The most significant characteristic of the Persian Gulf is the presence of huge oil-fields under the sea-bed of its shallow waters. On the other hand, the lack of understanding among the littoral states concerning the proper exploitation of these valuable resources has led to many conflicts, and is still considered as having a very high potential for conflict. This work clarifies the international legal rules applicable to the region with particular attention to the special characteristics of the Persian Gulf, such as ethnic conflicts, lack of defined land borders, presence of numerous islands, reefs and shoals and the presence of transboundary oil deposits. It consists of a collection of materials relating to the law of the sea, including both domestic and international rules, conventions, maritime agreements, state practice, the jurisprudence of the International Court of Justice and others. The study analyses all of these important factors in order to find an equitable solution to the problems facing the international community.

This fully revised new edition offers a comprehensive picture of the law of maritime delimitation, incorporating all new cases and State practice in this field. As with all types of law, the law of maritime delimitation should possess a degree of predictability. On the other hand, as maritime delimitation cases differ, flexible considerations of geographical and non-geographical factors are also required in order to achieve equitable results. How, then, is it possible to ensure predictability while taking into account a number of diverse factors in order to achieve an equitable result? This is the question at the heart of the law of maritime delimitation. This book explores a well-balanced legal framework that reconciles predictability and flexibility in the law of maritime delimitation by looking at three aspects of the question: first it reviews the evolution of the law of maritime delimitation; second, it undertakes a comparative study of the case law and State practice; and third, it critically assesses the law of maritime delimitation in its current form.

This contemporary text—the first in over a decade on the region—presents the geography of the Middle East and North Africa, defined as the Arab World, Israel, Turkey, Iran, and Afghanistan. Thematically organized, the book’s eleven chapters focus on the region’s physical and climatic setting, demographic characteristics, migration patterns, religious and linguistic diversity, political map, offshore claims, oil and gas resources, and subregions and states. Within this framework, Drysdale emphasizes pressing current problems: the impact of climate change in a region where some areas already suffer from extreme summer heat and aridity, the challenge of providing additional water in a region where per capita availability of freshwater is already the lowest in the world, the impact of high fertility and rapid population growth in a fragile environment where economies are often unable to absorb young workers entering the labor force, the looming prospect of an aging population, the effects of out- and in-migration, the diverse impact and role of Islam in daily and public life, the integrative consequences of linguistic and ethnic diversity, the evolution and imperfections of the political map, ongoing territorial and boundary disputes that often have global repercussions, external dependence on the region’s prolific oil and gas resources, and the extreme regional inequalities associated with their presence or absence. This timely and insightful analysis is essential reading for students of the region who need a better understanding of key regional characteristics, challenges, and issues.

Critical analysis of the legal framework on maritime delimitation, with recommendations for the evolution of international law at sea.

The first study of the three-stage approach to maritime delimitation, collating methods from judicial decisions, treaties and scholarship.

The delimitation of maritime zones is an important requirement for peaceful relations between neighbouring States. There are numerous examples of areas between States with opposite or adjacent coasts where sovereignty over an island or territory may not be contested but the delimitation of the continental shelf and exclusive economic zone is still pending. Under the Law of the Sea Convention, the delimitation of these zones shall be effected by agreement on the basis of international law. However, the Convention does not offer a definitive answer as to the methods that should be applied. This publication includes contributions by Judges of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, eminent scholars and experienced practitioners. The papers deal with various aspects of maritime delimitation: the jurisprudence of international courts and tribunals and their relevance for delimitation, the impact of the Law of the Sea Convention, the role of legal practitioners and diplomatic negotiators, and delimitation under particular geological circumstances and in geographically complex regional situations. It is designed to provide insight and guidance to the complicated process of maritime delimitation.

This work will be a useful guide for those who look for rules and practice on the relations between neighboring States in the absence of maritime boundaries. The main question the author is trying to tackle is how to handle the relations between neighboring coastal States when there is no maritime boundary in place. This book attempts to clarify the legal issues of exploitation of oil, gas and fisheries resources, and jurisdictional conflicts with regard to marine scientific research and protection of the marine environment in disputed areas. This book shows numerous instances of provisional arrangements in disputed areas around the globe together with as many as forty-five valuable maps. The author, a scholar and diplomat of Korea, gives an up-to-date and in-depth analysis of the complicated legal issues of maritime delimitation and provisional arrangements in North East Asia. The English texts of the provisional arrangements in the region annexed to the book are also valuable materials.