List of countries and territories by maritime boundaries
This is a list of countries and territories by maritime boundaries with other countries and territories. The list encompasses adjacent maritime nations and territories with a special focus on the boundaries or borders which distinguish them.
For purposes of this list, "maritime boundary" includes boundaries that are recognized by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which includes boundaries of territorial waters, contiguous zones, and exclusive economic zones. However, it does not include lake or river boundaries. "Potential" maritime boundaries are included; that is, the lack of a treaty or other agreement defining the exact location of the maritime boundary does not exclude the boundary from the list.
In numbering maritime boundaries, three separate figures are included for each country and territory. The first number is the total number of distinct maritime boundaries that the country or territory shares with other countries and territories. If the country shares two or more maritime boundaries with the same country or territory and the boundaries are unconnected, the boundaries are counted separately. The second number is the total number of distinct countries or territories that the country or territory borders. In this instance, if the country or territory shares two or more maritime boundaries with the same country or territory and the boundaries are unconnected, the boundaries are only counted once. The final number is the total number of unique sovereign states[1] that the country or territory shares a maritime boundary with.
Footnotes are provided to provide clarity regarding the status of certain countries and territories.
States with a dagger (
) are landlocked states.
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See also
Notes
- The concept of state sovereignty is somewhat imprecise and there are disagreements about whether certain territories are sovereign. There are currently 195 states that are generally regarded as "fully" or “mostly” sovereign: this includes the 193 member states of the United Nations plus Vatican City and Palestine. Some of these states have under their jurisdiction territories, dependencies, or collectivities that are clearly non-sovereign geographical areas. These territories are generally regarded as being subsumed within the overarching sovereignty of the governing state. For example, the United Kingdom holds sovereignty over the territory of Gibraltar, even though Gibraltar is not considered to be part of the United Kingdom. There are a few territories in the world that are neither clearly sovereign nor clearly subsumed under another state's sovereignty. Often, these territories have declared themselves to be sovereign, but they are either not widely recognized as such or lack some of the necessary conditions for sovereign statehood. In these cases, explanatory footnotes indicate how the territory is treated for the purposes of this list.
- In 1992, Abkhazia declared sovereignty from Georgia. Georgia disputes the declaration and considers Abkhazia to be part of its territory. The only sovereign states that recognize Abkhazia's sovereignty are Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Nauru. Because of the low level of international recognition, Abkhazia is not considered a sovereign state for the purposes of this list and is not included in other countries' listings of neighbouring countries and territories.
- This is a territorial claim in Antarctica. Territorial claims in Antarctica have been recognized only between the few countries making claims in the area. Because some of the claims overlap and there is a low number of recognition for these claims, Antarctic territorial claims are not included in this chart when listing countries' neighbouring countries and territories. The specific Antarctic claims are included in this chart, but only in reference to each other.
- This territory is part of the widely dispersed French Southern and Antarctic Lands, an overseas territory of France.
- This territory is not sovereign but is a British overseas territory. Its territory constitutes part of the sovereign territory of the United Kingdom but strictly speaking is not part of the United Kingdom itself.
- See Albania–Italy Boundary Agreement.
- This territory is not sovereign, but is an insular area of the United States. U.S. territories are considered to be part of the sovereign territory of the United States.
- The Cook Islands is a self-governing country in free association with New Zealand. The Cook Islands controls a portion of its own foreign affairs, including the establishment and regulation of borders. However, the Cook Islands is not a member of the United Nations and is part of the Realm of New Zealand, with Cook Island people being New Zealand citizens. For purposes of this list, the Cook Islands, New Zealand, Niue, and Tokelau are considered constituent parts of one sovereign state.
- See Cook Islands – United States Maritime Boundary Treaty.
- Niue is a self-governing country in free association with New Zealand. Niue controls a portion of its own foreign affairs, including the establishment and regulation of borders. However, Niue is not a member of the United Nations and is part of the Realm of New Zealand, with Niuean people being New Zealand citizens. For purposes of this list, Niue, the Cook Islands, New Zealand, and Tokelau are considered constituent parts of one sovereign state.
- See Niue – United States Maritime Boundary Treaty.
- Tokelau is a non-self-governing territory within the Realm of New Zealand. For purposes of this list, Tokelau, the Cook Islands, New Zealand, and Niue are considered constituent parts of one sovereign state.
- See Treaty of Tokehega.
- This territory is not sovereign, but is an overseas collectivity of France, and as such it is part of the sovereign territory of France.
- See 1996 France – United Kingdom Maritime Delimitation Agreements.
- See 1993 United Kingdom – United States Maritime Boundary Treaties.
- Claims to territory overlap.
- This territory is not sovereign but is an overseas department and an overseas region of France. As such, it is sovereign French territory that is an integral part of the French Republic.
