Maritime Limits and Boundaries of United States of America

Description

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.

Resources

Name Format Description Link
25 Downloadable Data https://maritimeboundaries.noaa.gov/downloads/USMaritimeLimitsAndBoundariesKML.kmz
23 Downloadable Data https://maritimeboundaries.noaa.gov/arcgis/rest/services/MaritimeBoundaries/US_Maritime_Limits_Boundaries/MapServer/
57 Downloadable Data https://maritimeboundaries.noaa.gov/downloads/USMaritimeLimitsAndBoundariesSHP.zip
0 View the complete metadata record on InPort for more information about this dataset. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/39963
21 Project website https://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/data/us-maritime-limits-and-boundaries.html
33 NOAA Data Management Plan for this record on InPort. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inportserve/waf/noaa/nos/ocs/dmp/pdf/39963.pdf
52 Downloadable Data https://maritimeboundaries.noaa.gov/arcgis/services/MaritimeBoundaries/US_Maritime_Limits_Boundaries/MapServer/WMSServer?request=GetCapabilities&service=WMS
0 Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). 2024. GCMD Keywords, Version 19. Greenbelt, MD: Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). URL (GCMD Keyword Forum Page): https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD+Keywords https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD%2BKeywords
52 Downloadable Data https://maritimeboundaries.noaa.gov/arcgis/services/MaritimeBoundaries/US_Maritime_Limits_Boundaries/MapServer/WMSServer?request=GetCapabilities&service=WMS
23 Downloadable Data https://maritimeboundaries.noaa.gov/arcgis/rest/services/MaritimeBoundaries/US_Maritime_Limits_Boundaries/MapServer/
57 Downloadable Data https://maritimeboundaries.noaa.gov/downloads/USMaritimeLimitsAndBoundariesSHP.zip
0 View the complete metadata record on InPort for more information about this dataset. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/39963
21 Project website https://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/data/us-maritime-limits-and-boundaries.html
33 NOAA Data Management Plan for this record on InPort. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inportserve/waf/noaa/nos/ocs/dmp/pdf/39963.pdf
0 Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). 2024. GCMD Keywords, Version 19. Greenbelt, MD: Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). URL (GCMD Keyword Forum Page): https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD+Keywords https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD%2BKeywords
25 Downloadable Data https://maritimeboundaries.noaa.gov/downloads/USMaritimeLimitsAndBoundariesKML.kmz

Tags

  • polyline
  • 1994
  • alaska
  • exclusive economic zone
  • delaware
  • national ocean service
  • baker island
  • 1977
  • marine boundaries
  • palmyra atoll
  • national geospatial data asset
  • ngdaid167
  • us/russia maritime boundary agreement
  • nautical charting
  • august 23
  • 1993
  • doc/noaa/nos/ocs
  • american samoa
  • new hampshire
  • virginia
  • march 1983
  • contiguous zone
  • august 1999
  • north carolina
  • mississippi
  • noaa
  • guam
  • hawaii
  • 1978
  • territorial sea
  • south carolina
  • office of coast survey
  • gulf of maine
  • december 1988
  • maine
  • new york
  • howland island
  • oceancommunity
  • u.s. department of commerce
  • us/cuba maritime boundary agreement
  • vol 60
  • boundary
  • ngda
  • texas
  • ocs
  • new jersey
  • us/venezuela maritime boundary treaty
  • 1984
  • presidential proclamation no. 5030
  • maryland
  • california
  • us/niue maritime boundary treaty
  • us/japan exchange of notes
  • washington
  • presidential proclamation no. 5928
  • kingman reef
  • florida
  • commonwealth of the northern mariana islands
  • gis
  • us/uk (british virgin islands) maritime boundary treaty
  • jarvis island
  • maritime
  • louisiana
  • johnston atoll
  • rhode island
  • law of the sea
  • alabama
  • us/uk (anguilla) maritime boundary treaty
  • 1997
  • water oceans and coasts theme
  • us/new zealand (tokelau) maritime boundary treaty
  • u.s. virgin islands
  • puerto rico
  • us/mexico maritime boundary treaty
  • georgia
  • no. 163
  • wake island
  • federal register
  • 1980
  • us/cook islands maritime boundary treaty
  • oregon
  • limit
  • massachusetts
  • presidential proclamation no. 7219
  • 1970
  • international boundary commission
  • 1990
  • 1995
  • icj judgment

Topics

  • Climate

Categories

  • Arctic
  • Arctic Ocean, Sea Ice and Coasts
  • Arctic-Global Teleconnections