Arctic sea ice, which began to be monitored by satellites in 1978, has beenretreating significantly in recent decades. On 22 March, after the end of winter, the period of greatest accumulation, the maximum extent for 2026 was reached - 14.33 million square kilometres, according to the US National Snow and Ice Data Centre (NSIDC). This is the lowest peak since records began, and the second year in a row.
With this region warming almost four times faster than the rest of the planet, new maritime routes and business opportunities are opening up for many countries that have had their eye on the Earth's far north for centuries, fascinated by its isolation and climatic conditions, which are fertile for scientific research, but above all by the natural wealth deposited there, from oil and gas to strategic minerals.
