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UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION
ON THE LAW OF THE SEA
PART IV
ARCHIPELAGIC STATES
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Article 47
ARCHIPELAGIC BASELINES
- An archipelagic State may draw straight archipelagic baselines joining the
outermost points of the outermost islands and drying reefs of the
archipelago provided that within such baselines are included the main
islands and an area in which the ratio of the area of the water to the area
of the land, including atolls, is between 1 to 1 and 9 to 1.
- The length of such baselines shall not exceed 100 nautical miles, except
that up to 3 per cent of the total number of baselines enclosing any
archipelago may exceed that length, up to a maximum length of 125 nautical
miles.
- The drawing of such baselines shall not depart to any appreciable extent
from the general configuration of the archipelago.
- Such baselines shall not be drawn to and from low-tide elevations, unless
lighthouses or similar installations which are permanently above sea level
have been built on them or where a low-tide elevation is situated wholly or
partly at a distance not exceeding the breadth of the territorial sea from
the nearest island.
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- The system of such baselines shall not be applied by an archipelagic State
in such a manner as to cut off from the high seas or the exclusive economic
zone the territorial sea of another State.
- If a part of the archipelagic waters of an archipelagic State lies between
two parts of an immediately adjacent neighbouring State, existing rights and
all other legitimate interests which the latter State has traditionally
exercised in such waters and all rights stipulated by agreement between
those States shall continue and be respected.
- For the purpose of computing the ratio of water to land under paragraph 1,
land areas may include waters lying within the fringing reefs of islands and
atolls, including that part of a steep-sided oceanic plateau which is
enclosed or nearly enclosed by a chain of limestone islands and drying reefs
lying on the perimeter of the plateau.
- The baselines drawn in accordance with this article shall be shown on
charts of a scale or scales adequate for ascertaining their position.
Alternatively, lists of geographical co-ordinates of points, specifying the
geodetic datum, may be substituted.
- The archipelagic State shall give due publicity to such charts or lists of
geographical co-ordinates and shall deposit a copy of each such chart or
list with the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
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