Changes in the Arctic: Background and Issues for Congress

Abstract

The diminishment of Arctic sea ice has led to increased human activities in the Arctic, and has heightened interest in, and concerns about, the region's future. Issues such as Arctic sovereignty claims; commercial shipping through the Arctic; Arctic oil, gas, and mineral exploration; endangered Arctic species; and increased military operations in the Arctic could cause the region in coming years to become an arena of international cooperation or competition. The United States, by virtue of Alaska, is an Arctic country and has substantial political, economic, energy, environmental, and other interests in the region. Decisions that Congress, the executive branch, foreign governments, international organizations, and commercial firms make on Arctic-related issues could significantly affect these interests. This report provides an overview of Arctic-related issues for Congress, and refers readers to more in-depth CRS reports on specific Arctic-related issues. This report does not track legislation on specific Arctic-related issues. For tracking of legislative activity, see the CRS reports relating to specific Arctic-related issues.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 28, 2014
Accession Number
ADA601652

Entities

People

  • Ronald O'Rourke

Organizations

  • Library of Congress

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Cyber
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Human Systems
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Climate Change
  • Environmental Protection
  • Geography
  • Interagency Coordination
  • International Law
  • International Relations
  • Marine Transportation
  • Medical Personnel
  • Military Science
  • National Security
  • Ridges
  • Storm Surges
  • Topography

Readers

  • Polar and Arctic Studies
  • Public Financial Management and Budgeting
  • Strategic Security Studies