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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2009
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Canada Asserts Arctic Authority

Ice melt inflames dispute over control of Northwest Passage

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(Newser) – In the wake of this summer's record-shattering Arctic melting, Canada is asserting its control over the Northwest Passage, increasing patrols, and planning to build a military base, the BBC reports. Apparently undeterred by competing claims to the legendary waterway, the head of the Canadian Coast Guard says it's "important to assert your control over your country and your territorial waters."

Canada is standing firm against claims by the US and other nations that the route unveiled by the unprecedented melting falls in international waters. The geopolitical tussle continues as scientists are still struggling to understand this summer's conditions and as the Canadian government launches a series of research projects to explore the Arctic environment.

This photo, supplied by NASA, shows a portion of Canada's Northwest Passage largely free of ice as seen by NASA's Terra satellite on Sept. 15, 2007. Arctic ice has shrunk to the lowest level on record, new satellite images show, raising the possibility that the Northwest Passage that eluded famous...
This photo, supplied by NASA, shows a portion of Canada's Northwest Passage largely free of ice as seen by NASA's Terra satellite on Sept. 15, 2007. Arctic ice has shrunk to the lowest level on record,...   (Associated Press)
An iceberg melts off Ammassalik Island in Eastern Greenland in this July 19, 2007 file photo. Arctic ice has shrunk to the lowest level on record, new satellite images show, raising the possibility that the Northwest Passage that eluded famous explorers will become an open shipping lane. The European Space...
An iceberg melts off Ammassalik Island in Eastern Greenland in this July 19, 2007 file photo. Arctic ice has shrunk to the lowest level on record, new satellite images show, raising the possibility that...   (Associated Press)
In this photo made available by the European Space Agency, the McClure Strait in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, is shown Aug. 31, 2007. The McClure Strait is the most direct route of the Northwest Passage and has been fully open since early August 2007. The European Space Agency said nearly...
In this photo made available by the European Space Agency, the McClure Strait in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, is shown Aug. 31, 2007. The McClure Strait is the most direct route of the Northwest Passage...   (Associated Press)
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