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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). 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. Most notable areas are Alaska, Hawaii, the East Coast, West Coast and Gulf Coast of the United States.

Geography

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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
 Alaska 3,770,021 1,455,613 A non-contiguous state in the northwest extremity of the North American continent.
 Hawaii – Northwestern Islands 1,579,538 609,863 Including Midway Atoll, these islands form the Leeward Islands of the Hawaiian island chain.
U.S. East Coast 915,763 353,578 The mainland coastal states of the Eastern United States.
 Hawaii – Southeastern Islands 895,346 345,695 These islands form the Windward Islands of the Hawaiian island chain.
U.S. West Coast 825,549 318,746 The mainland coastal states of the Western United States.
 Northern Mariana Islands 749,268 289,294 An organized unincorporated Commonwealth of the United States.
U.S. Gulf Coast 707,832 273,295 The mainland coastal states of the Southern United States.
Johnston Atoll 442,635 170,902 A National Wildlife Refuge in the U.S. Minor Outlying Islands.
Howland and Baker Islands 434,921 167,924 Including  Howland Island and  Baker Island, both territories are National Wildlife Refuges in the U.S. Minor Outlying Islands.
 Wake Island 407,241 157,237 A National Wildlife Refuge in the U.S. Minor Outlying Islands.
 American Samoa 404,391 156,136 The only inhabited unorganized unincorporated territory of the United States.
Palmyra Atoll and Kingman Reef 352,300 136,000 Both territories are National Wildlife Refuges in the U.S. Minor Outlying Islands.
 Jarvis Island 316,665 122,265 A National Wildlife Refuge in the U.S. Minor Outlying Islands.
 Guam 221,504 85,523 An organized unincorporated territory of the United States.
 Puerto Rico 177,685 68,605 An organized unincorporated Commonwealth of the United States.
 U.S. Virgin Islands 33,744 13,029 An organized unincorporated territory of the United States.
 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 Caribbean country of the Dominican Republic in Hispaniola considers itself an archipelagic state, encroaching the long-established median or equidistance line equally 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 an American territory. The United States does not accept the archipelagic status and maritime boundaries claimed by the Dominican Republic.[7] Victor Prescott, an authority in the field of maritime boundaries, argues that, as the coasts of both states are short coastlines with few offshore islands, an equidistance line is appropriate.[8]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b 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 2020-11-25. Retrieved 2020-09-28.
  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. Retrieved 2012-01-10.
  7. ^ "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 14 January 2014.
  8. ^ "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. 15 December 2018. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
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