Territorial waters are nautical miles wide. Legal status of territorial waters (sea)

After the annexation of Crimea to Russia, changes occurred to the maritime boundaries in the Black Sea. As a result of this, most likely, the South Stream gas pipeline will take a different route. In addition, Russia is gaining new opportunities to export its products through the port in Kerch. It is interesting to get acquainted with the maps of the new borders. In the Black Sea 12 nautical miles from the coast are the territorial waters of the state, 250 miles constitute a special economic zone. According to the 2003 agreement on the Sea of Azov, the territorial waters of the countries are limited to a 5-kilometer zone, the remaining waters are in joint economic ownership. In addition to this, you can also look at the project of a new bridge connecting the Taman Peninsula with Crimea. The Greeks called the Kerch Strait the Cimmerian Bosphorus, but the Greeks called the strait separating Asia Minor from the Balkan Peninsula the Thracian Bosphorus.
P.S. I think few people know that the legendary Colchis of the Argonauts was not located in swampy Georgia, as some philologists naively believe, but... on the banks of the Thracian Bosphorus (“Bull Passage”). The ships of the ancient Achaeans were called beads ("bulls") or minotaurs ("bulls of Minos") - that's why this strait was so named, sometimes the Achaeans called sea ships hippocamps ("sea horses"), so on their noses there were images or heads of a bull, or heads seahorse. The ancient Greeks called the Black Sea Pontus Euxine ("Hospitable Sea", and the Phoenicians North Sea("Ashkenas"). But we will turn to Colchis after carefully studying the path of the Argonauts, what the Golden Fleece was - the goal of their journey...

1.Borders of Russia and other countries in the Black Sea before the annexation of Crimea
2. Borders of Russia and other countries in the Black Sea after the annexation of Crimea

3. Oil and gas fields in the Black and Azov seas and sushi
4. Kerch Strait and crossings from mainland Russia to Crimea
5. The border in the Black Sea between Ukraine and Romania after the decision of the International Court of Justice on February 3, 2009, when 79.4% of the disputed territories of the oil and gas shelf were transferred to Romania

Sea waters in international law

How is the size of the part of the sea that is under the jurisdiction of the coastal state determined? Until the 18th century a method was practiced in which the border of the maritime possessions of states was limited by the horizon line visible from the shore. Later, many countries began to consider as their maritime possessions the water area, all points of which could be reached by their longest-range coastal firearms. The more advanced a country was in the production of weapons, the larger area of the sea it could control. As a rule, the subject territory was limited to the distance of a cannonball from the coast - an average of 3 nautical miles (1 nautical mile - 1852 m).

By the end of the 18th - beginning of the 19th centuries. USA and some countries Western Europe declared their maritime space, extending exactly three miles from the coast. TO end of the 19th century V. The development of technology has made it possible to increase the range of artillery to 20 km or more. At this time, the concept of “adjacent waters” began to be used in international law. In 1776, England declared a part of the sea extending up to 12 miles from its shores to be a “customs zone.” In 1799, the United States followed the example of England, in 1817 - France, and in 1909 - Russia.

Before the adoption of the UN Convention on maritime law different countries They tried to establish their jurisdiction over the waters in different ways. Australia, Germany, Qatar, UK and US maintained a distance of 3 nautical miles; Algeria, Cuba, India, Indonesia and the USSR considered their territorial waters to be 12 nautical miles, and Cameroon, Gambia, Madagascar and Tanzania - 50 nautical miles. Some countries Latin America, in particular, Chile, Ecuador, Peru and Nicaragua, declared their claims to the sea areas adjacent to their coasts up to a distance of 200 nautical miles. Subsequently, the African state of Sierra Leone established a similar norm.

Different countries unilaterally declared special rights to certain, specially designated water areas. In 1916, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs notified other countries that open islands in the Arctic Ocean, located on the continuation of the land territory of Siberia to the north, belong to Russia. In 1926, a resolution of the Presidium of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR “On the lands and islands in the Arctic Ocean belonging to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics” was adopted. The resolution stated that all lands and islands (open and likely to be open) located between 32°5"E and 168°50"W. (later the longitudes were somewhat clarified) north of Siberia and other adjacent areas, belong to the USSR.

