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Canada to map Arctic's vast resources


Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced Tuesday an ambitious plan to discover and tap mineral, oil and gas riches believed to be hidden beneath the cool Arctic.

"We know from over a century of northern resource exploration that there is gas in the Beaufort (Sea), oil in the Eastern Arctic, and gold in the Yukon," Harper told reporters.

"There are diamonds in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories Northwest Territories, territory (2001 pop. 37,360), 532,643 sq mi (1,379,028 sq km), NW Canada. The Northwest Territories lie W of Nunavut, N of lat. 60°N, and E of Yukon. , and countless other precious resources buried under the ice, sea and tundra tundra (tŭn`drə), treeless plains of N North America and N Eurasia, lying principally along the Arctic Circle, on the coasts and islands of the Arctic Ocean, and to the north of the coniferous forest belt. ," he said. "But what we've found so far is merely the tip of the iceberg tip of the iceberg
n. pl. tips of the iceberg
A small evident part or aspect of something largely hidden: afraid that these few reported cases of the disease might only be the tip of the iceberg. 
."

"With the retreat of polar ice, increasing navigability nav·i·ga·ble  
adj.
1. Sufficiently deep or wide to provide passage for vessels: navigable waters; a navigable river.

2. That can be steered. Used of boats, ships, or aircraft.
 of the Northwest Passage Northwest Passage, water routes through the Arctic Archipelago, N Canada, and along the northern coast of Alaska between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Even though the explorers of the 16th cent.  and the growing global interest in Arctic resources, Canada faces unprecedented opportunities, but also unprecedented challenges in the North," Harper said on the eve On the Eve (Накануне in Russian) is the third novel by famous Russian writer Ivan Turgenev, best known for his short stories and the novel Fathers and Sons.  of his seventh trip to Canada's northern frontier.

"Managed properly, Canada's share of this incredible endowment will fuel the prosperity of our country for generations," he said.

The government's plan is to use "state of the art geological science and technology to map the energy and mineral potential of the North."

Researchers on the ground and aboard aircraft fitted with specialized sensors are to gather data on the geological characteristics of Canada's three northern territories: the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

The information, combined with local Inuit's intimate knowledge of their environment, will then be used to create geological models of the Arctic to help firms "find the treasures buried there."
Copyright 2008 AFP Global Edition
No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.
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Author:AFP
Publication:AFP Global Edition
Date:Aug 26, 2008
Words:241
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