The foundation is the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982). It says that a country may claim an area extending 12 nautical miles from its coast as its own territorial sea. Additionally it can exploit 200 nautical miles of the water column beyond its coast as its exclusive economic zone.
What is the 200 nautical mile limit?
The U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) extends no more than 200 nautical miles from the territorial sea baseline and is adjacent to the 12 nautical mile territorial sea of the U.S., including the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands ...
What is the 12 nautical mile limit?
Territorial sea , as defined by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, is a belt of coastal waters extending at most 12 nautical miles (22 km; 14 mi) from the baseline (usually the mean low-water mark) of a coastal state.
How many nautical miles does the territorial sea limit of a country have?
Every State has the right to establish the breadth of its territorial sea up to a limit not exceeding 12 nautical miles , measured from baselines determined in accordance with this Convention.
What is the international waters limit?
Every State has the right to establish the breadth of its territorial sea up to a limit not exceeding 12 nautical miles , measured from baselines determined in accordance with this Convention.
Can you commit crimes in international waters?
International law generally recognizes a county’s assertion of its jurisdiction over international waters if the offense is considered a universal crime . Piracy falls into this category of offenses.
What country has the largest EEZ?
Due to its numerous overseas departments and territories scattered on all oceans of the planet, France possesses the largest EEZ in the world, covering 11.7 million km 2 .
Which country has the largest territorial waters?
| Rank Country Exclusive Economic Zone Area ( km 2 ) | 1 France 11,691,000 | 2 United States 11,351,000 | 3 Australia 8,505,348 | 4 Russia 7,566,673 |
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Is the EEZ part of the high seas?
EEZs of States worldwide constitute 38% of the oceans of earth that were considered part of the high seas prior to adoption of the LOSC
How far off the coast does a country own?
Generally speaking, the law of the sea stipulates that maritime countries essentially control their territorial waters from the shore out to a distance of 12 miles (19.3 km) , the “12-mile limit.” Within this zone, all laws of that country apply: the country can build, extract natural resources, and either encourage or ...
Who owns the ocean floor?
The oceans have no apparent surface features — just a flat, vast, briny expanse. They’re also all connected; the world’s five oceans are technically one single ocean that covers 71 percent of the planet [source: NOAA]. This makes it difficult to divide, and so ultimately, you own the oceans .
Can you fish in international waters?
The fish catch in international waters outside the EEZ is regulated by the Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) and their member countries. The catch of highly migratory species, above all tuna, is also regulated by special RFMOs. ...
What can you get away with in international waters?
- Water pollution. I was shocked when I learned about this. ...
- Air pollution. ...
- Kidnapping/raiding. ...
- Labor exploitation. ...
- Slavery. ...
- Murder. ...
- Resource exploitation. ...
- Avoiding debts.
Can you commit crimes in space?
As for the question of who prosecutes space crimes, the short answer is that a spacefaring criminal would generally be subject to the law of the country of which they are a citizen , or the country aboard whose registered spacecraft the crime was committed, because the treaty grants that country authority “over any ...
Is it illegal to have drugs in international waters?
One law passed by Congress is called the Drug Trafficking Vessel Interdiction Act (“DTVIA”) which makes it a federal crime to distribute or possess drugs or a controlled substance aboard a vessel of the United States or a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. ...
Is it illegal to take water from the ocean?
The use of water without a water right is a trespass against the State of California and can lead to fines of up to $500 per day of use. If you are using water illegally, you can be required to stop taking and using water.
