The North Pole has always been ice bound, but with global warming heating up the world, scientists are not sure how long that will continue. There is increasing speculation that the North Pole will become ice-free in the next few decades, offering an alternative sea path for transport. However, it will also lead to territorial issues. Typically, when the North Pole has been deeply ice-bound and mostly inaccessible in a normal way, there has not been much debate about who owns the North Pole.
All that is set to change, with nations such as Russia, Canada and Denmark (via Greenland) claiming the North Pole. The concept is to secure rights to the Artic Ocean and the supposed mineral rights underneath.

continue reading "Russia plants a flag to lay claim to the North Pole"