What is Exclusive Economic Zone?

An Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is a sea zone prescribed by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea over which a sovereign state has special rights regarding the exploration and use of marine resources, including energy production from water and wind. It stretches from the baseline out to 200 nautical miles (370 km; 230 mi) from the coastline, although a coastal nation can claim an EEZ of up to 350 nautical miles (650 km; 400 mi) if it can prove that its continental shelf extends that far. The EEZ is an area of the sea in which a sovereign state has exclusive rights to explore and use marine resources, including fishing, drilling for oil and gas, and mining. The EEZ also includes the airspace above the water and the seabed and subsoil beneath the water.

The concept of the EEZ was developed in the 1970s and was included in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which was adopted in 1982. The EEZ has become an important tool for coastal states to manage and protect their marine resources.