the year 2048, countries are not allowed to extract minerals in the Antarctic