Ratification of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea by countries around the world

Countries that have ratified the Convention are highlighted in dark (among them the Russian Federation).
The lightest shade corresponds to countries that have not ratified the Convention (among them the United States, which is in no hurry to voluntarily limit its “national interests”).
“Intermediate gray” - countries that have not signed the Convention at all (Kazakhstan, middle Asia, Türkiye, Venezuela, Peru)

At the First UN Conference on the Law of the Sea, held in Geneva in 1958, four important conventions were adopted: on the territorial sea and the contiguous zone, on the high seas, on the continental shelf, on fisheries and on the protection of living resources. open sea. However, the participants in this conference were a rather narrow circle of states.

In 1960, the Second UN Conference on the Law of the Sea took place. However, she was unable to make decisions.

In 1973, the III UN Conference on the Law of the Sea was convened, which lasted until 1982. The result of its activities was the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. The Convention was adopted in Montego Bay (Jamaica) on December 10, 1982 and entered into force in 1994. Russia ratified it in 1997.

The convention defined a 12-mile zone territorial waters(territorial sea - approx. 22 km from the coast). In this zone, riparian countries have full jurisdiction. Vessels and ships (including military ones) of foreign states have the right of “innocent passage” through these territories. Within 12 nautical miles, coastal countries have ownership of all living and non-living resources of the ocean.

Except territorial waters, The Convention also defined " adjacent waters» - up to 24 nautical miles from the coast; in this zone, coastal states conduct their immigration, sanitary, customs and environmental policies.

For states consisting entirely of islands, such as the Philippines, Indonesia, Maldives and Seychelles, the Convention provides for a special status - “ archipelago state" The distance of territorial and adjacent waters, as well as exclusive economic zones for such countries is calculated from the most extreme point the outermost island. This principle applies only to islands that are sovereign states in their own right and are not part of any mainland country.

The Convention enshrines the concept of “ exclusive economic zone" Each coastal state has the right to claim an exclusive economic zone (200 nautical miles from the coast), within which it has the right to explore and exploit living and non-living resources. Within their exclusive economic zones, states have the right to regulate construction activities, as well as to use existing ocean infrastructure for economic, scientific and environmental purposes. However, coastal countries do not have ownership rights over the sea itself or its resources within the exclusive economic zone, but all states in the world have the right to build pipelines and lay cable routes there.

Map of exclusive economic zones, subject to special rights of coastal and island countries

Top 15 countries in the world by water area
exclusive economic zones (EEZ),
including territorial waters (TV)

A country	IES and TV area, thousand km 2
USA	11 351
France	11 035
Australia	8 148
Russia	7 566
Canada	5 599*
Japan	4 479
New Zealand	4 084
Great Britain	3 974
Brazil	3 661
Chile	2 018
Portugal	1 727
India	1 642
Madagascar	1 225
Argentina	1 159
China	877

* Almost half of this area is within Canada's vast territorial waters. Canada's exclusive economic zone without territorial waters is 2,756 thousand km 2.

Zones are specifically specified continental shelf. The Geneva Conference of 1958 determined that the shelf also includes underwater ridges that are a continuation of the continental land. Article 76 of the 1982 Convention states that the shelf limit cannot extend further than 350 miles (approx. 650 km) from the boundaries inland sea. Currently, the question of to what extent the bottom of the Arctic Ocean can be considered as a continental shelf has become special meaning For Russia. Scientists received a political order to prove that the Lomonosov Ridge (runs from the New Siberian Islands towards the North Pole between 140° and 150° E), as well as the Mendeleev Rise (runs from Wrangel Island to the center of the Arctic Ocean) are extensions of the Russian continental shelf . If this thesis can be substantiated international level, this will significantly expand Russia’s rights in the Arctic Ocean under the Convention. For the ruling regime in the country, this is a matter of prestige, because by ratifying the Convention in 1997 (and, as is customary, without particularly thinking about national interests), the state lost the legal basis for control over a gigantic part of the Arctic sector (in other words, it gave away to everyone who wanted it). , which belonged to our people). To prove now that what was given is ours, and thereby restore some rights over what was lost, means for the ruling regime to be somewhat rehabilitated in public opinion. For more information about the situation with the Arctic sector of Russia, see: “Geography”, No. 1/2007, p. 5–7.

