The area of the United States expanded by 386,000 square miles (6.21 lakh square kilometers) last month as reported by Metro, following the Department of State's addition of six regions' submerged offshore areas, known as the extended continental shelf (ECS), to the total landmass. The ECS represents the continental shelf area under shallow water, extending beyond 200 nautical miles.
The largest ECS area for the US is the Arctic, spanning 350 miles (612 km) to the north and over 680 miles (1,094 km) in the western region, according to the outlet's report.
The State Department highlighted that America's ECS includes six additional regions: The Atlantic east coast, the Pacific west coast, the Bering Sea, the Mariana Islands, and two portions of the Gulf of Mexico.
State Department emphasized, "Like other countries, the United States has rights under international law to conserve and manage the resources and vital habitats on and under its ECS."
In their announcement, the State Department emphasized, "Like other countries, the United States has rights under international law to conserve and manage the resources and vital habitats on and under its ECS."
The land area added to the US territory is nearly twice the size of Spain.
The Wilson Centre, a Washington, DC-based think tank, pointed out that the ECS extension holds significant implications for the United States in securing its territorial rights, particularly in the Arctic region.
Comments