Lesson 9

• Archipelago - group of islands, including parts of islands,interconnecting waters, and other natural features which are so closely interrelated that such islands, waters, and other natural features form an intrinsic geographical, economic, and political entity or which historically have been regarded as such.
• Archipalegic State - a state constituted wholly by one or more archipelagos and may include  other islands.
• Coastal Archipelago - refers to a group of islands situated so close to a main land that they  may be considered a part thereof, forming more or less an outer coastline from which it is  natural to measure the marginal seas.
• Outlying or mid-ocean archipelago - refers to a group of islands situated in the ocean at  such distance from the coasts of firm land as to be considered as an independent whole rather  than forming part of, our outer coastline of the mainland.
• High Seas - are all parts of the sea that are not within an EEZ, the territorial  sea, internal waters or archipelagic waters (Article 86, UNCLOS III).
• The law of the sea - is a body of international rules that binds states and other subjects of  international law in their maritime affairs. Its functions are the spatial distribution of national  jurisdiction and to ensure cooperation between states (Tanaka, 2012).
• 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea

  • Also referred to as  “The Law of the Sea Convention.” 
  • It is an international convention resulting from the third United Nations Conference on the Law  of the Sea (UNCLOS III), which took place from 1973 to 1982.
• Governing principles of law of the sea

  • Principle of Freedom
  • Principle of Sovereignty
  • Principle of the Heritage of Mankind
• Principle of Freedom

  • aims to ensure the freedom of the various uses of the oceans
  • It ensures that ships of all states have the right to sail freely without interference.
• Principle of Sovereignty

  • seeks to safeguard the interests of coastal states.
  • coastal states have sovereignty over their territorial waters, airspace, and land territory.
• Principle of the Common Heritage of Mankind

  • seeks to promote the common interest of all people in present and future generations.
  • are certain areas beyond national jurisdiction (e.g., the deep seabed)
• Baselines - is a line drawn from the lines of the outer islands at the time of the receding  sea. In short, this line is drawn when the seawater is at its lowest.
• Coastlines - Similar but not the same, the coastline is also a line bordering the mainland. However,  the coastline is not necessarily measured at the highest tide. Instead, it represents the natural shape  of the land where it meets the sea, regardless of tide levels.
• Types of Baselines

  • Normal Baseline
  • Straight Baseline
  • Closing lines across River Mouths and Bays
  • Archipelagic Baseline
• Normal Baseline

  • Used when the baseline is relatively simple and not deeply indented
  • measuring the breadth of the territorial sea is the low water  line along the coast as marked on large-scale charts officially recognized by the coastal
• Straight Baseline

  • Used when the coast is deeply indented, has fringing islands, or is highly unstable
  • For drawing straight baselines, it must not depart to any appreciable extent from the  general direction of the coast.
• Closing lines across River Mouths and Bays - Connects the outermost points of the natural entrance of a river mouth or bay.
• Archipelagic Baseline

  • Used for archipelagic states
  • Encloses the entire archipelago, including its islands and waters
  • Archipelagic Waters
  • also called Internal Waters, are the waters enclosed by the  archipelagic baseline
• Two kinds of archipelago

  • Coastal Archipelago
  • Outlying or Mid-Ocean Archipelago
• Coastal Archipelago

  • Closely grouped islands near the mainland.
  • Often found along continental shelves.
• Outlying or Mid-Ocean Archipelago

  • Islands not closely connected to the mainland.
  • May be isolated or scattered.
• Territorial Water - According to the 1982 convention, each country’s sovereign territorial waters extend up to a  maximum of 12 nautical miles (22 km) from the baseline. Within this zone, the state has  sovereignty and exclusive jurisdiction.
• Innocent Passage - is considered innocent as long as a ship refrains from engaging in certain  prohibited activities
• Contiguous Zone -Beyond the territorial waters, the contiguous zone extends up to 24 nautical miles from the  baseline.
• Exclusive Economic Zone - Beyond territorial waters, every coastal country may establish an exclusive economic zone  (EEZ) and it can only extend up to 200 nautical miles (370 km) starting from the  baseline.
• Continental Shift - Allows the coastal states to exploit natural resources on the seabed and subsoil.
• High Seas - are open to all nations and are not subject to any national jurisdiction.