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Country Comparison :: Maritime claims
This entry includes the following claims, the definitions of which are excerpted from the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which alone contains the full and definitive descriptions:
territorial sea - the sovereignty of a coastal state extends beyond its land territory and internal waters to an adjacent belt of sea, described as the territorial sea in the UNCLOS (Part II); this sovereignty extends to the air space over the territorial sea as well as its underlying seabed and subsoil; every state has the right to establish the breadth of its territorial sea up to a limit not exceeding 12 nautical miles; the normal baseline for measuring the breadth of the territorial sea is the mean low-water line along the coast as marked on large-scale charts officially recognized by the coastal state; where the coasts of two states are opposite or adjacent to each other, neither state is entitled to extend its territorial sea beyond the median line, every point of which is equidistant from the nearest points on the baseline from which the territorial seas of both states are measured; the UNCLOS describes specific rules for archipelagic states.
contiguous zone - according to the UNCLOS (Article 33), this is a zone contiguous to a coastal state's territorial sea, over which it may exercise the control necessary to: prevent infringement of its customs, fiscal, immigration, or sanitary laws and regulations within its territory or territorial sea; punish infringement of the above laws and regulations committed within its territory or territorial sea; the contiguous zone may not extend beyond 24 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured (e.g., the US has claimed a 12-nautical mile contiguous zone in addition to its 12-nautical mile territorial sea); where the coasts of two states are opposite or adjacent to each other, neither state is entitled to extend its contiguous zone beyond the median line, every point of which is equidistant from the nearest points on the baseline from which the contiguous zone of both states are measured.
exclusive economic zone (EEZ) - the UNCLOS (Part V) defines the EEZ as a zone beyond and adjacent to the territorial sea in which a coastal state has: sovereign rights for the purpose of exploring and exploiting, conserving and managing the natural resources, whether living or non-living, of the waters superjacent to the seabed and of the seabed and its subsoil, and with regard to other activities for the economic exploitation and exploration of the zone, such as the production of energy from the water, currents, and winds; jurisdiction with regard to the establishment and use of artificial islands, installations, and structures; marine scientific research; the protection and preservation of the marine environment; the outer limit of the exclusive economic zone shall not exceed 200 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured.
continental shelf - the UNCLOS (Article 76) defines the continental shelf of a coastal state as comprising the seabed and subsoil of the submarine areas that extend beyond its territorial sea throughout the natural prolongation of its land territory to the outer edge of the continental margin, or to a distance of 200 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured where the outer edge of the continental margin does not extend up to that distance; the continental margin comprises the submerged prolongation of the landmass of the coastal state, and consists of the seabed and subsoil of the shelf, the slope and the rise; wherever the continental margin extends beyond 200 nautical miles from the baseline, coastal states may extend their claim to a distance not to exceed 350 nautical miles from the baseline or 100 nautical miles from the 2,500-meter isobath, which is a line connecting points of 2,500 meters in depth; it does not include the deep ocean floor with its oceanic ridges or the subsoil thereof.
exclusive fishing zone - while this term is not used in the UNCLOS, some states (e.g., the United Kingdom) have chosen not to claim an EEZ, but rather to claim jurisdiction over the living resources off their coast; in such cases, the term exclusive fishing zone is often used; the breadth of this zone is normally the same as the EEZ or 200 nautical miles.
