Sealift Practice Test

From the baseline, maritime zones are defined by how far they extend outward. The Territorial Sea reaches up to 12 nautical miles, the Contiguous Zone up to 24 nautical miles, and the Exclusive Economic Zone extends all the way to 200 nautical miles. The High Seas lie beyond the EEZ. So, when you hear about a boundary stated as 200 nautical miles from the baseline, that refers to the Exclusive Economic Zone, where the coastal state has special rights to explore and exploit natural resources while other states may conduct freedom of navigation and overflight within limits. This is why the zone measured to 200 nautical miles is the Exclusive Economic Zone.