Outer Continental Shelf

For the generic geographical term, see outer continental shelf.

The Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) is a legally defined geographic feature of the United States. The OCS is the part of the internationally recognized continental shelf of the United States which does not fall under the jurisdictions of the individual U.S. states.

The exclusive economic zone of the United States extends 200 nautical miles (370 km; 230 mi) from the coast, and thus overlaps but is not coterminous with the Outer Continental Shelf.

On December 19, 2023, the United States Department of State announced the results of its “U.S. Extended Continental Shelf Project”. It declared an expansion in the outer boundaries of the United States continental shelf in numerous regions. The U.S. Extended Continental Shelf partially overlaps with ECS areas of Canada, The Bahamas, and Japan. In these areas, the United States and these countries will need to establish maritime boundaries in the future.

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