Download Data
Rank
country Maritime claims Date of Information
1 Antigua and Barbuda
200.00
NA
2 Antigua and Barbuda
200.00
NA
3 United Arab Emirates
200.00
NA
4 United Arab Emirates
200.00
NA
5 Angola
200.00
NA
6 American Samoa
200.00
NA
7 Argentina
200.00
NA
8 Argentina
200.00
NA
9 Australia
200.00
NA
10 Australia
200.00
NA
11 Ashmore and Cartier Islands
200.00
NA
12 Anguilla
200.00
NA
13 Barbados
200.00
NA
14 Bermuda
200.00
NA
15 Bahamas, The
200.00
NA
16 Bangladesh
200.00
NA
17 Belize
200.00
NA
18 Burma
200.00
NA
19 Burma
200.00
NA
20 Benin
200.00
NA
21 Solomon Islands
200.00
NA
22 Solomon Islands
200.00
NA
23 Navassa Island
200.00
NA
24 Brazil
200.00
NA
25 Brazil
200.00
NA
26 Bulgaria
200.00
NA
27 Brunei
200.00
NA
28 Canada
200.00
NA
29 Canada
200.00
NA
30 Cambodia
200.00
NA
31 Cambodia
200.00
NA
32 Sri Lanka
200.00
NA
33 Sri Lanka
200.00
NA
34 Congo, Republic of the
200.00
NA
35 China
200.00
NA
36 China
200.00
NA
37 Chile
200.00
NA
38 Cayman Islands
200.00
NA
39 Cocos (Keeling) Islands
200.00
NA
40 Comoros
200.00
NA
41 Colombia
200.00
NA
42 Northern Mariana Islands
200.00
NA
43 Coral Sea Islands
200.00
NA
44 Costa Rica
200.00
NA
45 Costa Rica
200.00
NA
46 Cuba
200.00
NA
47 Cape Verde
200.00
NA
48 Cook Islands
200.00
NA
49 Cook Islands
200.00
NA
50 Denmark
200.00
NA
51 Djibouti
200.00
NA
52 Dominica
200.00
NA
53 Dominican Republic
200.00
NA
54 Dominican Republic
200.00
NA
55 Ecuador
200.00
NA
56 Egypt
200.00
NA
57 Ireland
200.00
NA
58 Equatorial Guinea
200.00
NA
59 El Salvador
200.00
NA
60 Fiji
200.00
NA
61 Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
200.00
NA
62 Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
200.00
NA
63 Micronesia, Federated States of
200.00
NA
64 Faroe Islands
200.00
NA
65 Faroe Islands
200.00
NA
66 French Polynesia
200.00
NA
67 France
200.00
NA
68 French Southern and Antarctic Lands
200.00
NA
69 Gambia, The
200.00
NA
70 Gabon
200.00
NA
71 Georgia
200.00
NA
72 Ghana
200.00
NA
73 Ghana
200.00
NA
74 Grenada
200.00
NA
75 Greenland
200.00
NA
76 Greenland
200.00
NA
77 Germany
200.00
NA
78 Guatemala
200.00
NA
79 Guinea
200.00
NA
80 Guyana
200.00
NA
81 Guyana
200.00
NA
82 Haiti
200.00
NA
83 Heard Island and McDonald Islands
200.00
NA
84 Honduras
200.00
NA
85 Iceland
200.00
NA
86 Iceland
200.00
NA
87 Indonesia
200.00
NA
88 India
200.00
NA
89 India
200.00
NA
90 British Indian Ocean Territory
200.00
NA
91 Clipperton Island
200.00
NA
92 Cote d'Ivoire
200.00
NA
93 Cote d'Ivoire
200.00
NA
94 Japan
200.00
NA
95 Jamaica
200.00
NA
96 Jamaica
200.00
NA
97 Jan Mayen
200.00
NA
98 Kenya
200.00
NA
99 Kenya
200.00
NA
100 Korea, North
200.00
NA
101 Kiribati
200.00
NA
102 Korea, South
200.00
NA
103 Christmas Island
200.00
NA
104 Latvia
200.00
NA
105 Liberia
200.00
NA
106 Madagascar
200.00
NA
107 Madagascar
200.00
NA
108 Montserrat
200.00
NA
109 Morocco
200.00
NA
110 Mauritius
200.00
NA
111 Mauritius
200.00
NA
112 Mauritania
200.00
NA
113 Mauritania
200.00
NA
114 Oman
200.00
NA
115 Maldives
200.00
NA
116 Mexico
200.00
NA
117 Mexico
200.00
NA
118 Malaysia
200.00
NA
119 Mozambique
