DescriptionThe Arctic region could be a future geopolitical battleground. Arctic temperatures have risen faster than anywhere else on Earth, which has led to an unprecedented melting of the polar ice cap. The thawing ice will have profound consequences for the region, and global politics generally, with the opening of strategic waterways for shipping, and a drive to claim rights to the wealth of natural resources that lie beneath Arctic waters. One such waterway is the Northwest Passage, a strategic route connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Since the European discovery of North America, adventurous seafarers have dreamed of a Northwest Passage that would commercially link Europe and Asia. Unfortunately, ice blockades and poor weather conditions proved formidable barriers, and over the course of four centuries, many tried, failed, and died seeking a westerly route. Not until 1906 was the waterway first traversed by Norwegian explorer, Roald Amundsen, but even then the Northwest Passage was not commercially viable. Today, as a result of decades-long climate warming, Arctic ice is declining in both thickness and extent. The future use of the Northwest Passage could greatly reduce navigation times and shipping costs. This study examines the issues related to a navigable waterway, including environmental challenges, economic and commercial benefits, strategic and security implications, and relations between the United States and Canada. The Northwest Passage is an integral part of Canada's national identity and a potential source of contention in U.S.-Canada relations. Canada maintains that the waterway falls within historic internal waters, and the U.S. argues that the Passage is an international strait. This dissertation explores several possible governance structures and concludes that some sort of joint management arrangement between Canada and the United States is the most likely outcome.