Just a few weeks ago, the United States grew in size by 1 million square kilometers (more than 386,000 square miles) – that’s almost twice the area of Spain. The unexpected growth spurt was not the result of
Continental shelves are an area of seabed that surrounds large landmasses where the sea is relatively shallow compared with the open ocean. Under international law, countries can claim these continental shelves, allowing them to manage and
As many as 75 countries have defined their Extended Continental Shelf (ECS) limits, which refers to the portion of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles (230 miles) from the coast. Until now, the US has not done this.
On December 19, 2023, the
Since 2003, US authorities have been collaborating with the NOAA, the US Geological Survey, and 12 other agencies to gather geological data to define the outer limits of their ECS.
In light of this work, the
“America is larger than it was yesterday,” Mead Treadwell, a former Alaska lieutenant governor and former chair of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, said on December 19, reports
“It’s not quite the Louisiana Purchase. It’s not quite the purchase of Alaska, but the new area of land and subsurface resources under the land controlled by the United States is two Californias larger,” he added.
The legality of all this is a bit hazy, Treadwell explains in a post for the
This leaves some uncertainty around how the proposition will be accepted under international law.
“If somebody came back and said, ‘Your science is bad,’ I think the United States would listen,” Treadwell told the media. “But I don’t think science is bad. I think we’ve had very good science.”
Needless to say, claiming new maritime borders can prove controversial on the international stage. Some of the
However, the US stands to gain a lot from their recent declaration. The expansion of ocean floor territory in the Arctic Ocean could open up the area for further mining, shipping, and fishing – despite the potential damage
It also has implications for the nation’s security and its exercise of power in the world. As Sir Walter Raleigh