Polar Imperative

Based on Shelagh GrantOCOs groundbreaking archival research and drawing on her reputation as a leading historian in the field, "Polar Imperative" is a compelling overview of the historical claims of sovereignty over this continentOCOs polar regions. This engaging, timely history examines:

the unfolding implications of major climate changes

the impact of resource exploitation on the indigenous peoples

the current high-stakes game for control over the adjacent waters of Alaska, Arctic Canada and Greenland

the events, issues and strategies that have influenced claims to authority over the lands and waters of the North American Arctic, from the arrival of the first inhabitants around 3,000 BCE to the present

sovereignty from a comparative point of view within North America and parallel situations in the European and Asian Arctic

This book will become a standard reference on Arctic history and will redefine North AmericansOCO understanding of the sovereign rights and responsibilities of CanadaOCOs northernmost region.