How far out do us territorial waters go?

How far out do us territorial waters go?

12 nautical miles The U.S. territorial sea extends 12 nautical miles from the baseline. The contiguous zone of the United States is a zone contiguous to the territorial sea.

How far do our territorial waters extend?

twelve nautical miles The UK extended its territorial waters to twelve nautical miles under the Territorial Sea Act, 1987. Under the Fishery Limits Act 1976, the UK extended to 200 nautical miles the area over which it exercises fisheries controls.

How many nautical miles out are considered territorial waters?

12-nautical mile Territorial sea is defined under the UNCLOS as the 12-nautical mile zone from the baseline or low-water line along the coast.

How far offshore is considered international waters?

They generally extend about 200 nautical miles from the shore of a country, and are broken into different sections in which the particular country has various rights.

Why are territorial waters 12 miles?

For a long time, territorial seas stretched as far as a state could exercise control from land. ... With the negotiation of the 1982 United Nations Law of the Sea Convention, the allowed breadth of a territorial sea claim was extended to 12 nautical miles (22 kilometers).

How far offshore do state waters extend?

State waters extend from 0 to 3 nautical miles off the state's coastline. (Note: In Texas, Puerto Rico, and on Florida's Gulf Coast, state waters are from 0 to 9 nautical miles off the coastline). Federal waters extend from the state water boundary, out to 200 nautical miles off the coastline.

Why are there 12 nautical miles?

The significance of 12 nm derives from the fact that the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) generally grants coastal states jurisdiction over a 12 nm territorial sea emanating from the coast. ... Should sovereignty over such enlarged islands be settled, a territorial sea could be declared.

Which country has the largest territorial waters?

France The U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone

Rank	Country	EEZ km2
1	France	11,691,000
2	United States	11,351,000
3	Australia	8,505,348
4	Russia	7,566,673

Where are UK territorial waters?

The UK territorial sea is defined by the Territorial Sea Act 1987 as the sea extending 12nm from the baseline. For the most part the territorial sea of the UK does not adjoin that of any other state.

What is a nautical mile to a regular mile?

A nautical mile is slightly longer than a mile on land, equaling 1.1508 land-measured (or statute) miles. The nautical mile is based on the Earth's longitude and latitude coordinates, with one nautical mile equaling one minute of latitude.

How far out can a state control territorial waters?

• A state controls territorial waters up to 12 nautical miles from shore, but it can punish violations of its customs, fiscal, immigration and sanitary laws that occur within its territory or territorial waters in a “contiguous zone” up to 24 nautical miles out.

How far does the territorial sea extend from the baseline?

• The U.S. territorial sea extends 12 nautical miles from the baseline. The contiguous zone of the United States is a zone contiguous to the territorial sea.

How do I find the ambulatory three nautical mile territorial sea limit?

• For those seeking the ambulatory three nautical mile territorial sea limit, we recommend that you use the seamless raster nautical chart service provided by the Office of Coast Survey.

When did the US claim a 3 nautical mile territorial sea?

• U.S. v. Postal , 5, 869 (5th Cir. 1980) (citing cases noting that the United States has claimed a 3-nautical mile territorial sea since the earliest days of the Republic) Proclamation 5928 of Decem.