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 30 August 2008 13:16 BST

'Gold rush' Arctic map drawn up

Wednesday, 06 Aug 2008 08:54
Map of disputed territories in Arctic

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An Arctic map showing disputed territories that states may try and lay claim to has been drawn up by British researchers.

The map offers an overview of the modern day 'gold rush' in the region, with a survey by the US Geological Survey estimating that a fifth of the world's undiscovered, technically-recoverable resources lie within the Arctic Circle.

The publication of the map by researchers at Durham University follows a series of historical and ongoing arguments about ownership and the race for resources in the lands and seas of the Arctic.

Last year Russia planted a flag on the seabed underneath the North Pole, laying claim to a huge chunk of the Arctic.

The researchers say that the map illustrates the urgent needs for policy-making on Arctic issues.

It shows where boundaries have been agreed; where known claims are; and the potential areas that states might claim.

"The map is the most precise depiction yet of the limits and the future dividing lines that could be drawn across the Arctic region," said Martin Pratt, director of research at the International Boundaries Research Unit (IBRU).

"The results have huge implications for policy-making as the rush to carve up the polar region continues."

He added: "It's a cartographic means of showing, and an attempt to collate information and predict the way in which the Arctic region may eventually be divided up.

"The freezing land and seas of the Arctic are likely to be getting hotter in terms of geopolitics; the Durham map aims to assist national and international policy-makers across the world."
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