The document summarizes the maritime zones established under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), including their geographic extent and the legal rights and obligations that apply in each zone. It discusses the internal waters, territorial sea, contiguous zone, exclusive economic zone, continental shelf, high seas, and the seabed or "Area" beyond national jurisdiction. For each zone, it provides the distance from shore and sovereignty or usage rights pertaining to that maritime area.

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The Maritime Zones in UNCLOS
Prepared by Dr. Zeyad Jaffal
Associate professor of Public international law
Al Ain University, UAE
Nov.2019
The Zone Breadth Legal regime
Internal waters Waters on the landward side of the baseline of the
territorial sea.
Coastal state has full sovereignty
over this area.
Territorial Sea Every State has the right to establish the breadth of its
territorial sea up to a limit not exceeding 12 nautical miles,
measured from baselines.
Sovereignty extends to the air
space, water column, seabed and
subsoil allowing for the right of
innocent passage.
The innocent passage is the right to
pass through the territorial sea, but
not internal waters, for the purpose
of entering port or merely passing in
a continuous and expeditious
manner. Such passage is only
innocent provided it is not
prejudicial to the peace, good order
or security of the coastal state.
Transit passage is a concept of
the Law of the Sea, which allows
a vessel or aircraft the freedom of
navigation or overflight solely for
the purpose of continuous and
expeditious transit of a strait
between one part of the
high seas or exclusive economic
zone and another.
Passage of a foreign ship shall be
considered to be prejudicial to the
peace, good order or security of the
coastal State if in the territorial sea
it engages in any of the following
activities:
(a) any threat or use of
force against the
sovereignty, territorial
integrity or political
independence of the
coastal State, or in any
other manner in
violation of the
principles of
international law
embodied in the
Charter of the United
Nations;

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The most significant difference
between transit passage and
innocent passage is that in transit
passage submarines are allowed to
navigate through the strait below
the surface; the right of transit
passage concerns also air
transport. In the innocent passage,
then again, submarines are
required to navigate on the surface
and to show their flag.
(b) any exercise or
practice with weapons
of any kind;
(c) any act aimed at
collecting information
to the prejudice of the
defence or security of
the coastal State;
(d) any act of propaganda
aimed at affecting the
defence or security of
the coastal State;
(h) any act of wilful and
serious pollution
contrary to this
Convention;
(i) any fishing activities;
(j) the carrying out of
research or survey
activities;
(k) any act aimed at
interfering with any
systems of
communication or any
other facilities or
installations of the
coastal State;

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Ccontiguous zone It is a zone contiguous to the territorial waters of the
Coastal state.
The contiguous zone may not extend beyond 24
nautical miles from the baselines from which the
breadth of the territorial sea is measured.
The coastal State may exercise the
control necessary to:
(a) prevent infringement
of its customs, fiscal,
immigration or
sanitary laws and
regulations within its
territory or territorial
sea;
(b) punish infringement
of the above laws and
regulations
committed within its
territory or territorial
sea.
It is a limited
enforcement zone
which makes it a "hot
pursuit area".
The hot pursuit of a
foreign ship may be
undertaken in the high
seas when the
competent authorities
of the coastal State
have good reason to
believe that the ship
has violated the laws
and regulations of that
State.
Exclusive
Economic zone
(EEZ)
The exclusive economic zone is an area beyond and
adjacent to the territorial sea
It shall not extend beyond 200 nautical miles from the
baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is
measured.
In the exclusive economic zone,
the coastal State has:
(a) sovereign rights for the
purpose of exploring and
In the exclusive economic zone, all
States, whether coastal or land-
locked, enjoy the freedoms of
navigation and overflight and of
the laying of submarine cables and

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exploiting, conserving and
managing the natural
resources, whether living
or non-living. And to other
activities for the economic
exploitation and
exploration of the zone,
such as the production of
energy from the water,
currents and winds;
(b) jurisdiction as provided for
in the relevant provisions
of this Convention with
regard to:
(i)the establishment and
use of artificial islands,
installations and
structures;
(ii)marine scientific
research;
(iii) the protection and
preservation of the marine
environment;
pipelines, and other internationally
lawful uses of the sea related to
these freedoms, such as those
associated with the operation of
ships, aircraft and submarine
cables and pipelines.
Continental Shelf The continental shelf of a coastal State comprises 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 (to a maximum of 350 miles) 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 coastal State exercises over
the continental shelf sovereign
rights for the purpose of exploring
it and exploiting its natural
resources.
This rights are exclusive in the
sense that if the coastal State does
not explore the continental shelf or
exploit its natural resources, no
one may undertake these activities
without the express consent of the
coastal State.
The exercise of the rights of the
coastal State over the continental
shelf must not infringe or result in
any unjustifiable interference with
navigation and other rights and
freedoms of other States.
All States are entitled to lay
submarine cables and pipelines on
the continental shelf, in accordance
with the provisions of this article.
Subject to its right to take
reasonable measures for the

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The natural resources consist of
the mineral and other non-living
resources of the seabed and
subsoil together with living
organisms belonging to sedentary
species, that is to say, organisms
which, at the harvestable stage,
either are immobile on or under
the seabed or are unable to move
except in constant physical contact
with the seabed or the subsoil.
exploration of the continental shelf,
the exploitation of its natural
resources and the prevention,
reduction and control of pollution
from pipelines, the coastal State
may not impede the laying or
maintenance of such cables or
pipelines.
High Seas
The law of the sea convention 1982 defines the High Seas
to cover those maritime areas not included in an exclusive
economic zone, the territorial sea or internal waters of any
state.
The high seas shall be reserved for peaceful purposes.
No State may validly purport to subject any part of the
high seas to its sovereignty.
Every State, whether coastal or land-locked, has the
right to sail ships flying its flag on the high seas.
The high seas are open to all
States, whether coastal or land-
locked.
Freedom of the high seas is
exercised under the conditions laid
down by this Convention and by
other rules of international law. It
comprises, inter alia, both for
coastal and land-locked States:
(a)freedom of navigation;
(b)freedom of overflight;
(c)freedom to lay submarine
cables and pipelines, subject to
Part VI;
(d)freedom to construct artificial
islands and other installations
permitted under international law,
subject to Part VI;
(e)freedom of fishing.
(f)freedom of scientific research,
subject to Parts VI and XIII.
2.These freedoms shall be
exercised by all States with due
regard for the interests of other

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States in their exercise of the
freedom of the high seas, and also
with due regard for the rights
under this Convention with
respect to activities in the Area.
Warships on the high seas have
complete immunity from the
jurisdiction of any State other than
the flag State.
The Seabed ( The
Area) The law of the sea convention 1982 defines the seabed, or
the “Area” as the seabed, ocean floor and subsoil beyond
the limits of national jurisdiction.
The convention considers the area
and its resources as the common
heritage of mankind.
No State shall claim or exercise
sovereignty or sovereign rights
over any part of the Area or its
resources, nor shall any State or
natural or juridical person
appropriate any part thereof. No
such claim or exercise of
sovereignty or sovereign rights
nor such appropriation shall be
recognized.
The Area shall be open to use
exclusively for peaceful purposes
by all States, whether coastal or
land-locked, without
discrimination.
To protect the "Area" the convention
established the International Seabed
Authority.
The financial and economic benefits
derived from the area are to be
distributed equitably, inspective of
geographical location.

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