Russian and Norwegian approaches to territorialization of geopolitical space in the Arctic

• Main Author: ABASKALOVA, OLGA
• Other Authors: Politiikan tutkimuksen laitos - Dept. of Political Science and International Relations, Yhteiskuntatieteellinen tiedekunta - Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tampere
• Format: Master Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2009
• Subjects: Kansainvälinen politiikka/ISSS - International Relations/ISSS; Arctic; Norway; Svalbard; Spitsbergen
• Online Access: https://trepo.tuni.fi/handle/10024/81303

The master's thesis is about Russian and Norwegian approaches to territorialization of geopolitical space in the Arctic. The methodology used in the thesis describes borders and territorialization as concepts in international relations as a discipline. The theory of the border research is called limnology. Limnologists emphasize the fact that there are different types of boundaries: land frontier, river, lake, maritime and air boundaries. Borders are dividing lines and social constructions. The framework for studying maps is based of a cartographical method and analysis of maps that illustrates limitations and demarcations of borders, objects and transport routes in the Arctic. The master's thesis shows that there is a difference in the analysed Russian and Norwegian maps. They are looking at the same world in a different way. A small country is focusing on the biggest neighbor, but the larger country does not play so much attention to the smaller one. The issue of the location of the island Svalbard is another indication of the different geopolitical positions, and a source of historical disputes. Norwegian and Russian maps use different projections to map the island. This results from the fact that even if the island is Norwegian territory, Russia has the right to use the area for industrial purposes because of the Treaty of Spitsbergen. The thesis concludes that the maps indicate that there are political dynamics going on in the Arctic which make the region at the agenda for many years to come. Enormous oil and gas resources, the central geopolitical position, the rich fisheries, the potential for new transport routes and environmental issues will be more and more interesting in the future, from ice melting to effects of pollution. We can learn that boundaries are a challenging theme and different approaches must be used to give academic answers at controversial international relations. A huge set of techniques and methods are required. However, Russia and Norway in the development of the Arctic is a very ...