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Exclusive economic zone of the United States

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The United States has the world's second largest exclusive economic zone (EEZ) after France. The total size is 11,351,000 km2 (4,383,000 sq mi)2.[1] Areas of its EEZ are located in three oceans, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean Sea including Puerto Rico in the North Atlantic Ocean. Most notable areas are Alaska, Hawaii, the East Coast, West Coast and Gulf Coast of the United States.

Geography

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Image
Exclusive economic zone map

The EEZ borders with Russia to the north west, Canada to the north, Cuba, Bahamas, Mexico to the south, Dominican Republic, British Virgin Islands, Anguilla to the south east and Samoa, Niue to the south west. The unincorporated territories of Guam, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and Northern Mariana Islands are included.

The EEZ (including territorial sea) areas of the territories of the U.S. (in decreasing size)[2]
Territory EEZ area (km2) EEZ area (sq mi) Notes
Image Alaska 3,770,0211,455,613 A non-contiguous state in the northwest extremity of the North American continent.
Image Hawaii – Northwestern Islands 1,579,538609,863 Including Midway Atoll, these islands form the Leeward Islands of the Hawaiian island chain.
Image U.S. East Coast 915,763353,578 The mainland coastal states of the Eastern United States.
Image Hawaii – Southeastern Islands 895,346345,695 These islands form the Windward Islands of the Hawaiian island chain.
Image U.S. West Coast 825,549318,746 The mainland coastal states of the Western United States.
Image Northern Mariana Islands 749,268289,294 An organized unincorporated Commonwealth of the United States.
Image U.S. Gulf Coast 707,832273,295 The mainland coastal states of the Southern United States.
Image Johnston Atoll 442,635170,902 A National Wildlife Refuge in the U.S. Minor Outlying Islands.
Image Howland and Baker Islands 434,921167,924 Including Image Howland Island and Image Baker Island, both territories are National Wildlife Refuges in the U.S. Minor Outlying Islands.
Image Wake Island 407,241157,237 A National Wildlife Refuge in the U.S. Minor Outlying Islands.
Image American Samoa 404,391156,136 The only inhabited unorganized unincorporated territory of the United States.
Palmyra Atoll and Kingman Reef 352,300136,000 Both territories are National Wildlife Refuges in the U.S. Minor Outlying Islands.
Image Jarvis Island 316,665122,265 A National Wildlife Refuge in the U.S. Minor Outlying Islands.
Image Guam 221,50485,523 An organized unincorporated territory of the United States.
Image Puerto Rico 177,68568,605 An organized unincorporated Commonwealth of the United States.
Image U.S. Virgin Islands 33,74413,029 An organized unincorporated territory of the United States.
Image Navassa Island N/A[note 1] N/A[note 1] A National Wildlife Refuge in the U.S. Minor Outlying Islands.
Total 11,351,000 4,383,000

Disputes

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Active

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Canada

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A wedge-shaped section of the Beaufort Sea is disputed between Canada and the United States, because the area reportedly contains substantial oil reserves.[6]

Dominican Republic

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EEZs in the Caribbean Sea, with American zones shaded in blue

Since 2007, the Dominican Republic in Hispaniola considers itself an archipelagic state, encroaching the long-established median or equidistance line dividing the EEZ of the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, and claiming portion of the EEZ claimed by the United States in relation to the archipelago of Puerto Rico, which is itself an unincorporated U.S. territory.[7] The United States does not accept the archipelagic status and maritime boundaries claimed by the Dominican Republic.[8] Victor Prescott, an authority in the field of maritime boundaries, argued that, as the coasts of both states are short coastlines with few offshore islands, an equidistance line is appropriate.[9]

See also

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References

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  1. 1 2 The source does not provide any data for Navassa Island[3][4] even though the U.S. government did claim an EEZ area for this disputed territory.[5]
  1. ↑ "UKNDA DISCUSSION PAPER" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on November 25, 2020. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  2. ↑ Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) Archived 2 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Seaaroundus.org. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  3. ↑ EEZ area of Haiti
  4. ↑ EEZ area of Jamaica
  5. ↑ MARITIME CLAIMS – Navassa Island
  6. ↑ "Transnational Issues CIA World Fact Book". Cia.gov. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
  7. ↑ "Sea Around Us | Fisheries, Ecosystems and Biodiversity". www.seaaroundus.org. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  8. ↑ "Limits in the Seas No. 130 Dominican Republic: Archipelagic and other Maritime Claims and Boundaries" (PDF). United States Department of State Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs. Retrieved January 14, 2014.
  9. ↑ "ANALYSIS ON THE LEGITIMACY OF THE DECLARATION OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC AS AN ARCHIPELAGIC STATE AND ITS LEGALITY UNDER THE UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION ON THE LAW OF THE SEA (UNCLOS) AND THE INTERNATIONAL LAW" (PDF). DIVISION FOR OCEAN AFFAIRS AND THE LAW OF THE SEA, OFFICE OF LEGAL AFFAIRS, THE UNITED NATIONS, NEW YORK, 2018. December 15, 2018. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
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