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Q35 (IAS/2014) International Relations & Global Affairs › International Organisations & Groupings › Intergovernmental groupings Official Key

Consider the following countries : 1. Denmark 2. Japan 3. Russian Federation 4. United Kingdom 5. United States of America Which of the above are the members of the 'Arctic Council'?

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: D
Explanation

The States members of the Arctic Council are Canada, Denmark (including Greenland and the Faroe Islands), Finland, Iceland, Norway, the Russian Federation, Sweden and the United States of America.[1]

From the given countries in the question, we need to identify which are members of the Arctic Council:

1. **Denmark** - Yes, it is a member (including Greenland and the Faroe Islands)
2. **Japan** - Japan gained permanent observer status on the Arctic Council at a meeting in Sweden[2], but it is not a full member
3. **Russian Federation** - Yes, it is a member
4. **United Kingdom** - The United Kingdom has permanent observer status[3], but it is not a full member
5. **United States of America** - Yes, it is a member

Therefore, among the listed countries, only Denmark (1), Russian Federation (3), and United States of America (5) are actual members of the Arctic Council. Japan and the United Kingdom have observer status but are not full members.

The correct answer is option D: 1, 3 and 5.

Sources
  1. [1] https://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/documents/E.C.19.2010.12%20EN.pdf
  2. [2] https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-22527822
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Q. Consider the following countries : 1. Denmark 2. Japan 3. Russian Federation 4. United Kingdom 5. United States of America Which of…
At a glance
Origin: Mostly Current Affairs Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 0/10 · 10/10
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This question was directly triggered by India gaining 'Observer Status' in the Arctic Council in May 2013 (Kiruna Declaration). While it looks like static geography, it is pure Current Affairs applied to a regional grouping. The key distinction tested is 'Geographic Stakeholder (Member)' vs 'Strategic Interest (Observer).'

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
Is Denmark a member of the Arctic Council?
Origin: Web / Current Affairs Fairness: CA heavy Web-answerable

Web source
Presence: 5/5
"The States members of the Arctic Council are Canada, Denmark (including Greenland and the Faroe Islands), Finland, Iceland, Norway, the Russian Federation, Sweden and the United States of America."
Why this source?
  • Explicitly lists the States members of the Arctic Council and includes Denmark.
  • Specifies that Denmark's membership includes Greenland and the Faroe Islands.
Web source
Presence: 5/5
"The Arctic Council was established on 19 September 1996 when the governments of Canada, the Kingdom of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, the Russian Federation, Sweden, and the United States signed the Ottawa Declaration."
Why this source?
  • Names the Kingdom of Denmark among the governments that established the Arctic Council.
  • Shows Denmark was one of the eight Arctic States at the Council's founding.
Web source
Presence: 4/5
"The Kingdom of Denmark is the current Chair of the Arctic Council (2009-2011)"
Why this source?
  • States that the Kingdom of Denmark served as Chair of the Arctic Council, indicating active membership.
  • Provides a specific chairmanship period (2009–2011), reinforcing Denmark's role in the Council.

Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 24: Climate Change Organizations > Beyond oil and gas alliance > p. 336
Strength: 5/5
“Led by the governments of Denmark and Costa Rica, the coalition includes France, Greenland, Ireland, Quebec, Sweden and Wales as core members.”
Why relevant

Mentions Denmark leading an international coalition that explicitly lists Greenland as a core member alongside Denmark.

How to extend

A student could note Denmark’s governmental link to Greenland and, using a map or facts that Greenland lies in the Arctic, infer Denmark has Arctic territorial interests relevant to Arctic organisations.

Certificate Physical and Human Geography , GC Leong (Oxford University press 3rd ed.) > Chapter 25: The Arctic or Polar Climate > Distribution > p. 233
Strength: 5/5
“The polar type of climate and vegetation is found mainly north of the Arctic Circle in the northern hemisphere. The ice-caps are confined to Greenland and to the highlands of these high-latitude regions, where the ground is permanently snow-covered. The lowlands, with a few months ice-free, have tundra vegetation. They include the coastal strip of Greenland, the barren grounds of northern Canada and Alaska and the Arctic seaboard of Eurasia (Fig. 25.1)”
Why relevant

Defines the Arctic region and explicitly identifies the coastal strip of Greenland as part of the Arctic.

How to extend

Combine this with the fact that Denmark is associated with Greenland (snippet 1) to argue Denmark has Arctic territory and thus would be a candidate member of Arctic regional bodies.

Certificate Physical and Human Geography , GC Leong (Oxford University press 3rd ed.) > Chapter 25: The Arctic or Polar Climate > The Importance and Recent Development of the Arctic Region > p. 236
Strength: 4/5
“The Arctic region, once regarded as completely useless, is now of some economic importance. Apart from the efforts of the various governments in assisting the advancement of the Arctic inhabitants, the Eskimos, Lapps, Samoyeds, etc., new settlements have sprung up because of the discovery of minerals. Gold is mined in Alaska, nickel near Petsamo, U.S.S.R., petroleum in the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska; and copper at the Rankin Inlet, Canada. With the establishment of ports on the Arctic seaboard of Eurasia, it is now possible to ship timber and fur from Siberia. Though the ports, such as Igarka at the mouth of the Yenisey, are not ice-free, modern ice-breakers keep the passage open most of the time.”
Why relevant

Describes the Arctic region’s economic and strategic importance and lists locations (including Greenland-related resources) in the Arctic.

How to extend

Use the description of Arctic importance to justify why states with Arctic territory (e.g., Denmark via Greenland) would participate in Arctic governance forums.

Contemporary World Politics, Textbook in political science for Class XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 6: Environment and Natural Resources > ANTARCTICA > p. 85
Strength: 4/5
“These differences, however, have not prevented the adoption of innovative and potentially far-reaching rules for the protection of the Antarctic environment and its ecosystem. The Antarctic and the Arctic polar regions are subjected to special regional rules of environmental protection. Since 1959, activities in the area have been limited to scientific research, fishing and tourism. Even these limited activities have not prevented parts of the region from being degraded by waste as a result of oil spills. areas or regions of the world which are located outside the sovereign jurisdiction of any one state, and therefore require common governance by the international community.”
Why relevant

States that polar regions are subject to special regional rules and common governance by the international community.

How to extend

A student could infer the existence of regional Arctic bodies composed of states with Arctic interests, and then check whether Denmark—having ties to Greenland—would be among them.

Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 29: Environment Issues and Health Effects > Umbrellagroup > p. 428
Strength: 3/5
“• An alliance of non-European Union developed countries formed following the adoption of the Kyoto Protocol. • Although there is no formal membership list, the group usually includes Australia, Canada, Iceland, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, the Russian Federation, Ukraine, and the United States.”
Why relevant

Gives an example of an international grouping that typically includes northern/non-EU developed countries (e.g., Iceland, Norway) suggesting regional/geographical criteria for membership in some international groups.

How to extend

From this pattern, a student might infer that similarly the Arctic Council likely includes northern states and therefore test whether Denmark (linked to Arctic Greenland) is included.

Statement analysis

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Statement analysis

This statement analysis shows book citations, web sources and indirect clues. The first statement (S1) is open for preview.

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Statement analysis

This statement analysis shows book citations, web sources and indirect clues. The first statement (S1) is open for preview.

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Statement analysis

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