{"id":48136,"date":"2026-01-16T10:14:27","date_gmt":"2026-01-16T10:14:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/?p=48136"},"modified":"2026-01-16T10:14:28","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T10:14:28","slug":"greenland-and-the-arctic-in-global-geopolitics-from-world-war-ii-to-the-present","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/greenland-and-the-arctic-in-global-geopolitics-from-world-war-ii-to-the-present\/","title":{"rendered":"Greenland and the Arctic in Global Geopolitics: From World War II to the Present"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The Arctic region has suddenly returned to global headlines with the US showing interest in <strong>Greenland<\/strong>, China calling itself a <strong>\u201cnear-Arctic state\u201d<\/strong>, and Russia dominating the Arctic coastline. But for UPSC aspirants, here\u2019s the key point:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\ud83d\udc49 <strong>The geopolitics of the Arctic is not new.<\/strong><br>Its strategic importance dates back to <strong>World War II<\/strong>, especially the <strong>Battle of the Arctic<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Understanding Arctic geography is essential to understand why global powers continue to compete here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/upsc\/geography-optional-by-shabbir-sir-integrated-course?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=website\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\" noreferrer noopener\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Your-paragraph-text-1-1024x300.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-47987\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_73 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69d2f3d7755f3\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69d2f3d7755f3\"  \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/greenland-and-the-arctic-in-global-geopolitics-from-world-war-ii-to-the-present\/#Why_the_Arctic_Region_Is_Geopolitically_Important\" title=\"Why the Arctic Region Is Geopolitically Important\">Why the Arctic Region Is Geopolitically Important<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/greenland-and-the-arctic-in-global-geopolitics-from-world-war-ii-to-the-present\/#Key_Arctic_Locations_You_Must_Visualise_UPSC_Favourite\" title=\"Key Arctic Locations You Must Visualise (UPSC Favourite)\">Key Arctic Locations You Must Visualise (UPSC Favourite)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/greenland-and-the-arctic-in-global-geopolitics-from-world-war-ii-to-the-present\/#Murmansk_The_Arctic_Game_Changer\" title=\"Murmansk: The Arctic Game Changer\">Murmansk: The Arctic Game Changer<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/greenland-and-the-arctic-in-global-geopolitics-from-world-war-ii-to-the-present\/#Arctic_Geography_and_World_War_II_Operation_Barbarossa\" title=\"Arctic Geography and World War II (Operation Barbarossa)\">Arctic Geography and World War II (Operation Barbarossa)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/greenland-and-the-arctic-in-global-geopolitics-from-world-war-ii-to-the-present\/#Why_the_Allies_Needed_the_Arctic_Route\" title=\"Why the Allies Needed the Arctic Route\">Why the Allies Needed the Arctic Route<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/greenland-and-the-arctic-in-global-geopolitics-from-world-war-ii-to-the-present\/#Role_of_Arctic_Climate_and_Ocean_Currents\" title=\"Role of Arctic Climate and Ocean Currents\">Role of Arctic Climate and Ocean Currents<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/greenland-and-the-arctic-in-global-geopolitics-from-world-war-ii-to-the-present\/#Bear_Island_and_Arctic_Islands_Strategic_Stopovers\" title=\"Bear Island and Arctic Islands: Strategic Stopovers\">Bear Island and Arctic Islands: Strategic Stopovers<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/greenland-and-the-arctic-in-global-geopolitics-from-world-war-ii-to-the-present\/#Arctic_Seas_You_Must_Remember_for_Prelims\" title=\"Arctic Seas You Must Remember for Prelims\">Arctic Seas You Must Remember for Prelims<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/greenland-and-the-arctic-in-global-geopolitics-from-world-war-ii-to-the-present\/#Modern_Arctic_Geopolitics_and_Natural_Resources\" title=\"Modern Arctic Geopolitics and Natural Resources\">Modern Arctic Geopolitics and Natural Resources<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/greenland-and-the-arctic-in-global-geopolitics-from-world-war-ii-to-the-present\/#Why_Greenland_Matters_Today\" title=\"Why Greenland Matters Today\">Why Greenland Matters Today<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/greenland-and-the-arctic-in-global-geopolitics-from-world-war-ii-to-the-present\/#UPSC_Takeaway\" title=\"UPSC Takeaway\">UPSC Takeaway<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/greenland-and-the-arctic-in-global-geopolitics-from-world-war-ii-to-the-present\/#Check_out_our_GS_Geography_Course_%E2%80%93_Click_Here\" title=\"Check out our GS Geography Course &#8211; Click Here\">Check out our GS Geography Course &#8211; Click Here<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/greenland-and-the-arctic-in-global-geopolitics-from-world-war-ii-to-the-present\/#FAQs\" title=\"FAQs\">FAQs<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_the_Arctic_Region_Is_Geopolitically_Important\"><\/span><strong>Why the Arctic Region Is Geopolitically Important<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Arctic offers three major advantages:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Shortest military and supply routes<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Access to ice-free ports<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Massive reserves of oil, gas, and minerals<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Geography here directly shapes geopolitics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Key_Arctic_Locations_You_Must_Visualise_UPSC_Favourite\"><\/span><strong>Key Arctic Locations You Must Visualise (UPSC Favourite)<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you look at the Arctic map from west to east:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 <strong>Greenland<\/strong><br>\u2022 <strong>Iceland<\/strong> (south-east of Greenland)<br>\u2022 <strong>Svalbard<\/strong> \u2013 Norwegian island group<br>\u2022 <strong>Fram Strait<\/strong> \u2013 between Greenland and Svalbard<br>\u2022 <strong>Faroe Islands<\/strong> \u2013 Danish territory<br>\u2022 <strong>Shetland Islands<\/strong> \u2013 UK territory<br>\u2022 <strong>Norway\u2019s irregular coastline<\/strong> with deep <strong>fjords<\/strong> (glacial valleys)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These locations control access into the Arctic Ocean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Murmansk_The_Arctic_Game_Changer\"><\/span><strong>Murmansk: The Arctic Game Changer<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Further north lies <strong>Murmansk<\/strong>, one of the most important ports in the Arctic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Why Murmansk matters:<br>\u2022 Lies <strong>beyond the Arctic Circle<\/strong><br>\u2022 Remains <strong>ice-free year-round<\/strong><br>\u2022 Provides access to <strong>Barents Sea<\/strong> and <strong>Kara Sea<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This single geographical advantage changed the course of World War II.