Introduction: Norway's strategic priority

Abstract

If you find yourself driving, flying, sailing, or walking northwards in Norway, you will at some point cross the invisible line that is the Arctic Circle (66°33′49.0″ north of the Equator). This Circle marks the point where on the shortest day of the year the sun will not rise all day, and on the longest day of the year the sun will not set. Apart from that, there is initially no marked difference as you make your way from the South to the North. Except that after a while, the nature changes, the population becomes sparser, and even summer days can feel chilly. You have ventured into the Norwegian Arctic, which makes up a third of Norway's land area, almost 8 per cent of the population, and as much as 80 per cent of Norway's maritime domain.The Arctic -or 'High North', as it is called in a Norwegian context 1 -has, since the early 2000s, been Norway's foremost priority in its foreign and security policies. This has to do with three things: Russia, global attention to the region, and economic opportunities. However, the situation looks different now than when Norway first raised the area on the political agenda two decades ago. The melting of sea ice has accelerated. Fish stocks, such as the Norwegian-Arctic cod, are moving further and further north. China has presented an Arctic strategy. The massive project Yamal LNG in Russia has led to increased shipping along the Northern Sea Route. Other hopeful economic projects, such as the Shtokman gas field development, have been shelved. In 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine, marking a watershed in global security affairs with a direct Arctic impact. This book explores these changes and how they have defined and determined Norwegian Arctic policy in the interplay between geopolitics, security, and identity.When the Norwegian High North initiative saw the light of day in the years 2003-05, it was an optimistic promise of increased attention to the North, new economic opportunities, and the strengthening of