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DEFINITION
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The line from which the seaward limits of a state's territorial sea and certain other maritime zones of jurisdiction are measured. The term usually refers to the baseline from which to measure the breadth of the territorial sea. The seaward limits of the contiguous zone (cf. UNCLOS Article 33.2), the exclusive economic zone (cf. UNCLOS Article 57) and, in some cases, the continental shelf (cf UNCLOS Article 76) are measured from the same baseline. The territorial sea baseline may be of various types depending on the geographical configuration of the locality. The “normal baseline” is the low-water line along the coast (including the coasts of islands) as marked on large-scale charts officially recognized by the coastal State (UNCLOS Articles 5 and 121.2). |
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United Nations, 1989, The Law of the Sea. Baselines: An examination of the relevant provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Office for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, UN. 67 p.
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no related terms
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| ALTERNATE SPELLING |
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no alternate spelling
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