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Routes and Services

Northwest Passage

Historic Trade Routes and Sea Lanes

The Northwest Passage is a sea route through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. European explorers sought it as a shortcut to Asia for centuries without success; Roald Amundsen completed the first full transit between 1903 and 1906, and shrinking Arctic sea ice has since made regular seasonal shipping increasingly viable. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Facts
Established Year
1906 1
Roald Amundsen completed the first full transit between 1903 and 1906.
Significance
Sought for centuries by European explorers as a shortcut to Asia; not successfully transited until Roald Amundsen's 1903-1906 expedition, and only recently opening to regular seasonal shipping as Arctic ice retreats. 1
Route Type
Arctic maritime shipping route 1
Termini
Baffin Bay, Atlantic Ocean, to the Bering Strait, Pacific Ocean, through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago 1
Operational Status
Active (seasonal, increasingly navigable) 1
Connections

Exemplifies

Sources
1. Wikipedia: Northwest Passage
Wikipedia
  • Lead section, sentence distinguishing the Northeast Passage
    The eastern route along the Arctic coasts of Norway and Siberia is accordingly called the Northeast Passage (NEP).
  • In Category: Routes and Services
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