Term
EEZ
Acronym
Also called
Exclusive Economic Zone
See also
Territorial sea
Definition
A maritime zone over which the coastal state has sovereign rights over the exploration and use of marine resources. Usually, a state's EEZ extends to a distance of 200 nautical miles (nm) (approx 370 km) out from its coast, except where resulting points would be closer to another country. New Zealand has a 200nm EEZ that was declared in 1978. The EEZ formally extends from the Territorial Sea at 12nm (from the coastline) to 200nm. This term is defined in the Territorial Sea and Exclusive Zone Act 1977.
