Cartography as Geostrategic Element in the Arctic: DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18847/1.11.13

Abstract

Global warming inherent to climate change is producing the melting of some geographical points. Moreover, it allows the opening of some of these spaces -historically inaccessibles- as the Arctic. “There is scarcely a region left for the pegging out of a claim of ownership”, a Mackinder claim of questionable validity in relation to the Arctic issue. The thaw of this geographical zone would allow the explotation of its huge natural resources and two maritimes routes that reduce the distance between Atlantic and Pacific Ocean. This fact has provocated the growing interest of international actors. In this way, this article will analyze, through some of the classical theories in the field of the international relations, the actions that the actors are developing in this geographical area. A journey from the neorealist theses of Waltz and Mearsheimer, to those that define Keohane and Nye, which present the system as a complex network formed by interests and interactions, based on cooperation and the concept of smart power, the result of the combination between hard and soft power. Likewise, based on the postulates of these theorical currents, this article will focused on the role of cartography as a geostrategic element, used as a tool by different actors for the construction of sovereignity in the Arctic. The analysis of diverse actors, their movements and capacities, will allow these factors to be placed as the generators of another Great Game that, paradoxically, will place the Arctic Circle as one of the hottest spots in the geopraphical atlas, rising as a space for intersection of interests of great importance in the context of the power struggle both regionally and globally.