The Canadian government is claiming 463,323 square miles ( 1.2 million straightforward kilometers ) in the Arctic , a wide-cut expanse of territorial dominion that includes the North Pole . hassle is , Canada has n’t yet fully map the arena , nor does it have the scientific evidence to back the call .
Along with Russia and Denmark , Canada is currently in a mad territorial dash to claim all that juicy , globally - warmed area for itself . Because , you know , oil . like , but weaker , territorial claims are also being made by France and the United States .
In a characteristically belligerent gesture , Russia made a territorial overture back in October , saying it would restore a major Soviet - era military base in the Arctic ; President Putin hasangrily dismissed suggestion that the region should be placed under the legal power of the international residential area .
And now Canada is shit its moves , albeit through the UN - transmission channel — and despite the country ’s own admission that it does n’t yet have all the grounds required to make the claim . The submission , which the Canadian government say is preliminary , was made last week to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf . The Union government wants its scientists to finish mapping a giant submarine mountain range that Ottawa claims will secure the sea trading floor under the North Pole .
The Calgary Heraldreports :
The submarine Lomonosov Ridge break away from near Ellesmere Island N over the celestial pole and would be the geological fundament for a Canadian territorial claim . Scientists evoke it look as if the ridge is connect to the Canadian demesne mass , but Canada has only done ethereal view of the ridgepole once it gets past the celestial pole .
“ The reality is the Lomonosov Ridge was n’t to the full map in the submissions that my department did , ” [ Foreign Affairs Minister John ] Baird say . “ And , frankly , we conceive it ’s important when you do this extensive mapping , we want to get the entire Arctic mapping , including on the rooftree . ”
gelid experts point out that Russia and Denmark also fence the Lomonosov Ridge extend from their shores . outside law expert Michael Byers points out the rod lie on the Danish side of the ridgepole . It also lie on the Danish side of a production line that run equidistant from Ellesmere Island and Greenland .
“ In five or 10 or 20 class , we are going to have to admit that the North Pole is not Canadian , ” tell Byers , who teaches at the University of British Columbia . “ ( Harper ) does not want to be the prime minister project in public as having surrendered the North Pole , even if the scientific fact do n’t support a Canadian claim . What he ’s essentially doing here is holding this spot , standing up for Canadian sovereignty , while in private he knows full well that position is indefensible . ”
Interestingly , one potential result is that all three High Arctic neighbours will get healthy chunks of the Lomonosov Ridge . If that should happen , Canada would still do well , as the rooftree would be equally divided between the three countries , put Canada ’s boundary 230 miles ( 370 km ) past the North Pole .
GeologygeopoliticsmapsScience
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