To the Point
Denmark Stakes Claim on North Pole
The UN Convention on the Laws of the Sea provides that countries have “exclusive economic zones” 200 miles off their shores. But if they have “extended continental shelves,” they can go further than that. In 2007, Russia planted a flag made of titanium under the North Pole — just in case it might someday become open to exploration. Canada has…
By Warren Olney • • 1 min readThe UN Convention on the Laws of the Sea provides that countries have “exclusive economic zones” 200 miles off their shores. But if they have “extended continental shelves,” they can go further than that. In 2007, Russia planted a flag made of titanium under the North Pole — just in case it might someday become open to exploration. Canada has also claimed ownership — and now Denmark is staking a claim. Heather Conley, Senior Vice President of Europe, Eurasia and the Arctic for the Center for Strategic and International Studies, explains what this all has to do with Greenland.