Modern period It is distinguished by strict legislation and strict practice of many states protecting natural resources located in the exclusive economic zone and on the continental shelf. States take an even more strict approach to protecting wealth in the territorial sea. Examples are the actions of the Norwegians in relation to Russian fishing vessels, Russian border guards in the Far East in relation to the Japanese. They are called upon to protect Russia's maritime wealth federal laws"About internal sea waters, territorial sea and adjacent zone" 1998, "On the exclusive economic zone" 1998, "On the continental shelf" 1995, "On the State Border of the Russian Federation" 1993. They provide for the arrest of ships of any flag for illegal fishing and other trade.

The route of the North European Gas Pipeline under construction
(Nordstream - Nord Stream; indicated by a thick line) passes through the exclusive economic zones of several Baltic countries(zone boundaries are given by thin lines)

Open waters refer to oceanic and marine areas outside national jurisdictions. All countries, including those that are landlocked, have the right of navigation in open waters. However, there are some rules in the field of protection sea life and pollution prevention marine environment. All civil and military aircraft vehicles also have the right of free flight across open waters. All countries in the world have the right to fish in open waters, but must also adhere to their obligations under international agreements. Any country in the world has the right to build pipelines and cable routes along the ocean floor, as well as to conduct scientific research activities in open waters, if these activities have peaceful purposes and do not interfere with international maritime navigation.

Conducting scientific research at sea is another area regulated by the Convention. Western countries advocated freedom of research, with the condition that research countries would be required to notify the purpose of their research. Developing countries, on the contrary, advocated a system that would require formal permission to be obtained from the countries in whose exclusive economic zones the research was to be conducted. To the dissatisfaction of most developed countries, the Convention actually protected the position of developing countries: in order to conduct research activities in the exclusive economic zones of states, it is necessary to obtain official permits. Nevertheless, after receiving a request to conduct research work in its waters, countries do not have the right to unreasonably delay their response, and in case of refusal they are obliged to give reasons for it. To obtain permission any research papers must be exclusively peaceful.

The issue of production turned out to be extremely painful mineral resources from the seabed. Finding an answer to a simple question: “Who has the right to mine the seabed for the purpose of extracting resources?” - took a lot of time. One group of states (mainly industrialized ones) insisted that those countries that have the necessary technical and economic means for this have the right to engage in this activity. Another group (primarily developing countries) called for the creation of an international regime that would ensure that a portion of the revenue generated by seabed resource extraction was distributed to the countries most in need. According to the Convention, the resources lying on the bottom of the open ocean are the property of all mankind and no country can claim ownership of them or any part of them. Western countries saw in the above principle a manifestation of the ideology of socialism and were in no hurry to join the agreement. In 1990 general secretary The UN began a series of consultations with interested countries regarding possible changes to the convention, which, four years later, led to the signing of an agreement that became integral part Convention on the Law of the Sea. Industrial the developed countries received the opportunity to block the adoption of any decision they did not like, and corporations engaged in the extraction of minerals on the seabed received a number of financial benefits.

Scheme for dividing the sea area into zones, according to the 1982 Convention.
(not to scale):

1 - internal waters;
2 - territorial waters (up to 12 nautical miles from the coast);
3 - adjacent waters (up to 24 miles);
4 - exclusive economic zone (up to 200 miles);
5 - continental shelf (no more than 350 miles or no more than 100 miles from the depth mark of 2500 m);
6 - open sea (open water space).

