Northeast Passage the Novaya Zhelaniya straits (at the Novaya Zemlya archipelago, connecting the Barents Sea to the West and the Kara Sea to the East), to Cape Dezhnev by the Bering Strait. Therefore, the NEP encompasses all the East Arctic seas, and the NSR all the seas except the Barents Sea. Since the NSR constitutes the majority of the NEP, sometimes the term NSR has been used to refer to the entirety of the NEP. The governance of the NEP has developed considerably in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. The main sources of governance are the United Nations Convention on
Administrative divisions of Arkhangelsk Oblast Administrative divisions of Arkhangelsk Oblast Within the framework of administrative divisions, Arkhangelsk Oblast is divided into six cities and towns of oblast significance, twenty-one districts, and two island territories (Franz Joseph Land and Victoria Island). Besides, Mirny is a town under the federal government management. In terms of the area, the biggest administrative districts are Novaya Zemlya () and Mezensky District (). The smallest one is Solovetsky District. In terms of the population, the biggest administrative district is Velsky District (61,819 in 2002), the smallest ones are Solovetsky District (968), Novaya Zemlya (2716), and Leshukonsky District (10,708). Most of the