Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

has the 5th largest exclusive economic zone (EEZ) within Europe, 3rd largest of the EU and the 20th largest EEZ in the world, at 1,727,408 km².Seaaroundus.org

Portugal's exclusive economic zone

* Continental Portugal 327,667 km² * Madeira Islands 446,108 km² *

Azores ) , motto =( en, "Rather die free than subjected in peace") , anthem= ( en, "Anthem of the Azores") , image_map=Locator_map_of_Azores_in_EU.svg , map_alt=Location of the Azores within the European Union , map_caption=Location of the Azores wi ...

Islands 953,633 km² * Total: 1,727,408 km² Portugal submitted a claim to extend its

jurisdiction Jurisdiction (from Latin 'law' + 'declaration') is the legal term for the legal authority granted to a legal entity to enact justice. In federations like the United States, areas of jurisdiction apply to local, state, and federal levels. J ...

over additional 2.15 million square kilometers of the neighboring continental shelf in May 2009, which would result in a marine territory of more than 3,877,408 km².

Dispute with Spain

Spain disputes the EEZ's southern border, maintaining that it should be drawn halfway between Madeira and the Canary Islands. Portugal exercises sovereignty over the Savage Islands, a small

archipelago An archipelago ( ), sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands, or sometimes a sea containing a small number of scattered islands. Examples of archipelagos include: the Indonesian Arc ...

north of the Canaries, hence claiming an EEZ border further south. Spain objects, arguing that the Savage Islands do not have a separate continental shelf, citing article 121 of the

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), also called the Law of the Sea Convention or the Law of the Sea Treaty, is an international agreement that establishes a legal framework for all marine and maritime activities. , 167 c ...

. On the basis of this article, Spain claims the Savage Islands are not islands, but instead uninhabitable rocks. The Savage Islands are a protected Portuguese

natural reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or o ...

, and thus its year-round inhabitants are workers of Madeira Natural Park who look over the isolated natural reserve, protecting its wildlife. Over the years, the Portuguese authorities have seized some Spanish fishing boats around the area for illegal fishing.Carvalho, Luis and Leitão, Nuno, ''A Noção "Estratégica" das Ilhas Selvagens'' (in Portuguese)

References

External links

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea – Part V

Sea Around Us Project – View the EEZ of all nations
(Note that this site does not distinguish between

territorial waters The term territorial waters is sometimes used informally to refer to any area of water over which a sovereign state has jurisdiction, including internal waters, the territorial sea, the contiguous zone, the exclusive economic zone, and potent ...

and the EEZ, and so tends to overstate EEZ areas.)
Task Group for the extension of the Continental Shelf
map * GIS data at

VLIZ Maritime Boundaries Geodatabase The Flanders Marine Institute (Dutch: Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee, VLIZ) provides a focal point for marine scientific research in Flanders, northern Belgium. The Flemish government established the institute in 1999 together with the province of ...

{{Portugal topics Economy of Portugal

Borders of Portugal Fishing in Portugal

Portugal's exclusive economic zone

Dispute with Spain

See also

References

External links