Dominican Republic – United Kingdom Maritime Boundary Agreement
Encyclopedia
The Dominican Republic – United Kingdom Maritime Boundary Agreement is a 1996 treaty
between the Dominican Republic
and the United Kingdom
which delimits
the maritime boundary
between the Dominican Republic
and the British territory of the Turks and Caicos Islands
.
The treaty was signed on 2 August 1996. The text of the treaty establishes a boundary
that runs roughly east–west and is actually north (closer to the Turks and Caicos) of the equidistant line between the two territories. The boundary is 283 nautical miles long and consists of four straight-line maritime
segments defined by five individual coordinate points. The far western point of the border is a tripoint
with Haiti
.
The treaty has not yet come into force because it has not been ratified
by both states. The full name of the treaty is Agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the Dominican Republic concerning the delimitation of the Maritime Boundary between the Dominican Republic and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Treaty
A treaty is an express agreement under international law entered into by actors in international law, namely sovereign states and international organizations. A treaty may also be known as an agreement, protocol, covenant, convention or exchange of letters, among other terms...
between the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
which delimits
Boundary delimitation
Boundary delimitation, or simply delimitation, is the term used to describe the drawing of boundaries, but is most often used to describe the drawing of electoral boundaries, specifically those of precincts, states, counties or other municipalities...
the maritime boundary
Maritime boundary
Maritime boundary is a conceptual means of division of the water surface of the planet into maritime areas that are defined through surrounding physical geography or by human geography. As such it usually includes areas of exclusive national rights over the mineral and biological resources,...
between the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
and the British territory of the Turks and Caicos Islands
Turks and Caicos Islands
The Turks and Caicos Islands are a British Overseas Territory and overseas territory of the European Union consisting of two groups of tropical islands in the Caribbean, the larger Caicos Islands and the smaller Turks Islands, known for tourism and as an offshore financial centre.The Turks and...
.
The treaty was signed on 2 August 1996. The text of the treaty establishes a boundary
Border
Borders define geographic boundaries of political entities or legal jurisdictions, such as governments, sovereign states, federated states and other subnational entities. Some borders—such as a state's internal administrative borders, or inter-state borders within the Schengen Area—are open and...
that runs roughly east–west and is actually north (closer to the Turks and Caicos) of the equidistant line between the two territories. The boundary is 283 nautical miles long and consists of four straight-line maritime
Ocean
An ocean is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the hydrosphere. Approximately 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by ocean, a continuous body of water that is customarily divided into several principal oceans and smaller seas.More than half of this area is over 3,000...
segments defined by five individual coordinate points. The far western point of the border is a tripoint
Tripoint
A tripoint, or trijunction , is a geographical point at which the borders of three countries or subnational entities meet....
with Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
.
The treaty has not yet come into force because it has not been ratified
Ratification
Ratification is a principal's approval of an act of its agent where the agent lacked authority to legally bind the principal. The term applies to private contract law, international treaties, and constitutionals in federations such as the United States and Canada.- Private law :In contract law, the...
by both states. The full name of the treaty is Agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the Dominican Republic concerning the delimitation of the Maritime Boundary between the Dominican Republic and the Turks and Caicos Islands.