Messages on Arctic Policy: Effective Occupation in Postage Stamps of the United States, Canada, and Russia

Abstract

The Arctic policies of the United States, Canada, and Russia have received considerable attention on the international stage in recent years, although engagement by these states with the region extends through many eras. Overlooked in analyses of Arctic policy and practice in the region are the messages communicated through postage stamps, noted in their importance as transmitters of government messages, as these states emphasize claims to sovereignty and the resources of the region. These Arctic states have issued a number of stamps depicting the Arctic throughout their engagement with the region, long before any formal policy documents were issued addressing contemporary geostrategic concerns. This article surveys all Arctic postage stamps issued by these three states and analyzes their messages for correlation with official Arctic policy in several periods, concluding that there is substantial relationship between the issued stamps and the practice and policy of these Arctic states as they demonstrate their effective occupation of the region.

Key words:

• Arctic
• policy
• sovereignty
• effective occupation
• postage stamps

Notes

1. The Arctic Ocean has five littoral states claiming maritime territory. Canada, Russia, and the United States have been included for analysis, as they have held Arctic territory since in the Age of Imperialism in the nineteenth century. Denmark has been excluded as it was only awarded sovereignty of Greenland in 1933 by the International Court of Justice and postage stamps have been produced by Greenland, rather than Denmark, since 1938. Norway has been excluded as it gained independence in 1917 from Sweden; the Norwegian Arctic has not been developed through imperial territorial expansions by discovery of new territory.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Corine Wood‐donnelly

Dr. Wood‐Donnelly is an Institute Associate at the Scott Polar Research Institute at the University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom CB2 1EP; [[email protected]].