200.00
NA
120 New Caledonia
200.00
NA
121 Niue
200.00
NA
122 Norfolk Island
200.00
NA
123 Vanuatu
200.00
NA
124 Vanuatu
200.00
NA
125 Nigeria
200.00
NA
126 Netherlands
200.00
NA
127 Norway
200.00
NA
128 Norway
200.00
NA
129 Nauru
200.00
NA
130 Suriname
200.00
NA
131 New Zealand
200.00
NA
132 New Zealand
200.00
NA
133 Pitcairn Islands
200.00
NA
134 Peru
200.00
NA
135 Peru
200.00
NA
136 Pakistan
200.00
NA
137 Pakistan
200.00
NA
138 Panama
200.00
NA
139 Portugal
200.00
NA
140 Papua New Guinea
200.00
NA
141 Palau
200.00
NA
142 Guinea-Bissau
200.00
NA
143 Marshall Islands
200.00
NA
144 Romania
200.00
NA
145 Philippines
200.00
NA
146 Puerto Rico
200.00
NA
147 Russia
200.00
NA
148 Saint Pierre and Miquelon
200.00
NA
149 Saint Kitts and Nevis
200.00
NA
150 Saint Kitts and Nevis
200.00
NA
151 Seychelles
200.00
NA
152 Seychelles
200.00
NA
153 South Africa
200.00
NA
154 South Africa
200.00
NA
155 Senegal
200.00
NA
156 Senegal
200.00
NA
157 Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha
200.00
NA
158 Sierra Leone
200.00
NA
159 Sierra Leone
200.00
NA
160 Somalia
200.00
NA
161 Spain
200.00
NA
162 Saint Lucia
200.00
NA
163 Saint Lucia
200.00
NA
164 Svalbard
200.00
NA
165 South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands
200.00
NA
166 Trinidad and Tobago
200.00
NA
167 Trinidad and Tobago
200.00
NA
168 Thailand
200.00
NA
169 Turks and Caicos Islands
200.00
NA
170 Tokelau
200.00
NA
171 Tonga
200.00
NA
172 Togo
200.00
NA
173 Sao Tome and Principe
200.00
NA
174 Timor-Leste
200.00
NA
175 Tuvalu
200.00
NA
176 Taiwan
200.00
NA
177 Tanzania
200.00
NA
178 United Kingdom
200.00
NA
179 United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
200.00
NA
180 Ukraine
200.00
NA
181 United States
200.00
NA
182 Uruguay
200.00
NA
183 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
200.00
NA
184 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
200.00
NA
185 Venezuela
200.00
NA
186 British Virgin Islands
200.00
NA
187 Vietnam
200.00
NA
188 Vietnam
200.00
NA
189 Virgin Islands
200.00
NA
190 Namibia
200.00
NA
191 Wallis and Futuna
200.00
NA
192 Wake Island
200.00
NA
193 Samoa
200.00
NA
194 Yemen
200.00
NA
195 Yemen
200.00
NA
196 Libya
62.00
NA
197 Togo
30.00
NA
198 Malta
25.00
NA
199 Bulgaria
24.00
NA
200 Canada
24.00
NA
201 Cambodia
24.00
NA
202 Sri Lanka
24.00
NA
203 China
24.00
NA
204 Chile
24.00
NA
205 Cameroon
24.00
NA
206 Cuba
24.00
NA
207 Cape Verde
24.00
NA
208 Cyprus
24.00
NA
209 United States
24.00
NA
210 Uruguay
24.00
NA
211 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
24.00
NA
212 Vietnam
24.00
NA
213 Namibia
24.00
NA
214 Samoa
24.00
NA
215 Yemen
24.00
NA
216 Pakistan
24.00
NA
217 Panama
24.00
NA
218 Portugal
24.00
NA
219 Qatar
24.00
NA
220 Marshall Islands
24.00
NA
221 Romania
24.00
NA
222 Russia
24.00
NA
223 Saint Kitts and Nevis
24.00
NA
224 Seychelles
24.00
NA
225 South Africa
24.00
NA
226 Senegal
24.00
NA
227 Sierra Leone
24.00
NA
228 Spain
24.00
NA
229 Saint Lucia
24.00
NA
230 Syria
24.00
NA
231 Trinidad and Tobago
24.00
NA
232 Tunisia
24.00
NA
233 Timor-Leste
24.00
NA
234 Tuvalu
