By Sophie des Beauvais Last May, the Arctic Council granted Observer status to six new nations, including China, India, Italy, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore. Now housing 12 Observer states, the intergovernmental forum created in 1996 to promote cooperation and coordination among Arctic states, has drawn more attention around the world. Arctic Council Observers can

By Erica Dingman Today we are speaking with Dennis Bevington, who is member of Canadian Parliament, representing the Northwest Territories (NWT). Bevington also serves as the official opposition critic for the Arctic Council as a member of the National Democratic Party (NDP). The NWT is an Arctic and sub-Arctic region of Canada so issues concerning

By Mia Bennett Mirny, a city known for its diamond mine, is located in Sakha Republic in the Russian Far East (RFE). This area of North Asia is full of resources like oil, gas, and minerals, but has only about 6.3 million people spread out across its entire area. More than half of the population is

By Gianna De Filippis In Part I of “Discovering the Arctic,” we explored the environmental effects of tourism in the Arctic. In Part II, we take a closer look at the economic and cultural effects. Economic Effects While cruise ships pose several environmental threats to the Arctic, they have undeniable economic benefits—particularly for the populations

By Gianna De Filippis The Arctic is by no means a new tourist destination. In fact, since the 1890s, tourists have been taking ship-based trips to see the “land of mountains and glaciers, of splintered peaks and icy bays.” But modern day tourism—mainly in the form of massive, fuel-guzzling cruise ships—requires a critical evaluation. In