The Buoyancy Of Helium-filled Balloons

International Issues

delimitation of maritime areas

I) The area of sovereignty

The coastal State is sovereign in the area of sovereignty.

A) the land territory

It extends to the baseline of the territorial sea.

B)

Territorial sea 12 nautical miles beyond the baseline.

II)

EEZ the coastal State exercises sovereign rights for fishing and mineral resources. It has jurisdiction for scientific diving and defense of the marine environment. Third States enjoy freedom of navigation, overflight and laying of cables and pipelines. The EEZ extends 200 nautical miles ( art. 57 of the UNCLOS )



A) The contiguous zone

24 nautical miles beyond the baseline

B) The plateau contiguous zone outside the continental

According to legal definition, it extends to 200 nautical miles beyond the baseline even in the absence of continental shelf in the physical sense. However, extensions are possible up 350 nautical miles at most.

III) The high seas

All States will exercise freedoms including fisheries and marine scientific research.

A) The continental shelf offshore

It includes the slope and rise. The coastal state exercises sovereignty over natural wealth of soil and subsoil and competence for scientific diving ( art. 77 of the UNCLOS )

B) The International Seabed Area

It is the common heritage of mankind. Its use by states and businesses through a contract with the Authority seabed.