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TheChilean Sea is the portion of thePacific Ocean lying west of the Chilean mainland. The official Chilean usage for Chilean Sea was defined on 30 May 1974 when theDiario oficial de la Republica de Chile published Supreme Decree #346, which declared that "the waters surrounding or touching the shores of the national territory shall be known asMar Chileno."[1]
The Chilean Sea contains significant amounts ofphosphorite andmanganese-iron nodules, which may be potential targets for futureseafloor mining.[2]
Thecontinental shelf of Chile is the underwater extension adjacent to the Chilean coasts that stretches from the shoreline to the edge of the continental shelf in thePacific Ocean and theSouthern Ocean.[3][4]
The scientific study and delimitation of the continental shelf and its outer limit are conducted by the National Committee for the Continental Shelf, established in 2007.[5][6]
The delimitation of Chile's continental shelf follows principles established by theUnited Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which sets guidelines for the delineation of continental shelves by coastal states. Chile has submitted claims to theUnited Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf.
Apart from its economic importance, the continental shelf also holds geopolitical significance. Its delimitation has occasionally led to tensions with neighboring countries, particularlyArgentina, which also claims rights over adjacent maritime areas.[7][8][9][10][11] Decisions and presentations made to the UN have influenced bilateral relations and Chile's maritime policies, making the continental shelf a critical issue in the country's security and defense agenda.
The face sea, or heritage safeguard sea, is the maritime space that a certain coastal country demarcates, after an oceanopolitical appreciation, in order to indicate to third parties its zone of influence in the high seas adjacent to its exclusive economic zone, where its interests were or could be directly involved.
Without claims of sovereignty, by making a delimitation that includes the effective occupation of the high seas contiguous to its respective oceanic territory, the coastal state shows the interest in preserving said area from abusive uses or from certain activities that, due to its proximity, may affect the marine resources that inhabit its waters, especially, guarding the highly migratory straddling fishery resources from predation, and pollution of the marine habitat.
Chile's EEZ includes areas around theDesventuradas Islands,Easter Island and theJuan Fernández Islands.
| Region | EEZ Area (km2)[12] | Land area | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mainland | 1,975,760 | 755 757 | 2,731,517 |
| Desventuradas | 449 836 | 5 | 449 841 |
| Easter | 720 412 | 164 | 720 576 |
| Juan Fernandez | 502 524 | 100 | 502 624 |
| Total | 3,648,532 | 755 921 | 4,404,453 |
EEZ waters of: Chile 1,975,760 km², Desventuradas Isl. 449,836 km², Easter Isl. 720,412 km², J. Fernandez, Felix and Ambrosio Isl. 502,524 km²
