Mapping the World

Arctic-Antarctica: the world of the poles

The two poles have in common the cold and huge expanses of ice, but they are very different: while the Arctic is an ocean surrounded by continents, the Antarctic is a continent surrounded by oceans. These two spaces are coveted by certain great powers to take advantage of their resources: new maritime routes, hydrocarbons, water reserves, etc. Russia, the United States, Canada, Iceland, Sweden, Norway, etc.: many states are located in the Arctic Circle and compete with each other on strategic, energy and commercial levels. At the same time, Antarctica has the status of an international territory dedicated to scientific research: any military installation or exploitation of resources is prohibited there.