The Bering Strait Crossing: A 21st Century Frontier between East and WestThe Bering Strait Crossing is the epic story of the Intercontinental Divide. The ancient waterway - when the fog clears over the Diomede Islands - is among the world’s most stunning vistas. This is where the 53-mile wide strait, named for Danish explorer Vitus Bering (1681-1741), separates four continents across the Europe-Asia landmass and the Americas. Extremes of climate, isolation, and geopolitical tension have all interfaced to create the perception of a frozen limbo at the edge of the world. Yet the Bering Strait is the world’s geographical crossroads - linking East with West - for nowhere else on the globe is it possible to cross the Pacific Rim between Asia and the Americas. In the modern era, various schemes have been proposed - rail, ferry, tunnel - by which to cross the strait. Since the end of the Cold War, a scheduled air service has been in place. The strait remains undefeated in terms of a terrestrial link between the USA and Russia - so far. The author uncovers a world-shaping revelation: that the Bering Strait has the potential to become a global shipping nexus via the Northwest Passage and the Northern Sea Route between Europe, North America, and Asia. The self-induced amnesia of the long Cold War years is yielding to a fresh outlook between East and West across the strait. In a world thirsty for energy resources and trade, the prospect for US-Russian cooperation across the northern Pacific Rim is tantalising in its multiplicity - and vastness - with profound implications for the global economy. In this twenty first century, the Beringia corridors (N-S, E-W) have the potential to unite the world. |
From inside the book
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... mile wide strait , named for Danish explorer Vitus Bering ( 1681-1741 ) , separates four continents across the Europe - Asia landmass and the Americas . Extremes of climate , isolation , and geopolitical tension have interfaced to ...
... mile wide strait from the Alaskan side. The International Date Line passes between Little Diomede Island (USA) in the foreground and Big Diomede Island or Ostrov Ratmanova (Russia). In the distance, Cape Dezhnev gives way to the Russian ...
... miles off the existing route via the Panama Canal . In terms of maritime trade , which still conveys 90 per cent of global cargo by tonnage - miles 16 AUTHOR'S LOG ENTRY.
... miles , this is , potentially , the new ( albeit seasonal ) El Dorado . The term " Crossing " has therefore been ... mile - high supposition upon mile - wide speculation , until no end is in sight , and so instead we have the “ Crossing ...
... miles wide, perhaps uncrossable, and not the much closer reality of the neighbourhood waterway. A Pacific-biased ... mile estimate. 2 After Arthur H. Robinson (1915-2004): a Canadian, he developed a new method for flattening the Earth ...
Contents
11 | |
19 | |
31 | |
40 | |
A Footnote to Gvozdev | 55 |
Captain Cooks Third Voyage | 61 |
Beyond the Two Islands Return to the Sandwich Islands | 73 |
W H Seward has his Way | 89 |
Other editions - View all
The Bering Strait Crossing: A 21st Century Frontier between East and West James A. Oliver Limited preview - 2006 |