ABSTRACT
Interpenetrated by five seas, and fronting the Atlantic Ocean in the west and the Indian Ocean in the east, the Middle East and North Africa have long been subject to maritime influences, but never more so than today. For the first time, the seas are being assimilated into the political and economic systems of coastal states, and maritime zones and boundaries are becoming an integral part of the map. This chapter summarizes the nature of offshore sovereignty, and considers the complex problems associated with offshore boundary delimitation. Viewed from the perspective of 1979 such themes may seem rather academic, but within a few years numerous offshore disputes could well have added a new and dangerous dimension to the ‘troubled triangle’ where at least fifteen disputes over maritime boundaries, claims to islands, and fisheries remained unresolved in 1979 (Fig. 7.1). Some offshore political features in the troubled triangle of the Mediterranean and Middle East. https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-p.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9780203383957/49284b1d-c974-4ed0-9573-d4c0accea9cc/content/fig7_1_B.tif" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"/>
