The Arctic is melting at an alarming rate. As a result, new seaways and drilling opportunities are opening up for countries operating in the area. These new seaways offer faster routes around the world compared to some of the traditional alternatives. Some of the world’s biggest geopolitical actors actively attempt to impose their plans on the region’s development in order to be a part of the changing Arctic landscape and potentially reap the economic benefits of the demise of Arctic ice.

How will these countries cooperate if their plans contradict each other? What are these plans? How do these countries construct the Arctic in their own right?

I will be investigating how some of the countries with stakes in the region construct the Arctic, examining what conflict points may arise between nations, and re-spatialising the region according to the geopolitical perspectives of these countries.