Against the backdrop of climate change and tectonic political shifts in world politics, this handbook provides an overview of the most crucial geopolitical and security related issues in the Arctic. It discusses established shareholder's policies in the Arctic – those of Russia, Canada, the USA, Denmark, and Norway – as well as the politics and interests of other significant or future stakeholders, including China and India. Furthermore, it explains the economic situation and the legal framework that governs the Arctic, and the claims that Arctic states have made in order to expand their territories and exclusive economic zones. While illustrating the collaborative approach, represented by institutions such as the Arctic council, which has often been described as an exceptional institution in this region, the contributing authors examine potential resource and power conflicts between Arctic nations, due to competing interests. The authors also address topics such as changing alliances between Arctic nations, new sea lines of communication, technological shifts, and eventually the return to power politics in the area. Written by experts on international security studies and the Arctic, as well as practitioners from government institutions and international organizations, the book provides an invaluable source of information for anyone interested in geopolitical shifts and security issues in the High North.

Written by a group of leading experts on Artic affairs, this book offers a historically informed and comprehensive study of the geopolitics and security challenges of the Arctic. The key aim of the work is to identify the conditions for cooperation, stability and peace in the Arctic and to reach beyond simple description and expectation in order to explore in depth some of the main factors that will determine the future of international relations in the region. Furthermore, it addresses key topics such as the geopolitical significance of the Arctic and the importance of oil and gas resources in the Arctic. The book also investigates what the main characteristics of governance in the Arctic are, and how institutions and regimes can promote stability and security in the region. The volume maintains two layers of focus. The first relates to the dynamics within the Arctic and the second to developments outside the region, highlighting that we cannot understand the Arctic in isolation from global developments such as energy markets, security conflicts and NATO-Russian antagonism. This book will be of much interest to students of Arctic politics, security studies, geopolitics, Russian and Scandinavian politics, and international relations in general.

The Routledge Handbook of Arctic Security offers a comprehensive examination of security in the region, encompassing both state-based and militarized notions of security, as well as broader security perspectives reflecting debates about changes in climate, environment, economies, and societies. Since the turn of the century, the Arctic has increasingly been in the global spotlight, resulting in the often invoked idea of “Arctic exceptionalism” being questioned. At the same time, the unconventional political power which the Arctic’s Indigenous peoples hold calls into question conventional ideas about geopolitics and security. This handbook examines security in this region, revealing contestations and complementarities between narrower, state-based and/or militarized notions of security and broader security perspectives reflecting concerns and debates about changes in climate, environment, economies, and societies. The volume is split into five thematic parts: • Theorizing Arctic Security • The Arctic Powers • Security in the Arctic through Governance • Non-Arctic States, Regional and International Organizations • People, States, and Security. This book will be of great interest to students of Arctic politics, global governance, geography, security studies, and International Relations.

This book offers a systematic and comprehensive introduction to the Arctic in the era of globalization, or as it is referred to here, the ‘GlobalArctic’. It provides an overview of the current status of the Arctic as a result of global change, while also considering the changes in the Arctic that have a global effect. It positions the Arctic within a broad international context, it addresses four main themes are discussed: economics and resources; environment and earth system dynamics; peoples and cultures; and geopolitics and governance. Gathering together expert authors and building on long-term research activities, it serves as a valuable reference for future research endeavors.

This book offers a wide-ranging account of the emerging issues of international politics in the Artic, and the emerging Geopolitical debates that surround the region. In this thorough but accessible book covering environmental issues, the author examines the Geopolitics of emerging land and resource disputes and the rise of both nationalist and pan-Arctic movements in the region. Whereas existing literature on the politics of the Arctic tends to focus either on the environment or on Geopolitical interests, this book considers both of these themes in addition to the politics of the region’s indigenous peoples and provides an overview on the emerging issues of international politics in the Arctic. The book makes full use of pedagogic features such as maps, diagrams, timelines, biographies and boxes highlighting key concepts and issues in order to make this an accessible book for both students and scholars alike. This book will be of interest to students and scholars of International Relations, Arctic Politics, Environmental Politics and European Politics.

The Arctic has again become one of the leading issues on the international foreign policy agenda, in a manner unseen since the Cold War. Drawing on the perspectives of geo-politics and international law, this Handbook offers fresh insights and perspectives on the most pressing issues, grouped under the headings of political ascendancy, climate and environmental issues, resources and energy, and the response and policies of affected countries.

The Arctic is a harsh geography that has historically been misconceived as a large ice mass, ignoring the complex strategic salience of the region. Its cold waters and frozen lands have attracted the attention of people for many years and have been the centre of discoveries and adventures. Today, however, the strategic importance of the Arctic has gone beyond discoveries and adventures. Factors, such as environmental erosion, climate change, and national or regional security complicate geopolitical dynamics in the region. This book begins by delving into the issues that have led Arctic countries to reorient their foreign policies. The geopolitical structure of the Arctic, the expansion of NATO, the emergence of new energy reserves, and the impact of climate change on the Arctic are some of the factors directly affecting the region. Then, within the framework of these influences, the policies of the eight Arctic countries are re-assessed from the perspective of international relations. This volume not only emphasises the geopolitical and strategic importance of the Arctic region, but also discusses conflicts of interest, international cooperation efforts, and possible future scenarios. The Arctic is not just a geography, but also an important part of global politics and security. This book is a guide to understanding the complex and dynamic nature of the Arctic region. CONTENTS PREFACE SECTION I: IDENTIFYING SIGNIFICANT RISKS IN THE ARCTIC CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION TO ARCTIC GEOPOLITICS. - Ferdi Güçyetmez CHAPTER 2. WHAT THE ARCTIC MEANS TO NATO.. - Alina Bykova CHAPTER 3. ENERGY IN THE ARCTIC: COMPLEXITY AND THINKING IN A SOCIAL DYNAMICAL SYSTEM... - Anna Soer CHAPTER 4. IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON THE ARCTIC.. - Rabia Kalfaoğlu SECTION II: COUNTRY-LEVEL ANALYSES CHAPTER 1. UNITED STATES ARCTIC POLICY FROM WHITE HILLS TO BLUE WATERS. - Aslıhan Genç CHAPTER 2. THE CANADIAN PERSPECTIVE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS INSIDE THE CIRCUMPOLAR NORTH.. - Jackson Walling CHAPTER 3. THE POLICIES OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION TOWARDS THE ARCTIC REGION - Ebru Caymaz CHAPTER 4. POLICIES OF FINLAND TOWARDS THE ARCTIC REGION.. - Yeliz Albayrak CHAPTER 5. THINKING THE ARCTIC IN SWEDISH GEOPOLITICS: POLICIES AND PRACTICES - Emre Sipahioğlu CHAPTER 6. NORWAY’S ARCTIC POLICIES. - Allison G. Kondrat CHAPTER 7. ICELAND’S ARCTIC POLICIES. - Jared R. Dmello and Bianca Acosta CHAPTER 8. POLICIES OF DENMARK TOWARDS THE ARCTIC REGION.. - Veysel Babahanoğlu and Elif Miray Yazıcı CONCLUSION