Maritime Power and Arctic Geopolitics

📋 Course Outline

1. Geopolitical context of the Arctic region
2. Maritime power in a globalized world
3. Sea power definition and criteria
4. Evolution of UK and US naval power
5. Asia Pacific maritime confrontation USA China
6. Pivot to Asia and China’s maritime rise
7. NATO maritime power missions and challenges
8. Arctic resources and melting ice impacts
9. North American defense and Arctic first line
10. Major shipping lanes and global trade
11. US major ports and economic exchanges

📖 1. Geopolitical context of the Arctic region

🔑 Key Concepts & Definitions

• Arctic Ocean: The Arctic Ocean is the central oceanic area of the Arctic, largely covered by ice and surrounded by Arctic-adjacent territories.
• Arctic Council: The Arctic Council is a forum created in 1996 that brings together Arctic states to coordinate Arctic-related cooperation and governance.
• Arctic Council member states: Arctic Council member states are the eight countries participating in the Council: Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, and the United States.
• Major powers in the Arctic: Major powers in the Arctic are the USA and Russia, which have the strongest geopolitical weight among the Arctic Council members.
• Global warming effects: Global warming effects in the Arctic are changes such as ice reduction and melting that increase access for research, resource exploration, and shipping.

📝 Essential Points