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Dan MacMeekin         Attorney at Law        Washington, DC, USA

Library … Documents …  Defining "Islands" ...

United Nations Convention 

on the 

Law of the Sea

Article 121

REGIME OF ISLANDS

1. An island is a naturally formed area of land, surrounded by water, which is above water at high tide.

2. Except as provided for in paragraph 3, the territorial sea, the contiguous zone, the exclusive economic zone and the continental shelf of an island are determined in accordance with the provisions of this Convention applicable to other land territory.

3. Rocks which cannot sustain human habitation or economic life of their own shall have no exclusive economic zone or continental shelf.

  Dan MacMeekin  2000 -2008            Disclaimer  - the fine print                February  24, 2008