Iceland review - 2019, Qupperneq 13

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Iceland Review
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IN SOUTH ICELAND
There are a few different definitions of
what constitutes the Arctic, but it can
essentially be defined as the area sur-
rounding the North Pole. This northern-
most part of the planet is home to about
4 million people, about 10% of whom are
indigenous. It is the most sparsely pop-
ulated area of the earth. The territories
of eight countries lie within the region:
Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark,
Russia, Canada, the US, and Iceland. The
Arctic Ocean and surrounding waters
cover about one third of the region’s area,
making fishing and waterways some of its
most important resources.
Climate change and changes in interna-
tional relations have put a spotlight on the
Arctic in recent years. In the spring of 2019,
Iceland started its two-year chairmanship
of the Arctic Council, emphasising the
importance of stability, sustainability,
and co-operation in the area, and the
intention to find ways to tackle its chal-
lenges, most notably climate change. A few
months later, US President Donald Trump
had a different kind of co-operation in
mind when he tweeted about purchasing
Greenland. The diplomatic kerfuffle than
ensued proves relations in the Arctic are
anything but simple.
Iceland in particular has also seen
increased interest from foreign powers.
Russian bombers were spotted entering
NATO airspace near Iceland twice this
March. While Icelandic-Russian diplomatic
ties are stiffer than they have been for
a long time (due not only to the military
activity but also sanctions over Russia’s
indexation of Crimea), just this year,
Iceland has received a visit from both US
Iceland and the Arctic
Words by
Gréta Sigríður Einarsdóttir
Photography by
Golli
IN FOCUS