For the first time in history, within the framework of the Convention international law a mechanism for the peaceful resolution of disputes between states regarding maritime activities has been created. Special place Among the procedures envisaged, it ranks International Tribunal UN Law of the Sea. The seat of the Tribunal is the city of Hamburg (Germany). The Tribunal is composed of 21 members "selected from among persons of the highest reputation for impartiality and fairness and who are recognized authorities in the field of the law of the sea."

Based on materials:
A.L. KOLODKINA//
UN Convention
on the Law of the Sea 1982;
International legal
issues of Arctic development//
News;
International
information Agency Washington ProFile;
Wikipedia

The sovereignty of the coastal state extends to the water space of the territorial sea, the airspace above it, as well as to the surface of the bottom and subsoil in this zone (Articles 1, 2 of the Convention on the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone). The territorial sea is part of the territory of the relevant state. At the same time, the norms of international law recognize the right of peaceful passage of foreign non-military ships through the territorial sea (including to enter ports).

There are three main ways to measure territorial waters:

from the low tide line along the coast of the coastal state;
If coastline it is winding or indented, or there is a chain of islands near the coast; the method of straight baselines connecting the most prominent points of the coast and islands in the sea can be used;
from internal sea waters.

The outer limit of the territorial sea is a line, each point of which is from the nearest point of the straight baseline at a distance equal to the breadth of the territorial sea (12 miles).

As already noted, any activity of individuals and legal entities in foreign territorial waters can only be carried out with the consent of the coastal state. However, the volume sovereign rights coastal state in the territorial sea is somewhat narrower than in inland waters. An exception is established from the scope of the state’s powers—the right of innocent passage. Non-military vessels of all states enjoy the right of innocent passage through the territorial sea.

In this case, passage means navigation through the territorial sea for the purpose of:

to cross this sea without entering internal waters or stopping at a roadstead or port facility outside internal waters;
to enter or leave internal waters or to stand in a roadstead or at a port facility (Article 18 of the 1982 Convention).

“Passage is peaceful unless it interferes with the peace, good order or security of the coastal State” (Article 19 of the 1982 Convention).

The passage is considered to violate the “peace, good order and security” of the coastal state if the ship carries out:

threat or use of force against sovereignty, territorial integrity or the political independence of a coastal state or in any other way in violation of the principles of international law embodied in the UN Charter;
any maneuvers or exercises with weapons of any kind;
any act aimed at collecting information to the detriment of the defense or security of the coastal State;
any act of propaganda intended to attack the defense or security of a coastal state;
taking off, landing or taking on board any aircraft;
taking off, landing or taking on board any military device;
loading or unloading any goods or currency, embarking or disembarking any person contrary to the customs, fiscal, immigration or health laws and regulations of the coastal state;
any act of deliberate and serious pollution contrary to this Convention;
any fishing activity;
carrying out research or hydrographic activities;
any act aimed at interfering with the functioning of any communication systems or any other structures or installations of a coastal state;
any other activity not directly related to the passage.

The coastal state has the right to establish permitting procedures for the passage of foreign military vessels through its territorial waters. Submarines in the territorial sea must proceed on the surface and raise their flag (Article 20 of the 1982 Convention).

Open sea

Beyond the outer boundary of the territorial sea there are spaces of seas and oceans that are not part of the territorial waters of any state and form the high seas. The high seas are not under the sovereignty of any state; all states have the right to use the high seas for peaceful purposes on the basis of equality (freedom of navigation, flight, scientific research, etc.).

In accordance with Art. 87 of the 1982 Convention, all states (including those without access to the sea) have the right on the high seas to:

freedom of navigation;
freedom of flight;
freedom to lay submarine cables and pipelines;
freedom of fishing;
freedom to erect artificial islands and other installations permitted by international law;
freedom of scientific research.

The specified list is not limited.

The high seas are reserved for peaceful purposes. No state has the right to claim to subject any part of the high seas to its sovereignty.

