Arctic Land Grab Update: Russia Claims Victory

Posted on Sep 20, 2007

Russian officials say they have proof to back up Moscow’s claim to the north pole—and nearly half a million square miles of neutral Arctic territory—but don’t expect Denmark, Canada and the U.S. to go down without a fight. It’s all part of a nakedly opportunistic attempt to cash in on energy resources made available by global warming and melting ice caps.

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BBC:

Under a United Nations convention, the country claiming ownership of the region’s ocean floor must show evidence that the seabed is an extension of their continental shelf.

Moscow has repeatedly argued that the Lomonosov Ridge is part of its land mass—and now the Natural Resources Ministry believes it has the proof.

The ministry said analysis of samples from the ridge—taken in May and June—showed “the structure of the underwater Lomonosov mountain chain is similar to the world’s other continental shelves”.

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