International waters

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/international-waters

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How big is International waters?Approximately 64% of the world's ocean surface area
2. What is the location?Oceanic areas beyond the limits of national jurisdiction (territorial sea and EEZ)
3. What is the legal basis?United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)
4. What are international waters and why are they called the high seas?International waters, also called the high seas, are parts of the ocean that belong to everyone. They are not owned by any single country and let all nations travel, fish, and explore there.
5. Who can use the high seas for fishing or building cables?All countries can use the high seas for things like fishing, laying submarine cables, and doing science. No country can claim ownership of these waters.

Mare Liberum: Latin for 'freedom of the seas,' a principle asserting that the ocean is free for all nations to use.
Flag State Jurisdiction: The authority of the country where a vessel is registered to enforce laws upon it.
Universal Jurisdiction: The principle that certain international crimes can be prosecuted by any state, regardless of where they occurred.
Pelagic Zone: The open ocean waters away from coastlines and the sea floor, a major habitat in international waters.