On the high seas, a ship is subject to the jurisdiction of the state whose flag it flies. The ship is considered to be part of the territory of the state in which it is registered. Exceptions to this rule are established by international treaties. Yes, Art. 22 of the 1958 High Seas Convention states that a warship may not inspect a foreign merchant ship unless there are reasonable grounds to suspect:

that the ship is engaged in piracy or the slave trade;
that the vessel, although flying a foreign flag, is of the same nationality as the warship in question.

Each state determines the conditions for granting its nationality to ships, the rules for registering ships on its territory and the right of a ship to fly its flag. Moreover, each state:

maintains a register of ships;
assumes jurisdiction over every ship flying its flag and its crew;
ensures control of ships' seaworthiness;
ensures navigation safety and prevents accidents.

continental shelf

The continental shelf is a part of the continental territory submerged by the sea. According to the 1958 Convention on the Continental Shelf, the continental shelf means the seabed (including its subsoil) extending from the outer limit of the territorial sea to the limits established by international law over which the coastal state exercises sovereign rights for the purpose of exploration and development of its natural resources.

According to the 1958 Convention (Article 1), the continental shelf means the surface and subsoil of the seabed of underwater areas adjacent to the shore, but located outside the zone of the territorial sea to a depth of 200 m or beyond this limit, to a place to which the depth of the covering waters allows the development of the natural resources of these areas, as well as the surface and subsoil of similar areas adjacent to the shores of the islands. Thus, the outer boundary of the shelf is an isobath - a line connecting depths of 200 m. The natural resources of the shelf include mineral and other non-living resources of the surface and subsoil of the seabed of the shelf, as well as living organisms of "sessile" species - organisms that, during the period of their commercial development attached to the bottom or move only along the bottom (crayfish, crabs, etc.).

If states whose coasts are located opposite each other have the right to the same continental shelf, the shelf boundary is determined by agreement between these states, and in the absence of an agreement, by the principle of equal distance from the nearest points of the baselines from which the width of the territorial sea is measured. In some cases, disputes about the delimitation of the continental shelf were considered by the International Court of Justice, which determined the boundaries of the shelf.

The 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (Article 76) gives a slightly different definition of the boundaries of the continental shelf. This:

the seabed and subsoil of submarine areas extending beyond the territorial sea throughout the natural extension of the land territory to the outer limit of the submarine margin of the continent or for a distance of 200 nautical miles from the baselines from which the width of the territorial sea is measured when the outer limit of the submarine margin of the continent does not extend to such a distance;
if the continental boundary extends beyond 200 miles, then the outer limit of the shelf should not be more than 350 miles from the baselines from which the width of the territorial sea is measured, or no more than 100 miles from the 2500-meter isobath (a line connecting depths of 2500 m).

The rights of a coastal state on the continental shelf do not affect the legal status of the covering waters and airspace above it. Since the maritime space above the continental shelf continues to be the high seas, all states have the right to conduct shipping, flights, fishing, and laying submarine cables and pipelines. At the same time, a special exploration and development regime has been established natural resources. The coastal state has the right, for the purpose of exploration and development of natural resources of the shelf, to erect appropriate structures and installations and create safety zones around them (up to 500 m). The exercise of the rights of the coastal state should not infringe on the rights of navigation and other rights of other states.

The coastal state has the right to determine routes for laying cables and pipelines, permit the construction of installations and drilling operations, and the construction of artificial islands.

Exclusive economic zone

The term “exclusive economic zone” began to be used in international documents and internal acts in the late 60s and early 70s. According to the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (Article 55), an economic zone is an area located outside the territorial sea and adjacent to it. The width of the economic zone should not exceed 200 nautical miles, measured from the baselines from which the width of the territorial sea is measured.