- See Beagle Channel Arbitration.
- See Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1984 between Chile and Argentina.
- Argentina claims sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, which is a British overseas territory.
- The Republic of Artsakh (then the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic) declared independence from Azerbaijan in 1991. However, neither Azerbaijan nor any other state or international organization has recognized Artsakh as a sovereign state. For this reason, Artsakh is not considered a sovereign state for the purposes of this list and is not included in other countries' listings of neighbouring countries and territories.
- This territory is not sovereign, but is a constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. For purposes of this list, Aruba, Curaçao, the Netherlands, and Sint Maarten are considered constituent parts of one sovereign state.
- See Netherlands–Venezuela Boundary Treaty.
- This territory is not sovereign but is part of the sovereign territory of Australia.
- See Timor Sea Treaty.
- See Australia–France Marine Delimitation Agreement.
- New Caledonia is not sovereign but is a sui generis collectivity of France and as such it is part of the sovereign territory of France.
- See Australia – New Zealand Maritime Treaty.
- See Australia – Solomon Islands Maritime Boundary Agreement.
- The maritime boundary is in the Caspian Sea. Some consider the Caspian Sea to be a lake.
- This territory is not sovereign but is an autonomous region of Portugal. Its territory constitutes a constituent part of the sovereign territory of Portugal.
- See Barbados v. Trinidad and Tobago.
- Madagascar claims sovereignty over Bassas da India, Europa Island, and Juan de Nova Island.
- This territory is not sovereign and is a dependent territory of Norway. It is not part of the Kingdom of Norway, but it is considered to be part of the sovereign territory of Norway.
- Mauritius claims sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago and does not recognise the British Indian Ocean Territory.
- This territory is not sovereign, but is a country within the Kingdom of Denmark. For purposes of this list, Denmark, the Faroe Islands, and Greenland are considered constituent parts of one sovereign state.
- See Canada–France Maritime Boundary Case.
- See Alaska boundary dispute; Pig War.
- See Cape Verde – Mauritania Maritime Delimitation Treaty.
- See Cape Verde – Senegal Maritime Delimitation Treaty.
- See Honduras – United Kingdom Maritime Delimitation Treaty.
- See Case Concerning Maritime Delimitation between the Republic of Peru and the Republic of Chile (Peru v. Chile).
- For information on the Republic of China, see the listing in this table under "Taiwan".
- Hong Kong is not sovereign but since 1997 has been a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. Hong Kong has a high degree of autonomy, including separate passports and a defined international boundary within China, but it is not considered a separate sovereign state for the purposes of this list.
- Macau is not sovereign but since 1999 has been a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. Macau has a high degree of autonomy, including separate passports and a defined international boundary within China, but it is not considered a separate sovereign state for the purposes of this list.
- Clipperton Island is not sovereign but is property of the government of France; as such, it is part of the sovereign territory of France.
- See Liévano–Brutus treaty.
- Madagascar claims sovereignty over the Glorioso Islands.
- See Cook Islands – France Maritime Delimitation Agreement.
- See Cuba–Haiti Maritime Boundary Agreement.
- See Cuba–Jamaica Maritime Boundary Agreement.
- Cuba – United States Maritime Boundary Agreement.
- Does not include the Faroe Islands and Greenland.
- This territory is not sovereign, but is a constituent part of the Kingdom of Norway.
- See Dominica–France Maritime Delimitation Agreement.
- See Dominican Republic – United Kingdom Maritime Boundary Agreement.
- Although it lacks other indicators of legal sovereignty, Palestine is recognized by about 137 countries and is an observer of the United Nations, which makes it de jure sovereign and will be counted in this list as such
- See Equatorial Guinea – Nigeria Maritime Boundary Treaty.
- See Equatorial Guinea – São Tomé and Príncipe Maritime Boundary Treaty.
- See Hanish Islands conflict.
- See Fiji–France Maritime Delimitation Agreement.
- Excluding French overseas departments, collectivities, and territories.
- This territory is not sovereign but it a British Crown Dependency. Crown Dependencies are possessions of the British Crown but strictly speaking are not part of the United Kingdom.
- Excluding Adélie Land.
- See France–Mauritius Delimitation Convention.
- See 1983 France – United Kingdom Maritime Boundary Convention.
- See France – Saint Lucia Delimitation Agreement.
- See France–Seychelles Maritime Boundary Agreement.
- See France – Solomon Islands Maritime Delimitation Agreement.
- See France–Tonga Maritime Delimitation Convention.
- Provisional agreement only.
- This territory is not sovereign but is an overseas territory of France.
- See Gabon – São Tomé and Príncipe Maritime Border Agreement/
- The Isle of Man shares maritime boundaries with countries of the United Kingdom but has no maritime boundaries with other sovereign states.
- See Italy–Tunisia Delimitation Agreement.
