In the far north of Canada the frontier lifestyle is still alive and kicking – and nowhere more so than in Yellowknife. First they struck gold, then diamonds, and now there’s gas. But today those frontier folk are just as…
Economy-wise, Houston is bigger than Austria and South Africa, thanks largely to its oil and gas industry. But alongside the energy behemoths, small entrepreneurial businesses are finding a welcoming niche.
Ghana is drilling for oil. Apartments are going up, the educated diaspora is returning and the government has a plan to avoid the “resource curse” seen in places such as Nigeria. In Accra the mood is optimistic and the…
Sakhalin, in Russia’s far east, is 6,000km from Moscow, yet a short hop from Japan, its former ruler. Marooned from its Asian neighbours during the Soviet era, the region has so far seen little investment from Japanese…
Located geographically and aesthetically far from famed Emirati excess, the €12bn Masdar City project is trying to plot out a new urban vision. But taking root in the desert has proved difficult: so far just 300 people live…
Icebreaking is in the DNA of Finns, whose shipping heritage and expertise put it in good stead to face the changes ahead, from foreign competition to climate change and a race for the Arctic’s resources.
The striking modernist headquarters of Danish shipping giant Maersk is a monument to the discreet elegance and formidable eye for detail of the firm’s late CEO and chairman.
The world’s third biggest oil producer is also blessed with vast reserves of gas, fresh water and fish. Norway is Europe’s Saudi Arabia: a country so wealthy that despite having a population of just 4.5 million, it is a…
The small community of Kirkenes is set to witness big changes as global warming opens up the Arctic. Can it cope with the influx of businesses keen to take advantage of its position on the Northern Sea Route?
The mining boom in Western Australia has seen both the natural and economic landscapes transformed. New services fly thousands of workers in and out each week. So Monocle went to dig a little deeper.
Bringing together an explosive mix of military manufacturers and eager customers, the International Defence Exhibition is an all-action trade fair with an attentive audience.
The remote Alaskan outpost of Unalaska boasts the US’s biggest commercial port, thanks to a hugely profitable fishing season. And don’t forget the oil industry and a hit TV series...
Arbil in Iraqi Kurdistan has escaped the worst of the war raging across the rest of the country. Its new airport, coupled with burgeoning trade, offer hope for this one corner of a ravaged nation.
Denmark’s impressive transition from oil to renewable energy has been led by offshore-wind giant Ørsted. Its CEO tells us about the firm’s ongoing quest for power.
For the first in a new series on outposts of opportunity we visit Stanley, capital of the Falkland Islands, the British territory best known for sheep and its 1982 war with Argentina. Now oil and tourists are making this…
Norway’s prime minister Erna Solberg’s brand of conservatism is typically Norwegian: progressive, inclusive and pragmatic. These qualities will be vital in the future as the oil-rich nation considers alternatives to the…