Definition and limits of the continental shelf

Article 76 defines the continental shelf as the natural prolongation of a coastal state's land territory to the outer edge of the continental margin, or where that margin is not discernible, to a distance of 200 nautical miles from the baselines. The shelf may be extended to 350 nautical miles or to 100 nautical miles beyond the 2,500-metre isobath if detailed geological and morphological criteria are satisfied.