Has the United States just gained an additional 1 million square kilometers?

Several areas (in pink) of the extended continental shelf that the US wants to claim ownership of.

The concept of an Extended Continental Shelf (ECS) may sound unfamiliar to those who are not, but it is of great importance to countries that wish to assert or expand their international territory.

This is exactly what the US has recently done, according to a recent report by Indy100 . On December 19, 2023, the US State Department released new coordinates outlining what it claims are its ECS (Extracorporeal Surveillance System).

ECS are shallow coastal areas of seabed that extend up to 370 km from landmasses. By expanding these areas, countries can exploit any natural resources located within them.

IFL Science reports that the US has followed in the footsteps of 75 other countries by expanding the ECS, and not just a small area. The US is claiming ownership of an additional 1 million ^square kilometers, nearly double the area of ​​Spain.

These additional ECS regions include seven areas in the Arctic, Atlantic, Bering Sea, Pacific , Mariana Islands, and two areas in the Gulf of Mexico.

In a December 20, 2023, broadcast on Alaska Public Media , former Alaska Lieutenant Governor and former chairman of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, Mead Treadwell, declared that "America is bigger than it was yesterday."

This could expand U.S. potential in areas such as mining, shipping, fishing, and security in those locations, but it first needs to be approved.

Mr. Treadwell explained that the U.S. needs to submit research and data to the United Nations relating to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

However, due to long-standing political controversies, the US is one of only a few countries that have not yet ratified UNCLOS, and this could hinder the plan. Mr. Treadwell remains optimistic on this issue and trusts in American science to determine the extended continental shelf.

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