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Maritime Limits and Boundaries of United States of America

Metadata Updated: March 13, 2024

NOAA is responsible for depicting on its nautical charts the limits of the 12 nautical mile Territorial Sea, 24 nautical mile Contiguous Zone, and 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The outer limit of each of these zones is measured from the U.S. normal baseline, which coincides with the low water line depicted on NOAA charts and includes closing lines across the entrances of legal bays and rivers, consistent with international law. The U.S. baseline and associated maritime limits are reviewed and approved through the interagency U.S. Baseline Committee, which is chaired by the U.S. Department of State. The Committee serves the function of gaining interagency consensus on the proper location of the baseline using the provisions of the 1958 Convention on the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone, to ensure that the seaward extent of U.S. maritime zones do not exceed the breadth that is permitted by international law. In 2002 and in response to mounting requests for digital maritime zones, NOAA launched a project to re-evaluate the U.S. baseline in partnership with other federal agencies via the U.S. Baseline Committee. The focus of the baseline evaluation was NOAA's largest scale, most recent edition nautical charts as well as supplemental source materials for verification of certain charted features. This dataset is a result of the 2002-present initiative and reflects a multi-year iterative project whereby the baseline and associated maritime limits were re-evaluated on a state or regional basis. In addition to the U.S. maritime limits, the U.S. maritime boundaries with opposite or adjacent countries as well as the US/Canada International Boundary (on land and through the Great Lakes) are also included in this dataset.

Access & Use Information

License: No license information was provided. If this work was prepared by an officer or employee of the United States government as part of that person's official duties it is considered a U.S. Government Work.

Downloads & Resources

Dates

Metadata Date February 29, 2024
Metadata Created Date November 12, 2020
Metadata Updated Date March 13, 2024
Reference Date(s) 2002 (creation), 2020 (revision), September 13, 2013 (publication)
Frequency Of Update continual

Metadata Source

Harvested from NOS OCS

Additional Metadata

Resource Type Dataset
Metadata Date February 29, 2024
Metadata Created Date November 12, 2020
Metadata Updated Date March 13, 2024
Reference Date(s) 2002 (creation), 2020 (revision), September 13, 2013 (publication)
Responsible Party (Point of Contact, Custodian)
Contact Email
Guid gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:39963
Category Tag 16E15F51 D96E 4051 9124 75665Abdc6Ff ["Arctic","Arctic Ocean, Sea Ice and Coasts","Arctic-Global Teleconnections"]
Access Constraints Cite As: Office of Coast Survey, [Date of Access]: Maritime Limits and Boundaries of United States of America [Data Date Range], https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/39963., Access Constraints: None, Use Constraints: NOT FOR LEGAL USE. These limits and boundaries were created for internal purposes only to update the charted maritime limits and maritime boundaries on NOAA charts. These limits and boundaries do not represent the official depiction. For official depiction, please see NOAA's paper or raster nautical charts., Distribution Liability: Users must assume responsibility to determine the appropriate use of this data set. The digital maritime limits are not to be used for a legal definition. The legal definition still remains the depiction on NOAA's nautical charts.
Bbox East Long -60
Bbox North Lat 74.70884
Bbox South Lat -17.555
Bbox West Long 140
Coupled Resource
Frequency Of Update continual
Harvest Object Id 154dfc75-3764-4dfc-895d-25119b98d7d8
Harvest Source Id b7024f56-a531-4a4f-b381-12ebd50fe703
Harvest Source Title NOS OCS
Licence NOAA provides no warranty, nor accepts any liability occurring from any incomplete, incorrect, or misleading data, or from any incorrect, incomplete, or misleading use of the data. It is the responsibility of the user to determine whether or not the data is suitable for the intended purpose.
Lineage
Metadata Language eng
Metadata Type geospatial
Old Spatial {"type": "Polygon", "coordinates": [[[140.0, -17.555], [-60.0, -17.555], [-60.0, 74.70884], [140.0, 74.70884], [140.0, -17.555]]]}
Progress completed
Spatial Data Service Type
Spatial Reference System EPSG::4326
Spatial Harvester True
Temporal Extent Begin 2002
Temporal Extent End 2010

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