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Arctic_Geography_and_World_War_II_Operation_Barbarossa\"><\/span><strong>Arctic Geography and World War II (Operation Barbarossa)<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In June 1941, Nazi Germany launched <strong>Operation Barbarossa<\/strong>, aiming to defeat the Soviet Union.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Germany\u2019s objectives:<br>\u2022 Control <strong>oil fields of Ukraine and the Caucasus<\/strong><br>\u2022 Capture <strong>ports like Leningrad (St. Petersburg)<\/strong><br>\u2022 Gain dominance over <strong>Eurasia<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If the USSR fell, Germany would become unstoppable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_the_Allies_Needed_the_Arctic_Route\"><\/span><strong>Why the Allies Needed the Arctic Route<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Allies (UK and US) needed to supply the Soviet Union with:<br>\u2022 Weapons<br>\u2022 Food<br>\u2022 Equipment<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They had three options:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Land route via Iran<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pacific route via Vladivostok<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Arctic Sea Route<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>The first two were too long and slow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Arctic route allowed supplies from the UK to reach <strong>Murmansk in just 10\u201314 days<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Role_of_Arctic_Climate_and_Ocean_Currents\"><\/span><strong>Role of Arctic Climate and Ocean Currents<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Here geography played a decisive role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 The <strong>warm ocean current (extension of the Gulf Stream)<\/strong> keeps parts of the <strong>Barents Sea ice-free<\/strong><br>\u2022 Murmansk remained operational even in extreme winters<br>\u2022 Polar nights reduced German air force effectiveness<br>\u2022 Harsh weather weakened German submarines and radar systems<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\ud83d\udc49 <strong>Physical geography directly influenced military outcomes<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Bear_Island_and_Arctic_Islands_Strategic_Stopovers\"><\/span><strong>Bear Island and Arctic Islands: Strategic Stopovers<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Islands like <strong>Bear Island<\/strong>, <strong>Novaya Zemlya<\/strong>, and <strong>Severnaya Zemlya<\/strong> served as:<br>\u2022 Refuelling points<br>\u2022 Supply regrouping centres<br>\u2022 Strategic military observation posts<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>UPSC often asks about <strong>Arctic islands and seas<\/strong> due to their strategic value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Arctic_Seas_You_Must_Remember_for_Prelims\"><\/span><strong>Arctic Seas You Must Remember for Prelims<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Along the Siberian coast:<br>\u2022 Barents Sea<br>\u2022 Kara Sea<br>\u2022 Laptev Sea<br>\u2022 Chukchi Sea<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the Canadian side:<br>\u2022 Beaufort Sea<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These seas are critical for <strong>navigation, energy resources, and military positioning<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Modern_Arctic_Geopolitics_and_Natural_Resources\"><\/span><strong>Modern Arctic Geopolitics and Natural Resources<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Today, the Arctic holds:<br>\u2022 Around <strong>15% of the world\u2019s undiscovered oil<\/strong><br>\u2022 Huge <strong>natural gas reserves<\/strong><br>\u2022 Critical <strong>rare earth minerals<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Russia is one of the largest natural gas producers largely because of the <strong>Barents and Kara Sea regions<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This explains:<br>\u2022 Russia\u2019s heavy Arctic militarisation<br>\u2022 US interest in Greenland<br>\u2022 China\u2019s Arctic ambitions<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_Greenland_Matters_Today\"><\/span><strong>Why Greenland Matters Today<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Greenland sits at the gateway of:<br>\u2022 Arctic shipping routes<br>\u2022 North Atlantic security<br>\u2022 US missile defence systems<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Its location makes it a strategic asset in modern geopolitics, just as the Arctic was during World War II.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"UPSC_Takeaway\"><\/span><strong>UPSC Takeaway<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Arctic is not just cold geography.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is:<br>\u2022 A <strong>military corridor<\/strong><br>\u2022 An <strong>energy hub<\/strong><br>\u2022 A <strong>geopolitical chessboard<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you understand Arctic geography, you automatically understand Arctic geopolitics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Check_out_our_GS_Geography_Course_%E2%80%93_Click_Here\"><\/span><strong>Check out our GS Geography Course &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/upsc\/upsc-geography?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=website\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Click Here<\/a><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQs\"><\/span><strong>FAQs<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>#ArcticGeopoliticsUPSC: Why is the Arctic region strategically important in global geopolitics?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>#GreenlandUPSC: Why does Greenland matter in Arctic geopolitics?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>#WorldWar2Geography: How did Arctic geography influence World War II outcomes?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>#OperationBarbarossa: What was the role of the Arctic route during Operation Barbarossa?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Arctic region has suddenly returned to global headlines with the US showing interest in Greenland, China calling itself a \u201cnear-Arctic state\u201d, and Russia dominating the Arctic coastline. But for&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-48136","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blogs"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48136","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48136"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48136\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48137,"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48136\/revisions\/48137"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48136"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48136"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48136"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}