The idea of the Arctic Ocean as a mediterranean sea is a shock to those of us—and that includes most of us—who cannot shake ourselves free of the Mercatorean vision. Yet this theme is repeated by many of the eminent ocntributors to this volume: as Michael Marsden states, "IT is difficult to impress upon the public and industry at large that the most essential quality of the Arctic is not cold, or gold, or polar bears, but a central position in the world community." This book, then, is about the North as a frontier, and about Canada's relations with the world beyond that frontier. It is about the Arctic community of which Canada is one of the major members, along with the Soviet Union, the United States, Denmark, Iceland, and Norway. It is also an exercise in perspective. Canadians have long been aware of the significance of their Atlantic and Pacific frontiers and of the implications of their Southern frontier. This volume points out that Canada is not a three-sided country. While it does not neglect the military importance of the Arctic, it endeavours to widen the scope of interest. But it does not present the familiar arguments about the surpassing importance of the Arctic. It deflates as well as inflates. Its purpose is to assess as precisely as possible the implications of the Arctic frontier, not to induce either visions or nightmares. It is intended not only for Canadians but for all those who are interested in the polar regions or in the shape of the world at large. The papers in this volume were assembled in collaboration by the Canadian Institute of International Affairs and the Arctic Institute of North America.

Eager to investigate rumors of land north of Alaska, Ernest deKoven Leffingwell and Ejnar Mikkelsen organized the 1906 Anglo American Polar Expedition. Despite extreme conditions, they determined the edge of the continental shelf--a significant geographic discovery. Leffingwell remained behind, and with substantial assistance from his Inupiat neighbors, the driven young geologist explored, surveyed and documented geography along Alaska¿s north coast and what is now the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). On the North Slope of the Brooks Range, he pioneered research in ground ice (permafrost), observed birds, and collected wildlife specimens. His groundbreaking work still informs scientists and scholars.

Based on extensive research in the Arctic Russian region of Chukotka, Settlers on the Edge is the first English-language account of settler life anywhere in the circumpolar north to appear since Robert Paine's The White Arctic (1977), and the first to explore the experiences of Soviet-era migrants to the far north. Niobe Thompson describes the remarkable transformation of a population once dedicated to establishing colonial power on a northern frontier into a rooted community of locals now resisting a renewed colonial project. He also provides unique insights into the future of identity politics in the Arctic, the role of resource capital and the oligarchs in the Russian provinces, and the fundamental human questions of belonging and transience.

The Arctic, long described as the world’s last frontier, is quickly becoming our first frontier—the front line in a world of more diffuse power, sharper geopolitical competition, and deepening interdependencies between people and nature. A space of often-bitter cold, the Arctic is the fastest-warming place on earth. It is humanity’s canary in the coal mine—an early warning sign of the world’s climate crisis. The Arctic “regime” has pioneered many innovative means of governance among often-contentious state and non-state actors. Instead of being the “last white dot on the map,” the Arctic is where the contours of our rapidly evolving world may first be glimpsed. In this book, scholars and practitioners—from Anchorage to Moscow, from Nuuk to Hong Kong—explore the huge political, legal, social, economic, geostrategic and environmental challenges confronting the Arctic regime, and what this means for the future of world order.

A Booklist Best Literary Travel Book (2017) and Kirkus Reviews Best Nonfiction Book (2016) “A penetrating study of human character in a challenging environment. . . . [David Welky’s] seamless narrative, chilling at times and always thought-provoking, transports the reader to a time when the Arctic was virtually as harsh and inaccessible a place as the Moon or Mars.” —Natural History From a snow-swept hill in the ice fields northwest of Greenland, famed Arctic explorer Robert E. Peary spots a line of mysterious peaks dotting the horizon. In 1906, he names that distant, uncharted territory “Crocker Land.” Years later, two of Peary’s disciples, George Borup and Donald MacMillan, take the brave steps Peary never did: with a team of amateur adventurers and intrepid native guides, they endeavor to reach this unknown land and fill in the last blank space on the globe. What follows is hardship and mishap the likes of which none of the explorers could possibly have imagined. From howling blizzards and desperate food shortages to crime and tragedy, the explorers experience a remarkable journey of endurance, courage, and hope. Set in one of the world’s most inhospitable places, A Wretched and Precarious Situation is an Arctic tale unlike any other.