Seychelles–Tanzania Maritime Boundary Agreement
Encyclopedia
The Seychelles–Tanzania Maritime Boundary Agreement is a 2002 treaty
between Seychelles
and Tanzania
which delimits
the maritime boundary
between the two countries.
The agreement was signed in Victoria, Seychelles
on 23 January 2002. The boundary
set out by the text of the treaty is a relatively short 17 nautical miles long. It consists of nine straight-line maritime
segments defined by ten individual coordinate points. The precision of the treaty is unusual, with the boundary being defined to the nearest three millimetres of the Earth's surface (to the fourth decimal place of one second
of the latitude
and longitude
coordinates). Only one other maritime boundary is defined as precisely—the Iraq
–Kuwait
maritime boundary, which was defined in 1993 by the United Nations
Boundary Demarcation Committee. The agreed-to boundary is an approximate equidistant line between the two countries. The two countries had been negotiating their maritime boundary since 1989.
The treaty came into force on the day of signature. The full name of the treaty is Agreement between the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania and the Government of the Republic of Seychelles on the Delimitation of the Maritime Boundary of the Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf.
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 Seychelles
Seychelles
Seychelles , officially the Republic of Seychelles , is an island country spanning an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, some east of mainland Africa, northeast of the island of Madagascar....
and Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
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 two countries.
The agreement was signed in Victoria, Seychelles
Victoria, Seychelles
Victoria is the capital city of the Seychelles and is situated on the north-eastern side of Mahé island, which is the main island of the archipelago. The city was first established as the seat of the British colonial government...
on 23 January 2002. The 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...
set out by the text of the treaty is a relatively short 17 nautical miles long. It consists of nine 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 ten individual coordinate points. The precision of the treaty is unusual, with the boundary being defined to the nearest three millimetres of the Earth's surface (to the fourth decimal place of one second
Minute of arc
A minute of arc, arcminute, or minute of angle , is a unit of angular measurement equal to one sixtieth of one degree. In turn, a second of arc or arcsecond is one sixtieth of one minute of arc....
of the latitude
Latitude
In geography, the latitude of a location on the Earth is the angular distance of that location south or north of the Equator. The latitude is an angle, and is usually measured in degrees . The equator has a latitude of 0°, the North pole has a latitude of 90° north , and the South pole has a...
and longitude
Longitude
Longitude is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east-west position of a point on the Earth's surface. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees, minutes and seconds, and denoted by the Greek letter lambda ....
coordinates). Only one other maritime boundary is defined as precisely—the Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
–Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
maritime boundary, which was defined in 1993 by the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Boundary Demarcation Committee. The agreed-to boundary is an approximate equidistant line between the two countries. The two countries had been negotiating their maritime boundary since 1989.
The treaty came into force on the day of signature. The full name of the treaty is Agreement between the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania and the Government of the Republic of Seychelles on the Delimitation of the Maritime Boundary of the Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf.