A complex collection of more than 1,800 distinct islands forms the Canadian archipelago and Canada's Arctic territory. 1 In recent history, the Arctic has attracted the attention of governments both nationally and internationally. Rising global climate temperatures are leading to longer, ice-free Arctic summers, higher levels of exploration and resource development, and fewer difficulties accessing the Arctic. Canadian sovereignty over Arctic lands and islands is undisputed, with the sole exception of Hans Island, a 1.3 square kilometer island claimed by Denmark.2 Currently, what is disputed is the assertion Canadian sovereignty over the Northwest Passage waterway. The passage that would facilitate international shipping through the Canadian sovereign archipelago system connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. Its widest and deepest route would take the Northwest Passage from "Lancaster Sound through Barrow directly to Viscount Melville Sound and through M'Clure Sound and into the Beaufort Sea . » 3 Historically, Arctic ice has made this route impossible to cross, but rising temperatures are changing that. The Government of Canada believes that the Northwest Passage is located within internal waterways of Canada and therefore falls within the sovereign jurisdiction of Canada, subject to Canadian domestic laws. With the possibility of the passage becoming an international shipping route, many countries, including the United States, disagree with this assertion. They suggest that the Northwest Passage should be an international right subject to international law and the doctrine of transit passage.4 To assess the validity of Canada's claim to sovereignty over the Northwest Passage, three questions must be placed in the middle of the paper. ....pers on the new Welfare. "The Future of the Arctic: A Key to Global Sustainability. no. 5 (2012): 1-5. Central Intelligence Agency, “Canada”. Last modified November 12, 2013. Accessed November 27, 2013. https: //www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ca.html.Government of Canada, “5. Planned Icebreaker Deployment” Last modified June 24, 2013. Accessed November 26, 2013. http ://www.ccg-gcc.gc.ca/Icebreaking/Icebreaker-Requirements/Planned-Icebreaker-Deployment. Government of Canada, “Canada’s Foreign Policy in the Arctic” Last modified June 3, 2013. Accessed. November 27, 2013. http://www.international.gc.ca/arctic-United Nations, “The United Nations and the Convention on the Law of the Sea: Division for Ocean Affairs and Law of the Sea.” Accessed 27 November 2013. http://www.un.org/depts/los/convention_agreements/texts/unclos/UNCLOS-TOC.htm.