Exclusive Economic Zones
An Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is a sea zone extending up to 200 nautical miles from a country's coastline. In this area, the coastal nation has special rights to explore and exploit marine resources, including fish and minerals. The EEZ allows countries to manage and protect their marine environment while benefiting economically from the ocean's resources.
Within an EEZ, the coastal state has jurisdiction over natural resources, but other countries can still navigate and overfly the area. The concept of EEZs was established by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which aims to balance the rights of coastal nations with the interests of the international community.