The coastal state in the economic zone has:

sovereign rights for the purposes of the exploration, development and conservation of natural resources, both living and non-living, located on the seabed, in its subsoil and in the waters overlying it, as well as for the purpose of managing these resources, and in relation to other economic exploration and development activities zone resources;
construct, as well as authorize and regulate the creation and operation of artificial islands and installations, and establish safety zones around them;
determine the time and place of fishing, establish the permissible catch of living resources, establish conditions for obtaining licenses, collect fees;
exercise jurisdiction over the creation of artificial islands, installations and structures;
allow maritime Scientific research;
take measures to protect the marine environment.

In the economic zone, all states enjoy freedom of navigation and flight, laying submarine cables and pipelines, etc. When exercising their rights, states must take into account the sovereign rights of the coastal state.

Landlocked states, with the permission of the coastal state, have the right to participate on an equitable basis in the exploitation of the resources of the zone.

International Seabed Area

The seabed outside the continental shelf and economic zone is a territory subject to international regime and forms the international seabed area (hereinafter referred to as the Area). The question of establishing a regime for the Region arose with the achievement technical capabilities development of deep-sea deposits of natural resources.

The legal regime, as well as the procedure for exploration and extraction of resources in the Area, are regulated by the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. The Convention (Article 137) establishes that no state can claim sovereignty or exercise sovereign rights in relation to any part of the Area and its resources.

The International Seabed Area has been declared the "common heritage of mankind". This means that the rights to the resources of the Area belong to all humanity, on whose behalf the International Seabed Authority acts. Mineral resources of the Area may be alienated in accordance with international law and regulations established by International body under the Law of the Sea created on the basis of the 1982 Convention. In particular, the possibility of exploration and development of the resources of the Area is provided as special unit Authority - the Enterprise, and individual states under an agreement with the Authority. The company directly carries out activities in the District, transporting, processing and marketing minerals.

The Authority has not only the functions and powers conferred by the Convention, but also the implied powers necessary to exercise it. An Assembly, a Council and a Secretariat have been established within the Authority.

International straits

The straits play an important role in international navigation, the creation unified system sea routes. A strait is a natural sea passage that connects areas of the same sea or seas and oceans with each other.

The 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea established the following types Straits used for international shipping:

straits between one part of the high seas or an economic zone in which any vessels enjoy the right of unimpeded transit passage for the purpose of continuous and rapid passage or passage through the strait;
straits between the island and the mainland of the coastal state, in which the right of innocent passage applies both for transit and for entry into territorial and internal waters;
straits between one area of the high seas and the territorial sea of a state, in which the right of innocent passage also applies;
straits, legal regime in which it is regulated by special international agreements(Black Sea straits, Baltic straits, etc.).

States bordering an international strait have the right, within the limits provided for by international agreements, to regulate the transit and innocent passage of ships and aircraft across the strait, in particular, establish rules regarding:

navigation safety;
preventing pollution from ships;
preventing fishing;
loading and unloading of goods, boarding and disembarking of persons in violation of customs, fiscal, sanitary or immigration rules, etc.

International channels

International canals are artificial structures connecting seas and oceans, located on the routes of intensive maritime traffic and used by all states in accordance with international law and national legislation. A feature of the legal regime of international channels is that they, being part of the territory of the state that owns the channel, are subject to the relevant international treaties that significantly limit the powers of that state.

Principles of the legal regime of international channels: respect for the sovereign rights of the channel owner and non-interference in its internal affairs; freedom of navigation through the canal for ships of all states without any discrimination; the obligation of users to comply with international law and national legislation of the state that owns the channel.

The navigation regime on most canals is characterized by the following main features:

channels in Peaceful time open to all non-military vessels and warships of all states;
the canal administration is informed in advance of the name and ownership of the vessel, a certificate for the vessel is obtained (in most canals the passage of vessels of certain sizes and tonnage is limited), and payment of fees is provided;
rules for channel passage are established.

IN war time belligerent states in the canal are prohibited from landing and taking on board troops, loading and unloading military cargo, etc.; A blockade is prohibited in relation to the canal territory.

The legal regime of channels is regulated in detail by the national law of the relevant state and international treaties, for example, the Convention relative to ensuring free navigation along the Suez Canal of 1888.

