Countries do not grow “just because”. In fact, it is quite rare and complicated in the modern context, because it also has to go through international law for verification. The simplest case to understand is a “natural” area growth due to sedimentation or natural changes, but even in these cases the change is very slow in square meters. This is why the US case is so complicated. Did Spain grow twice its area? Yes and no. Actually, now comes the most complicated part: proving it.

What the US wants. It happened at the end of 2023. So the US claims that it suddenly grew by a million square kilometres, almost twice the size of Spain. And no, this unexpected expansion was not the result of strange geological forces or a foreign invasion; rather, it was an attempt to take over the surrounding ocean area.

To be more precise, the move occurred on December 19, 2023, at which time the United States Department of State announced new coordinates describing what they believe to be the extended continental shelf (ECS).

What is ECS? Although it is not a very well-known concept, it is quite important, for example, for countries that want to define or even expand their international territory in the current situation. These are shallow seabed areas (compared to the open ocean) on the coasts of large continental masses and can be limited up to 370 kilometers from the coast.

In this way, countries can expand their continental masses and benefit from the natural resources that can be found in these areas. Therefore, this “game” will be covered as much as possible and according to international law, countries will be able to claim them, which will allow them to manage and use their resources. As of the end of 2023, 75 countries have defined the boundaries of the Extended Continental Shelf. The US had not done so and thought it was a good time.

The study that justifies the US. Of course, the U.S. claim to such a large area of ​​land is data-based. In this case, we have to go back to 2003, when NOAA, the U.S. Geological Survey, and 12 other agencies collected geological data to define the outer limits of the ECS.

What they found is basically what they claim. Basically, the ECS is located in seven marine regions: the Arctic, the Atlantic (east coast), the Bering Sea, the Pacific (west coast), the Mariana Islands, and two regions in the Gulf of Mexico. That’s a total area of ​​1 million square kilometers.

Here is what Mead Treadwell, former lieutenant governor of Alaska and head of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, said shortly after the claim: “The United States is bigger than it was yesterday. It’s not exactly the Louisiana Purchase. It’s not exactly the Alaska Purchase, it’s the new land area and the resources under the control of the United States are twice as big as California.”

Is this legal? The most difficult thing now remains for the US: to prove it and to get the green light from international organizations. In order for the definition to become official, the United States must submit data and reports to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). But here begins another geopolitical absurdity: the country has not ratified UNCLOS due to political disagreements (the agreement has been ratified by 168 countries and the European Union).

Therefore, the decision seems complicated in terms of international law. Moreover, it is obvious that the claim of new maritime boundaries is controversial in the international arena. Before going any further, some of the most important geopolitical disputes of recent times have been related to the claims of China and its neighbors such as the Philippines and Vietnam over the South China Sea.

What happens if the answer is ‘yes’? If the US request is approved, it will open up a new scenario and a range of options for the country. Expansion of the ocean area in the Arctic Ocean, for example, could open the region to more mining, shipping and fishing (despite the potential damage it could cause).

Of course, without taking into account what it would mean as a slogan and external force for a “simple” company to add to your country an extra surface area the size of Argentina or twice the size of Spain.

Image | Stock Snap

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