Arctic Conflict, Open Source Cartography of North Korea, and GPS Sanity

Lexington Green has forwarded on an interesting describing the geopoliticization of the Arctic. Since the rise of modern geopolitics both poles have been apolitical and mostly set apart from the rest of the world. Sure several countries have laid competing claims to Antarctica but international pressure has prevented states from taking any real measures to act on these claims.

Today, though, the world has change, at least for the Arctic. Climate change and technology allowing for easier mineral extraction has made the Arctic regions even more valuable. Now everything from arguing over what if any continental shelf the north pole lies on top of to Inuits reasserting their political rights are now geopolitical issues. This piece published by the Naval Postgraduate School will inform one of the on going situations.

Goethe Girl sent me a Wall Street Journal news story about North Korea Uncovered. The Google Earth file is the fruit of open source geographers, cartographers, and others who teamed up to map the Hermit Communist Kingdom. This is a prime example of the power of motivated individuals using the latest geotechnology to do what was previously impossible. Great work, guys!

Finally, The Map Room has an update piece on the potential GPS downfall. The short answer: Chicken Little is wrong yet again.