Legal status of warships

A warship is a vessel belonging to the armed forces of a State, bearing external marks distinguishing it from non-military vessels, being under the command of an officer in the service of the Government of that State, whose name is included in the list of military personnel, and having a crew subordinate to the regular military discipline.

The rights and obligations of a warship on the high seas and foreign territorial and internal waters are regulated by the Geneva Conventions of 1958, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea of 1982, other agreements, as well as the national legislation of the relevant states.

Foreign warships have: immunity from the jurisdiction of a foreign state (non-proliferation of the laws and regulations of a foreign state on the high seas, and criminal, civil and administrative jurisdiction in the territorial sea and internal waters); immunity from coercive actions (arrests, searches, confiscations, etc.), special privileges (exemption from customs inspection, most fees and duties).

On the high seas, warships in relation to foreign non-military ships have the right:

inspect a ship if there are reasonable grounds to believe that it is engaged in piracy, unauthorized broadcasting, has no nationality, or, although flying a foreign flag, has the same nationality as the ship inspecting;
fight against piracy - pursue and seize a pirate ship and the property on it, arrest the persons on it;
carry out “hot pursuit”;
cooperate in suppressing unauthorized broadcasting;
exercise other powers provided for by international treaties.

In territorial and internal waters, warships are subject to the rules of navigation and stay established by the coastal state.

International legal issues of assistance and rescue at sea

Legal issues of assistance and rescue at sea are regulated International Convention to combine certain rules regarding assistance and rescue at sea 1910 and its 1967 Protocol, the High Seas Convention 1958, the International Convention on the Protection of human life at sea 1974 and the 1978 Protocol thereto, the International Convention on Search and Rescue at Sea 1979, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982, and other documents.

The agreements provide for a number of measures to ensure navigation safety; all vessels must be equipped with navigation equipment and radio equipment, and be provided with life-saving equipment in good condition.

Ship captains are obliged to provide assistance to any person found at sea who is in danger of death, to go to the aid of ships in distress, and after a collision to provide assistance to the injured ship. Evasion of assistance is recognized as a crime. Rescue is carried out free of charge, but the rescue vessel may be paid a reward.

States shall ensure that the necessary measures are taken to ensure the search and rescue of people in distress at sea off their coasts. For these purposes, they organize a maritime search and rescue service, coordinate the activities of national rescue facilities, and allow the immediate admission of rescue vessels into their territorial waters and airspace for for search and rescue purposes, exchange information about rescue units and coastal observation stations, and communications equipment. National rescue coordination centers, having received information about the disaster, establish the location of the ship in distress, determine the area in which it is necessary to search, organize search and rescue operations, etc.

My husband works at sea, so it’s simply unforgivable for me, as a sailor’s wife, not to know some maritime issues. Over the years of our life together, I have significantly expanded my knowledge in this area.

How are the maritime boundaries of a state drawn?

Even if you have never traveled outside your country, you have most likely heard about border checkpoints and that somewhere there is a border between countries. But what about things at sea? There is no wall there, and the coasts are far from each other. But even there, the entire maritime territory is divided between states.

Agreements were concluded between countries, and appropriate rules were adopted, according to which maritime space is divided. They spell out the rules of maritime boundaries. The starting point is the coast. The first 12 miles from it are called the country's territorial waters. 12 miles is 22.71 km. The next 12 miles after that is the adjacent zone. That is, the territory that begins after 12 miles from the coast is already full swing controlled by border services.

There is also such a thing as an exclusive economic zone. It starts 24 miles from the coast and is 200 miles wide. This territory can be used by both coastal countries and other countries of the world. The main condition is the absence of violations of the law.

Where are the maritime borders of Russia?

Russia is the most big country in the world, and therefore the length of its borders is impressive. Almost 40 thousand km of sea borders, most of which are located in the north and east of the state.

