Presents the premise that geopolitical isolation of the Arctic and Antarctic remains substantially eroded today, arguing that the contemporary polar scene should be approached and understood in terms of its broader regional and global context. Views the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS) as an early experiment in the new geopolitics in which strategic vision is not the dominant perspective. Critically evaluates the promise and performance of the ATS as a manager of increasingly diverse uses of the Antarctic along with an environmental audit. Examines the difficult issues of sustainable, equitable development and comprehensive security that will have to be adjudicated in the polar regions. Discusses the concerns and prospects of the peoples indigenous to these areas.