In classical geopolitics, the northernmost regions of the globe have been discussed as a reserve of natural resources and a space for the military. This periphery, either the entire circumpolar North or the Eurasian North or the European North, is also a homeland of indigenous peoples with their identities, and those of the settlers. Historically, states with national borders and demarcated territories expanded their influence. Thus, northern regions, particularly the Eurasian North, were industrialized and militarized after the 2nd World War. The high political and military tension of the Cold War started to thaw in the 1990s as a result of increased interrelations between peoples and civil societies, as well as the region-building of nation-states. On one hand, this significant geopolitical change brought into cooperation new, mostly non-governmental (international) actors, and created new kinds of relations between them and inter-governmental organizations, such as the EU, NATO and the AC, and the states of the regions, such as Russia and Finland. This change also triggered off new geopolitical approaches, such as environmental protection, societal responsibility and the politics of identity. More.