territorial waters all waters within the jurisdiction, recognized in international law , of a country. Certain waters by their situation are controlled by one nation; these include wholly enclosed inland seas, lakes, and rivers. Control of boundary lakes and rivers extends to the middle of the navigable channel, but agreements to share the use of such waters and of waters that flow through several countries (e.g., the Rhine, the Danube) are common. When waters are almost completely bordered by one country, but lie along an international navigation route (e.g., the Bosporus), treaties often make them available to all ships.
Since the 18th cent. coastal states have been held to have jurisdiction over unenclosed waters for 3 nautical mi (3.45 mi/5.55 km) from the low water line, a measure originally derived from the distance of a cannon shot. In the case of a bay up to 24 mi (39 km) wide, a line drawn from one enclosing point to the other marked the outer limit of territorial jurisdiction. A broader zone of jurisdiction to combat smuggling has long been claimed by various states, as by the United States during prohibition .
Merchant ships of all flags have the right of "innocent passage" in a nation's territorial waters; the rights of nonbelligerent foreign warships in this zone, and the extent of the jurisdiction of the coastal nation's courts over ships passing through and incidents in the zone, have long been matters of debate. Fishing and mineral extraction within the zone are entirely within the control of the coastal nation. In the 20th cent., coastal nations progressively widened their claims over offshore waters, especially in the face of competition from foreign fishing fleets and in anticipation of rich oil, gas, and mineral finds on the continental shelf. The UN-sponsored Law of the Sea Treaty, which went into effect in 1994, codified territorial waters of 12 nautical mi (13.8 mi/22.2 km) and an exclusive economic zone of 200 nautical mi (230 mi/370 km). In 1999, U.S. agencies were empowered by presidential proclamation to enforce American law up to 24 miles (39 km) offshore, doubling the previous limit.
Author not available, WATERS, TERRITORIAL.,
The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition 2008
The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Copyright 2008 Columbia University Press
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Admiralty and federalism in the wake of Yamaha Motor Corp., USA v. Calhoun: is Yamaha a cry by the judiciary for legislative action in state territorial waters?
William and Mary Law Review; 2/1/2000; Lapp, David R.; 13233 words;
... nonseamen occurring within territorial waters.(8) The Supreme Court rejected ... culminating in death within their territorial waters.(14) These interests include ... applicable to nonseamen in territorial waters that is similar to the statutes ...
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&type=1 "Korea Times (Seoul, Korea)")
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N. Korean Freighters Violate Southern Territorial Waters Three North Korean commercial vessels intruded into South Korean territorial waters Saturday while sailing on a sea lane between the Korean peninsula and Cheju island, a spokesman for the Joint Chiefs of Staff said yesterday.
Korea Times (Seoul, Korea); 6/4/2001; 330 words;
... spokesman said the three ships left South Korean territorial waters as of yesterday. Two vessels violated the South ... patrol boats are increasingly violating South Korean territorial waters. So far, North Korea has violated the Northern ...
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British seamen's release contingent on interrogations; Eight seized in territorial waters amid spate of hostile incidents.(WORLD)
The Washington Times; 6/23/2004; 548 words;
... seized a day earlier in its territorial waters, saying the sailors would ... Persian Gulf and nearby waters. The seamen had been traveling ... center line into Iranian waters because of bad weather ... illegally entering Iranian territorial waters. Iranian television showed ... apologize for ...
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&type=1 "Deseret News (Salt Lake City)")
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Iranian TV says Tehran will prosecute British crewmen for entering territorial waters
Deseret News (Salt Lake City); 6/22/2004; Ali Akbar Dareini Associated Press; 723 words;
... illegally entering Iran's territorial waters. The British government said ... motives in entering Iran's territorial waters," said Gen. Ali Reza Afshar ... illegally entering Iranian territorial waters," Al-Alam television said ... 000 meters inside Iranian territorial ...
