Frequently Asked Questions

What is the area of each Exclusive Economic Zones?

Since version 11, we have calculated the geodetic surface area of all polygons in PostGIS rounded to square kilometers. For the older versions, we calculated the areas using the Tools for Graphic and Shapes in ArcGIS 10.4.. The unit is square kilometers. The area of each feature is an attribute of the shapefile and can be found in the database file (.dbf). Database files can be opened using spreadsheet applications like MS Excel.

Can I use the shapefile of the Exclusive Economic Zones in publications or for redistribution?

Please read the user conditions in the disclaimer.

Where can I find shapefiles of the territorial seas or baseline?

The Marine Regions shapefiles of Exclusive Economic Zones (including Treaties, Joint Regimes, and Straight baselines), Territorial Seas (12 Nautical miles), Contiguous Zones (24 Nautical miles), Internal Waters, and Archipelagic waters are all available for download.

Which country shapefile borders the Exclusive Economic Zones?

The Maritime Boundaries dataset used as a base coastline was the ESRI World Countries Shapefile downloaded in 2014. The file was edited by Marine Regions. The adapted shapefile can be downloaded through the VLIZ WFS. Please note the ESRI World Countries has since been modified.

What is the resolution of the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) shapefile

It depends. The breadth of the EEZs was calculated from the baselines (straight baselines and normal baselines) where ESRI Countries 2014 was used as a proxy for the normal baselines. For median lines, however, the coastline was further densified in border rivers and every time the opposing or adjacent coastal states were closer to each other than the distance between points along each countries coast.More information is available in the page Methodology.

Are there files available to use in Google Earth?

Yes, KML files of the Exclusive Economic Zones are available for download. Those can be imported in Google Maps or opened using Google Earth.

Where can I download the Marine Regions logo?

The Marine Regions logo can be found here.