Chilean Sea

The Chilean Sea is a big area of water. It is near the land of Chile. This sea is in the wide Pacific Ocean. It sits near many islands.

Some islands are far out in the sea. These waters help keep fish safe. The sea also has rocks on the bottom. These rocks can be used for mining. It is a very important place for Chile.

The Chilean Sea is a large area of water. It sits in the Pacific Ocean. It is near the coast of Chile. This sea is not a sea in a science sense. It is a sea in a legal sense. This means it is a zone for laws. The area goes 200 nautical miles from the coast. For the islands of Rapa Nui and Salas y Gómez, it goes 350 nautical miles. Chile has rights to this water. It also has rights to the continental shelf. The shelf is the part of the ocean floor near land. The sea includes areas around many islands. These are the Desventuradas Islands, Easter Island, and the Juan Fernández Islands.

This area helps keep fish safe from harm. There are also rocks on the ocean floor. These are called manganese-iron nodules. There is also phosphorite. People may use these for mining in the future. Chile works with the United Nations to define these areas. This helps set the borders for the sea.

The Chilean Sea is a very large area of water. It sits in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Southern Oceans. It is not a sea in the way a scientist might define it. Instead, it is a sea in a legal and political sense. This means it is a space defined by laws and rules. It covers the waters near the coast of Chile. The area reaches 200 nautical miles out from the mainland. For the islands of Rapa Nui and Salas y Gómez, it reaches 350 nautical miles.

Chile uses this area to manage its own maritime spaces. This includes its continental shelf and an extended shelf. The country also looks after a "presential sea" near its borders. This is a zone where Chile shows interest in the high seas. It helps protect marine resources like fish that move around a lot. The goal is to stop pollution and harm to the ocean habitat.

By marking these zones, the country can guard its waters. It helps ensure that people use the sea in a fair way.

Defining these borders has taken many years of work. In 1974, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs named it the "Chilean Sea." Later, in 1986, new laws were made to match international ocean rules. There was a dispute with Peru about the northern limit. This was settled by the International Court of Justice in 2014. A new maritime border was set after that ruling. This agreement helped both countries know exactly where their waters start and end.

There are many specific parts to this maritime zone. Chile's exclusive economic zones include the Desventuradas Islands and the Juan Fernández Islands. The mainland area is quite large at 1,975,760 square kilometers. Easter Island adds another 720,412 square kilometers to the total. In 2021, President Sebastián Piñera signed a decree about the continental shelf. This shelf starts from the Diego Ramírez Islands. Chile also works with the United Nations to report on its Antarctic territory.

What lies beneath the waves is also very important. The seafloor in this area contains phosphorite. It also has manganese-iron nodules. These are small lumps found on the bottom of the ocean. These materials might be used for mining in the future. Different countries sometimes disagree about where these underwater areas belong. For example, Argentina has disagreed with Chile's claims in the Southern Zone Sea. Even with these disagreements, the sea remains a vital part of the world.

The Chilean Sea is a large maritime area. It covers parts of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Southern Oceans. Geographically, it is not a sea in the traditional sense. The International Hydrographic Organization defines seas differently. Instead, this is a sea in a legal and political sense. It refers to the waters over which Chile exercises sovereignty. It also includes areas where Chile has exclusive rights or claims. This maritime domain is vital for managing ocean resources and borders.

Chile manages several different types of maritime spaces. One major part is the Exclusive Economic Zone, or EEZ. This area allows a country to manage its own resources. The Chilean Sea includes the continental shelf and an extended continental shelf. It also includes what is called the "presential sea." This is a zone in the high seas adjacent to the EEZ.

The presential sea is a heritage safeguard sea. Chile uses this designation to show its zone of influence. It helps protect marine habitats from pollution and harmful activities. This is especially important for guarding highly migratory straddling fishery resources.

The boundaries of the Chilean Sea are defined by specific distances. For the mainland coast, the area reaches 200 nautical miles west. This distance is measured from the low tide line. However, the rules change for certain islands. For the Polynesian islands of Rapa Nui and Salas y Gómez, the limit is 350 nautical miles. These specific distances help establish where Chile's authority begins and ends. These maritime spaces allow the nation to oversee its vast oceanic territory.

Establishing these legal boundaries has a complex history. In 1974, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs designated the area as the "Mar Chileno." Later, Law 18,565 of 1986 updated these rules. This law helped align Chile's framework with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). In 1991, Law 19,080 defined the "Chilean presential sea" unilaterally.

These laws created the structure for how Chile interacts with the global ocean.

Defining borders often involves negotiations with neighboring countries. For example, Peru raised a dispute regarding the northern limit. This was resolved by the International Court of Justice on January 27, 2014. A ruling established a new maritime border between the two nations. The exact coordinates were signed into an agreement on March 25, 2014. This ruling actually reduced Chile's maritime zone by granting a portion to Peru. Such rulings are essential for maintaining order in international waters.

The Chilean Sea contains various distinct maritime regions. The mainland EEZ covers 1,975,760 square kilometers. The Desventuradas Islands region covers 449,836 square kilometers. The Juan Fernández Islands region covers 502,624 square kilometers. Rapa Nui, or Easter Island, adds 720,412 square kilometers to the total. When all these areas are combined, the total area reaches 4,404,453 square kilometers. These large figures show the massive scale of Chile's maritime domain.

There are ongoing scientific and political activities in these waters. In 2021, President Sebastián Piñera signed Supreme Decree No. 95. This decree defined the continental shelf east of meridian 67° 16' 0". This area is projected from the Diego Ramírez Islands. Chile has also worked with the United Nations regarding its Antarctic territory. In 2021 and 2022, Chile submitted reports to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf. These submissions concern the areas around Easter Island and the Western Continental Shelf of the Chilean Antarctic Territory.

Beyond politics, the seafloor holds significant natural resources. The Chilean Sea contains large amounts of phosphorite. It also contains manganese-iron nodules. These are mineral deposits found on the ocean floor. These materials may become targets for future seafloor mining. However, these resources can also lead to disputes. For instance, Argentina has opposed Chile's claims in the Southern Zone Sea. These mineral interests and territorial claims continue to shape the region's future.