Martin's Christmas quiz asked and answered the following question:
>16. How many States which have ratified the Law of the Sea Convention claim
>a territorial sea whose breadth exceeds 12 nautical miles?
Martin wrote:
>I have to confess that I'm not entirely clear. I thought the answer was ten.
>However, I also thought that the total number of States with territorial Sea
>claims in excess of 12nm was fifteen, but I understand the total is now just
>eleven. The following are my fifteen (with parties to the Convention marked
>with an asterisk); perhaps someone could enlighten me as which four have
>rolled their claims back to 12nm?
Martin's 15 are as follows:
>Angola*, Benin*, Cameroon*, Congo, Ecuador, El Salvador, Liberia*,
>Nicaragua*, Panama*, Peru, Sierra Leone*, Somalia*, Syria, Togo*, Uruguay*.
In reply to Martin's request, the best information we have at State is
about 12:
Benin* (200)
Congo Brazzaville (200)
Ecuador (200)
El Slavador (200; navigation and overflight permitted beyond 12)
Liberia (200)
Nicaragua (200; permits merchant ships to exercise innocent passage subject
to international treaties or conventions )
Peru (200, without prejudice to freedoms of international communication, in
conformity with the laws and treaties ratified by Peru)
Philippines* (rectangle)
Sierra Leone* (200)
Somalia* (200)
Syria (35)
Togo* (30).
We have been advised that Angola now claims a 12 mile territorial sea
pursuant to Law 21/92, gazetted August 28, 1992.
We have been advised that Cameroon's ratification of the Law of the Sea
Convention superseded its 50 mile territorial sea claim made by Law No.
74/16, and that amending legislation is being prepared for submission to
its legislature.
Panama now claims 12 NM by virtue of its enactment of the Law of the Sea
Convention as domestic Panamanian law No. 16, 287, 29 July 1992, published
in the Diario Official, 26 October 1992.
We have been advised Uruguay now claims 12 NM by virtue of its 1992 Law No.
16287.
We have not confirmed a report that Nigeria changed its territorial sea
claim from 30 miles to 12 NM by the Territorial Waters Amendment Decree No.
1 of 1998.
FYI, Liberia is not a party to the Law of the Sea Convention.
We'd appreciate any more current information.
Ash Roach
Office of the Legal Adviser (L/OES)
U.S. Department of State
Ash
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