The Six Nations Bordering the Arctic Ocean

Circumpolar Stewards of a Changing Sea

The Arctic Ocean (14 million km²) is encircled by six coastal states with exclusive economic zones (EEZs) and continental shelf claims under UNCLOS:

1. Russia – Longest coastline (~24,000 km); Northern Sea Route; vast shelf claim (Lomonosov Ridge).
2. Canada – Archipelago of 36,000+ islands; Northwest Passage; Inuit Nunangat homeland.
3. United States (Alaska) – Beaufort/Chukchi Seas; Prudhoe Bay oil; Bering Strait gateway.
4. Denmark (Greenland) – World’s largest island; 44,000 km coastline; Thule Air Base; mineral potential.
5. Norway – Ice-free ports (Gulf Stream); Svalbard Treaty; Barents Sea fisheries/oil.
6. Iceland – Just south of Arctic Circle; EEZ extends north; geothermal energy; fisheries.

Governance Framework

• Arctic Council (8 members + 6 indigenous Permanent Participants) – consensus-based forum.
• UNCLOS Article 76 – Continental shelf delineation (submissions overlapping at North Pole).
• Ilulissat Declaration (2008) – Five coastal states commit to orderly settlement.

Shared Challenges

• Rapid warming (3× global avg) – sea ice loss, permafrost thaw, ecosystem disruption.
• Resource access – oil, gas, minerals, rare earths, fisheries shifting north.
• Shipping routes – NSR, NWP, Transpolar Route viability.
• Indigenous rights – food security, cultural continuity, self-determination.
• Geopolitical tension – military buildup, NATO/Russia dynamics, China’s “near-Arctic” claim.