ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to examine the continuing dispute between Norway and the USSR over the boundary between their respective continental shelves and 200-mile economic zones in the Barents Sea. It describes the origin of the dispute, and an account given of the temporary solution to the problem of the absence of an economic zone boundary. The chapter attempts to evaluate the position taken by each party in the dispute in the light of the applicable international law. It explains the strategic significance of the area, which largely accounts for the lack of progress so far in solving the boundary dispute. From a strictly geographical point of view, the Barents Sea, especially in the South, poses no particularly difficult problems for maritime boundary delimitation: indeed, compared with many areas, it would seem a fairly straightforward case. The chapter also considers the arguments of the parties as to where the boundary should run in the light of the applicable international law.
