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We're taking you to a part of Russia that's above the Arctic Circle, a place where Russia has a new military base, one of 475 military sites that the nation says it's built in the past six years. Dozens of them are located along the nation's Arctic coast. Several countries claim parts of the Arctic as their own, and Russia wants to dominate the region.
Why? Several reasons. One of them is oil and gas. Scientists say the Arctic has huge reserves of these resources beneath its ice. It's rich in minerals and fish. It's also the site of the Northern Sea Route, a shipping lane that significantly reduces the time it takes to sail or ship goods from Europe to Asia. The route passes through Russian territorial waters and that country wants to control it. It's worked to develop the Northern Sea Route. And as of this month, Russia requires foreign ships that use it to give notice, carry a Russian official aboard and pay increased transit fees.
Russian President Vladimir Putin calls the Arctic the most important region that will provide for the future of his country. All this has caught the attention of the U.S. The Coast Guard wants to build a new heavy ice breaker, and the American government is discussing its own Arctic strategy. But in several ways its rival across the Bering Sea appears to have a head start.
