Low-tide elevation is a naturally formed area of land which is above water and surrounded by water at low tide but submerged at high tide. It may be a mudflat or reef.
Legal status
Low tide elevations may be used as basepoints for the calculation of maritime zones unless they lie at a distance exceeding the breadth of the territorial sea (12-miles) from the nearest mainland or island.
According to the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, "If an LTE (low-tide elevation) is located within maritime zones of a littoral state, such as territorial sea, exclusive economic zone, and continental shelf, it automatically belongs to that state."
References
- United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea Article 13 PART II
- Trang, Pham Ngoc Minh. "Second Thomas Shoal: A Legal Perspective". Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative. Center for Strategic and International Studies. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
Sources
- Llanos, Hugo Ignacio (2002-09-01). "Low-Tide Elevations: Reassessing Their Impact on Maritime Delimination". Pace International Law Review. 14 (2): 255. doi:10.58948/2331-3536.1197. ISSN 2331-3536.
See also
- Territorial waters
- Exclusive economic zone
- Continental shelf
- International waters
- United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea