SUPERPOWERS CASE STUDIES Flashcards
(3 cards)
Contested Places: The Arctic Circle
Under international law, the
high seas including the North
Pole and the region of the Arctic
Ocean surrounding it, are not
owned by any country. The five
surrounding Arctic countries are
limited to an exclusive economic
zone (EEZ) of 200 nautical miles
adjacent to their coasts.
* However, some countries are
filing claims to the UN
Convention on the law of the sea
about the right to certain land as
it is an extension of the countries’ continental shelf. This is an area that is still part of the
countries’ land mass but under the sea.
* Unfortunately, many countries claims overlap, causing political and military tensions.
o Canada, since 2002, has carried out military exercises.
o Norway as expanded its navy
o Denmark has created an Arctic military response force.
o Russian Arctic circle military bases have rapidly grown in number.
They have the most to gain from the Arctic.
Why are these countries interested in the Arctic?
* The ice in the Arctic is melting, meaning that its resources and investment opportunities are more
accessible now.
o Cargo ships – in 2014, 71 ships passed ‘over the top of the world’. This figure was 46 in
2012.
o Oil – The USGS estimates there is 1/8 of the world untapped oil.
But it needs high global oil prices and gas prices to be profitable – A possibility for
the future due to shrinking resources
Contested Places: The South China Sea
- The South China sea is an extremely important area of sea, and 5 countries lay claim to some part
of it. - In a similar style to the Arctic circle conflict, many countries base this claim on the UN Convention
of the law of the sea stating that a countries EEZ extends 200 nautical miles adjacent to its coast. - Countries have exclusive rights to all the resources and trade within their EEZ. Sea that does not
fall into any countries EEZ is known as international waters and its resources are shared.
China - China is arguing that it has a rightful claim to
a large amount of the South China Sea. - Its claims are expressed by a line known as
the ‘nine-dash line’ and is shown by the
picture opposite. - The claims are based on historical reasons,
namely that the Parcel and Spratly islands
were once regarded as Chinese. Vietnam
disagrees with this and has documents to
prove it has actively ruled over the islands
since the 17th century. - China has also made a claim to a large proportion of the South China sea as an extension of
China’s continental shelf.
Military bases - China is building artificial islands in the Spratly islands by dumping sand onto coral reefs. They
are then building military bases on these islands. - The shows that China is potentially willing to defend its claims with force.
- They are also surrounding the Spratly islands with as many military ships as possible, which is
supported by the new military bases. This allows them to take over contested territory in small
steps, without sparking a larger conflict. - India and the US are worried about the military threat China poses, as it has many allies in the
region, but does not want to go to war with China. The US regularly sends military ships and
planes to ensure access to key shipping and air routes.
Conclusion
It is predicted, in the future, this issue will gain more publicity and there is a possibility for this political
conflict to become militarised.