24.00
NA
235 Japan
24.00
NA
236 Jamaica
24.00
NA
237 Korea, South
24.00
NA
238 Madagascar
24.00
NA
239 Morocco
24.00
NA
240 Mauritania
24.00
NA
241 Malta
24.00
NA
242 Oman
24.00
NA
243 Maldives
24.00
NA
244 Mexico
24.00
NA
245 Vanuatu
24.00
NA
246 Netherlands
24.00
NA
247 Nauru
24.00
NA
248 Nicaragua
24.00
NA
249 New Zealand
24.00
NA
250 Denmark
24.00
NA
251 Djibouti
24.00
NA
252 Dominica
24.00
NA
253 Dominican Republic
24.00
NA
254 Egypt
24.00
NA
255 El Salvador
24.00
NA
256 Finland
24.00
NA
257 France
24.00
NA
258 Gabon
24.00
NA
259 Ghana
24.00
NA
260 Haiti
24.00
NA
261 Honduras
24.00
NA
262 India
24.00
NA
263 Iran
24.00
NA
264 Antigua and Barbuda
24.00
NA
265 United Arab Emirates
24.00
NA
266 Angola
24.00
NA
267 Argentina
24.00
NA
268 Australia
24.00
NA
269 Bahrain
24.00
NA
270 Belgium
24.00
NA
271 Burma
24.00
NA
272 Brazil
24.00
NA
273 Saudi Arabia
18.00
NA
274 Bangladesh
18.00
NA
275 Gambia, The
18.00
NA
276 Sudan
18.00
NA
277 Venezuela
15.00
NA
278 United Kingdom
12.00
NA
279 United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
12.00
NA
280 Ukraine
12.00
NA
281 United States
12.00
NA
282 Uruguay
12.00
NA
283 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
12.00
NA
284 Venezuela
12.00
NA
285 Vietnam
12.00
NA
286 Virgin Islands
12.00
NA
287 Namibia
12.00
NA
288 Wallis and Futuna
12.00
NA
289 Wake Island
12.00
NA
290 Samoa
12.00
NA
291 Yemen
12.00
NA
292 Poland
12.00
NA
293 Panama
12.00
NA
294 Portugal
12.00
NA
295 Papua New Guinea
12.00
NA
296 Guinea-Bissau
12.00
NA
297 Qatar
12.00
NA
298 Marshall Islands
12.00
NA
299 Romania
12.00
NA
300 Puerto Rico
12.00
NA
301 Russia
12.00
NA
302 Saudi Arabia
12.00
NA
303 Saint Pierre and Miquelon
12.00
NA
304 Saint Kitts and Nevis
12.00
NA
305 Seychelles
12.00
NA
306 South Africa
12.00
NA
307 Senegal
12.00
NA
308 Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha
12.00
NA
309 Slovenia
12.00
NA
310 Sierra Leone
12.00
NA
311 Spain
12.00
NA
312 Saint Lucia
12.00
NA
313 Sudan
12.00
NA
314 Sweden
12.00
NA
315 South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands
12.00
NA
316 Syria
12.00
NA
317 Trinidad and Tobago
12.00
NA
318 Thailand
12.00
NA
319 Turks and Caicos Islands
12.00
NA
320 Tokelau
12.00
NA
321 Tonga
12.00
NA
322 Sao Tome and Principe
12.00
NA
323 Tunisia
12.00
NA
324 Tunisia
12.00
NA
325 Timor-Leste
12.00
NA
326 Turkey
12.00
NA
327 Tuvalu
12.00
NA
328 Taiwan
12.00
NA
329 Tanzania
12.00
NA
330 Iraq
12.00
NA
331 Japan
12.00
NA
332 Jersey
12.00
NA
333 Jamaica
12.00
NA
334 Kenya
12.00
NA
335 Korea, North
12.00
NA
336 Kiribati
12.00
NA
337 Korea, South
12.00
NA
338 Christmas Island
12.00
NA
339 Christmas Island
12.00
NA
340 Kuwait
12.00
NA
341 Lebanon
12.00
NA
342 Latvia
12.00
NA
343 Lithuania
12.00
NA
344 Libya
12.00
NA
345 Madagascar
12.00
NA
346 Montenegro
12.00
NA
347 Monaco
12.00
NA
348 Monaco
12.00
NA
349 Morocco
12.00
NA
350 Mauritius
12.00
NA
351 Mauritania
12.00
NA
352 Malta
12.00
NA
353 Oman
12.00
NA
354 Maldives
12.00
NA
355 Mexico
12.00
NA
356 Malaysia
12.00
NA
357 Mozambique
12.00
NA
358 New Caledonia
12.00
NA