In the north, the Russian border runs along the Northern Arctic Ocean, capturing the following seas:

Barentsevo;
Karskoe;
Laptev;
East Siberian;
Chukotka.

Most of them are covered with ice throughout the year, so sea routes here are not very developed. To the east our neighbors are Japan and the USA. The demarcation line stretches across the Pacific waters. On the Western side, the maritime borders of our country run along Baltic Sea. In the southwest, Russia is separated from other countries by the waters of the Black and Azov Seas.

Remember:

1. What is called a border?

The state border of Russia is the line that defines the boundaries of the state territory of the country.

2. What types of boundaries have you had to cross?

I had to cross the sea and land borders of Russia.

3. Using the picture and text in §a, give definitions of the concepts “territorial waters”, “economic zone”, “internal waters”.

Territorial waters are a strip of sea or ocean 12 nautical miles (22.2 km) wide adjacent to the coast of a state or its internal waters.

An economic zone is a strip of sea or ocean 200 nautical miles (370.4 km) wide from the border of a state’s territorial waters. Not included in the state territory of the country.

Internal waters are all waters (rivers, lakes, canals, straits, etc.) located within the territory of a given state (except for its territorial waters).

4. Identify the species natural boundaries Russia. Which borders are the longest?

Natural boundaries of Russia:

Marine

Land, incl.

Actually land ones, incl.

Plains

Ozernye

The longest are the sea borders (38.8 thousand km)

Questions and tasks

2. Using a textbook and atlas, characterize sections of the Russian land border according to plan: 1) name of the section; 2) which countries Russia borders on in this area; 3) along what natural boundaries the border passes; 4) the significance of this section of the state border for Russia’s relations with other countries.

The first section of the Russian land border

1) Northwestern border from the Barents to the Baltic Sea.

2) Border with Norway, Finland.

3) Swampy tundra, Pasvik River valley. Rocky, wooded area.

4) Transport route for the purpose of active foreign trade.

The second section of the Russian land border

1) Western border of Russia from the Baltic to the Sea of Azov.

2) Border with the Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania), Poland, Belarus, Ukraine.

4) Transport routes: highways, railways, pipelines (oil and gas pipelines supplying fuel to European countries).

The third section of the Russian land border

1) Southern border of Russia.

2) From the Black to the Caspian Sea there is a border with Ukraine, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Georgia, Azerbaijan. From the Volga delta to Altai mountains border with Kazakhstan. Border along the Amur River with China, Mongolia, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

3) Difficult mountainous terrain, rivers

4) Transport routes: highways, railways, pipelines.

List of neighboring countries of Russia with their capitals.

Land:

1) Norway. Capital Oslo.

2) Finland. Capital of Helsinki.

3) Estonia. Capital Tallinn.

4) Latvia. Capital Riga.

5) Lithuania. Capital Vilnius.

6) Poland. Capital Warsaw.

7) Belarus. Capital Minsk.

8) Ukraine. Capital Kyiv.

9) Abkhazia. The capital is Sukhumi (Sukhumi).

10) Georgia. Capital Tbilisi.

11) South Ossetia. Capital Tskhinvali (Tskhinvali).

12) Azerbaijan. Capital Baku.

13) Kazakhstan. Capital Astana.

14) China. Capital Beijing.

15) Mongolia. The capital is Ulaanbaatar.

16) North Korea(DPRK). Capital Pyongyang.

17) Japan. Capital of Tokyo.

18) United States of America (USA). Capital Washington.

4. Write down in your notebook the names of all the continents and the five largest countries in the world in terms of territory in descending order of their area.

Continents: Eurasia, Africa, South America, North America, Australia, Antarctica.

Largest territories of the world: Russia, Canada, China, USA, Brazil.

5. Using the text in §a, make up three questions for your classmates on the topic “The most Interesting Facts about the borders of Russia."

1) What and how many times longer: the borders of Russia or the length of the equator of planet Earth.

2) What part of the country’s borders are the land borders of Russia?

3) Where is Russia located in terms of the length of maritime borders?