About this episode
This episode explores Iceland's strategic importance and its reliance on NATO for national defense despite having no military of its own.
Iceland is an island of great beauty and even greater strategic importance. Its position in the Greenland Iceland UK Gap, the gateway between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, makes it crucial to Nato operations in the High North. But Iceland is one of the few nations in the world with no military of its own. A country of approximately 400,000 people, its security relies on the umbrella of protection it derives from being a founding member of NATO, a bilateral agreement with the United States signed in 1951 and a highly skilled coast guard and police force. In a climate of fracturing political alliances, is entrusting national defence so heavily on the guarantees of allies a sustainable strategy? Sandra Kanthal travelled to Reykjavik to find out. This episode of The Documentary comes to you from Assignment, investigations and journeys into the heart of global events.
People in this episode
Host: Sandra Kanthal
Topics covered
- Iceland
- NATO
- national defense
- geopolitics
- security
- coast guard
- political alliances
Keywords
- Iceland
- NATO
- national defense
- geopolitics
- coast guard
- Reykjavik
- political alliances
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: NATO, United States
Places: Iceland, Reykjavik, Greenland Iceland UK Gap
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