359 Niue
12.00
NA
360 Norfolk Island
12.00
NA
361 Vanuatu
12.00
NA
362 Nigeria
12.00
NA
363 Netherlands
12.00
NA
364 Norway
12.00
NA
365 Nauru
12.00
NA
366 Suriname
12.00
NA
367 Nicaragua
12.00
NA
368 New Zealand
12.00
NA
369 Pakistan
12.00
NA
370 Denmark
12.00
NA
371 Djibouti
12.00
NA
372 Dominica
12.00
NA
373 Egypt
12.00
NA
374 Ireland
12.00
NA
375 Equatorial Guinea
12.00
NA
376 Estonia
12.00
NA
377 Eritrea
12.00
NA
378 El Salvador
12.00
NA
379 Finland
12.00
NA
380 Finland
12.00
NA
381 Fiji
12.00
NA
382 Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
12.00
NA
383 Micronesia, Federated States of
12.00
NA
384 French Polynesia
12.00
NA
385 France
12.00
NA
386 French Southern and Antarctic Lands
12.00
NA
387 Gambia, The
12.00
NA
388 Gabon
12.00
NA
389 Georgia
12.00
NA
390 Ghana
12.00
NA
391 Grenada
12.00
NA
392 Guernsey
12.00
NA
393 Germany
12.00
NA
394 Greece
12.00
NA
395 Guatemala
12.00
NA
396 Guinea
12.00
NA
397 Guyana
12.00
NA
398 Haiti
12.00
NA
399 Heard Island and McDonald Islands
12.00
NA
400 Honduras
12.00
NA
401 Croatia
12.00
NA
402 Iceland
12.00
NA
403 Indonesia
12.00
NA
404 Isle of Man
12.00
NA
405 Isle of Man
12.00
NA
406 India
12.00
NA
407 Clipperton Island
12.00
NA
408 Iran
12.00
NA
409 Israel
12.00
NA
410 Italy
12.00
NA
411 Cote d'Ivoire
12.00
NA
412 Aruba
12.00
NA
413 Antigua and Barbuda
12.00
NA
414 United Arab Emirates
12.00
NA
415 Algeria
12.00
NA
416 Albania
12.00
NA
417 Angola
12.00
NA
418 American Samoa
12.00
NA
419 Argentina
12.00
NA
420 Australia
12.00
NA
421 Ashmore and Cartier Islands
12.00
NA
422 Ashmore and Cartier Islands
12.00
NA
423 Bahrain
12.00
NA
424 Barbados
12.00
NA
425 Bermuda
12.00
NA
426 Belgium
12.00
NA
427 Bahamas, The
12.00
NA
428 Bangladesh
12.00
NA
429 Belize
12.00
NA
430 Burma
12.00
NA
431 Solomon Islands
12.00
NA
432 Navassa Island
12.00
NA
433 Brazil
12.00
NA
434 Bulgaria
12.00
NA
435 Brunei
12.00
NA
436 Canada
12.00
NA
437 Cambodia
12.00
NA
438 Sri Lanka
12.00
NA
439 Congo, Democratic Republic of the
12.00
NA
440 China
12.00
NA
441 Chile
12.00
NA
442 Cayman Islands
12.00
NA
443 Cocos (Keeling) Islands
12.00
NA
444 Cameroon
12.00
NA
445 Comoros
12.00
NA
446 Colombia
12.00
NA
447 Northern Mariana Islands
12.00
NA
448 Costa Rica
12.00
NA
449 Cuba
12.00
NA
450 Cape Verde
12.00
NA
451 Cook Islands
12.00
NA
452 Cyprus
12.00
NA
453 Norway
10.00
NA
454 Jan Mayen
10.00
NA
455 Turkey
6.00
NA
456 Dominican Republic
6.00
NA
457 Svalbard
4.00
NA
458 Bouvet Island
4.00
NA
459 Jan Mayen
4.00
NA
460 Singapore
3.00
NA
461 Jersey
3.00
NA
462 Montserrat
3.00
NA
463 Palau
3.00
NA
464 Pitcairn Islands
3.00
NA
465 British Virgin Islands
3.00
NA
466 Faroe Islands
3.00
NA
467 Gibraltar
3.00
NA
468 Guernsey
3.00
NA
469 Greenland
3.00
NA
470 Hong Kong
3.00
NA
471 British Indian Ocean Territory
3.00
NA
472 Anguilla
3.00
NA
473 Coral Sea Islands
3.00
NA
474 Jordan
3.00
NA
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  The online Factbook is updated weekly. ISSN 1553-8133
For additional information on government leaders in selected foreign countries, go to World Leaders.