The Race for Resources

Nations are staking claims on the deep ocean floor with growing urgency. The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea grants each country an Exclusive Economic Zone of 200 nautical miles, but the deep ocean beyond belongs to no one.

Rare earth elements vital for electronics concentrate near underwater volcanic vents. China controls most of the world's rare earth supply on land, pushing other nations to look beneath the waves.

The Arctic adds another layer: as ice melts, new routes and resource-rich seabed open up, and Russia, Canada, and the US all contest overlapping claims.