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Iran to prosecute UK soldiers for ''straying'' into territorial waters
Al Bawaba; 6/22/2004; 242 words;
... allegedly straying into Iranian territorial waters close to the Iraqi border, A ... illegally entering Iranian territorial waters. They were 1,000 metres inside Iranian territorial waters," said the Arabic-language ...
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&type=1 "Xinhua (China)")
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Foreign submarine enters Israeli territorial water: radio, XINHUA
Xinhua (China); 11/13/2004; 243 words;
... unknown nation entered Israeli territorial waters last Wednesday and was not ... three miles inside Israeli territorial waters and left the area shortly after ... submarine slipped out of Israeli territorial waters before the confrontation. The ...
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Algeria expands territorial waters
Al Bawaba; 12/16/2004; 79 words;
Algeria has decided to expand its territorial waters by 24 nautical miles, citing the need ... countries to delimit the extent of their territorial waters. The move entitles Algeria to treat the waters as its sovereign territory. 2004 Al ...
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Alaska Court of Appeals upholds dismissal for lack of State's jurisdiction over prosecution for unlawful sexual conduct allegedly committed on state-owned ferry operating in Canadian territorial waters.
International Law Update; 5/1/2003; 611 words;
... had taken place in Canadian territorial waters. The Superior Court granted ... criminal jurisdiction to Canadian territorial waters. The Statute provides that ... empowered to regulate foreign territorial waters under either its power to regulate ...
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DPRK accuses S.Korea of violating territorial waters, XINHUA
Xinhua (China); 7/10/2002; 206 words;
... accused South Korea of violating its territorial waters in the disputed west sea of Korea ... infiltrating two combat warships into territorial waters of our side off Dungsan-got and ... was quoted by the Korea Central News Agency as saying. This provocation ... aggravating the situation in these ...
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Iran: Two British sailors "confess" trespassing into territorial waters
Al Bawaba; 4/2/2007; 167 words;
... admitted trespassing into Iranian territorial waters. A video aired by the Arabic Alalam ... chart of the northern Persian Gulf waters where the whole crew were detained ... apparently at this point here, from their maps, from the GPS they've shown us, which is inside Iranian territorial ...
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Wild shrimps and shrimping in Pakistan territorial water. (Industry Overview)
Economic Review; 7/1/1994; Sami, M.A.; 3967 words;
... sustainable annual production of shrimps in the territorial water of Pakistan is estimated at 26,000 tonnes ... sustainable annual production of shrimps in the territorial water of Pakistan is estimated at 26,000 tonnes ... all the food webs in the ecosystem of the vast territorial water of Pakistan ... .
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Submarine Penetrated Israeli Territorial Waters.
Israel Faxx; 11/16/2004; 272 words;
... successfully penetrated Israeli territorial waters. On the afternoon of Nov. 10 ... radar crossing into Israeli territorial waters off the coast of the seaside ... 3 nautical miles into Israeli waters. Responding navy missile boats ...
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Malaysia reinforces marine police on north territorial waters, XINHUA
Xinhua (China); 1/7/2004; 308 words;
... increased four-fold on its north territorial waters bordering Thailand to check ... locations along the Malaysian territorial waters near Pulau Langkawi in Kedah ... boats crossing into Malaysian waters from Thailand, either through ...
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GERMAN TERRITORIAL WATERS EXTENDED TO 12 MILES
Transport Europe; 10/25/1994; 164 words;
... 19 that it was extending the area covered by its territorial waters to 12 nautical miles (22.2 kilometres). The Minister ... now, except for exceptional cases, West Germany's territorial waters limit was 3 miles (and generally speaking the limit ...
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Report: "Foreign submarine" infiltrates Israel's territorial waters
Al Bawaba; 11/15/2004; 125 words;
A foreign submarine infiltrated Israel's territorial waters last Wednesday, near the beaches of the northern coastal ... discovered after penetrating three miles into Israeli waters, the report added. After being aware that it had been ...
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