- See Treaty of Shimoda.
- In 2008, Kosovo declared independence from Serbia. Although Kosovo's sovereignty has been recognized by 108 states, it is not a member of the United Nations and Serbia disputes its sovereignty, claiming that Kosovo remains one of its provinces. International Court of Justice decided in 2010 that Kosovo's declaration of independence was not in violation of international law. For purposes of this list, Kosovo is considered to be a sovereign country.
- More specifically, Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island and Tromelin Island
- Madagascar claims sovereignty on Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands and Juan de Nova Island
- Mauritius claims sovereignty over Tromelin Island.
- See Straits Settlement and Johore Territorial Waters Agreement of 1927. This treaty was supplemented by a treaty between Malaysia and Singapore in 1995.
- See Marshall Islands – Federated States of Micronesia Maritime Boundary Treaty.
- The Marshall Islands claims sovereignty over Wake Island, which is an insular area of the United States.
- Western Sahara is a non-self-governing territory. Administration is split between Morocco and the largely unrecognized Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, both of which claim sovereignty over the entire territory (see Legal status of Western Sahara). For purposes of this list, Western Sahara is considered to be a sovereign country.
- Treaty is between Mauritania and Morocco. Morocco claims sovereignty over Western Sahara.
- More specifically, Bassas da India, Europa Island, and Juan de Nova Island.
- Does not include Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten.
- Does not include the Cook Islands, Niue, or Tokelau.
- There is a maritime boundary between Norfolk Island and New Zealand, but it is a continuation of the boundary between Australia proper and New Zealand.
- See Nigeria – São Tomé and Príncipe Joint Development Zone Treaty.
- In 1983, Northern Cyprus declared independence from Cyprus. Northern Cyprus's sovereignty has been recognized by one United Nations member state, Turkey. It is not a member of the UN, and Cyprus disputes its sovereignty. For purposes of this list, Northern Cyprus is not considered to be a sovereign country.
- Not including Bouvet Island, Jan Mayen, or Svalbard.
- See Papua New Guinea – Solomon Islands Maritime Boundary Treaty.
- Includes autonomous regions of Portugal.
- See United States – Venezuela Maritime Boundary Treaty.
- See Maritime delimitation between Romania and Ukraine.
- See USSR–USA Maritime Boundary Agreement.
- See Treaty of Jeddah (1974).
- Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991. However, neither Somalia nor any other state or international organization has recognized Somaliland as a sovereign state. For this reason, Somaliland is not considered a sovereign state for the purposes of this list and is not included in other countries' listings of neighbouring countries and territories.
- In 1990, South Ossetia declared sovereignty from Georgia. Georgia disputes the declaration and considers South Ossetia to be part of its territory. The only sovereign states that recognize South Ossentia's sovereignty are Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Nauru. Because of the low level of international recognition, South Ossetia is not considered a sovereign state for the purposes of this list and is not included in other countries' listings of neighbouring countries and territories.
- The maritime boundary between Norway and Russia is continuous from the north edge of the European mainland to the sea between Svalbard and Franz Josef Land. In other words, there are not two separate Russian maritime boundaries for Russia–Norway and Russia–Svalbard. Svalbard therefore acts only to extend the otherwise existing Russia–Norway boundary.
- In the early 1990, Transnistria attempted to separate itself, first from the Moldavian SSR and then from sovereign Moldova. Moldova disputes Transnistrian sovereignty and considers it to be part of its territory. There are no sovereign states that recognize Transnistria's sovereignty. Because of the lack of international recognition, Transnistria is not considered a sovereign state for the purposes of this list and is not included in other countries' listings of neighbouring countries and territories.
- The United Kingdom does not include British overseas territories or Crown dependencies.
- Excluding U.S. insular areas.
References
- Anderson, Ewan W. (2003). International Boundaries: A Geopolitical Atlas. Routledge: New York. ISBN 9781579583750; OCLC 54061586
- Charney, Jonathan I., David A. Colson, Robert W. Smith. (2005). International Maritime Boundaries, 5 vols. Hotei Publishing: Leiden. ISBN 9780792311874; ISBN 9789041119544; ISBN 9789041103451; ISBN 9789004144613; ISBN 9789004144798; OCLC 23254092
- Jagota, S. P. (1985). Maritime Boundary. Martinis Nijhoff: Dordrecht. ISBN 9789024731336; ISBN 9789024726165; OCLC 1175640
- Prescott, John Robert Victor. (1985). The Maritime Political Boundaries of the World. London: Methuen. ISBN 9780416417500; OCLC 12582178
External links
- Maritime Space: Maritime Zones and Maritime Delimitation, un.org
- United States Department of State (1990). "Limits in the Sea No. 108: Maritime Boundaries of the World"
- VLIZ Maritime Boundaries Geodatabase, VLIZ
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