TERRITORIAL SEA8


700.022/9-1550: Circular airgram
The Acting Secretary of State to Certain Diplomatic Missions in the
                      American Republics'

RESTRICTED           WASHINGTON, September 15, 1950-2:05 p. m.
  Reference is made to Circular Airgram of July 21, 1949, which
included eight Latin American embassies; to Circular Airgram of
March 7, 1950, to Caracas, Ciudad Trujillo and Port-au-Prince; Cir-
cular Airgram dated August 11, 1950 to Lima, Managua and Teguci-
galpa.2 These all relate to the limits of territorial waters and inland
waters claimed by the several republics.
  Information is furnished below regarding the claims of each coastal
country in the Americas, as tentatively formulated for incorporation'
in tabular form which will cover all the coastal countries of-the world,
and also for incorporation, so far as feasible, on a world map entitled
"World: National Claims in Adjacent Seas".
  In the partial table which appears below   (relating only to the,
Americas) the following abbreviations are used:
    T= Territorial Seawidth (always expressed in nautical'miles, and
        al-ways measured ;from   low  tide line on mainland ant,
        -islands).
    C=Contiguous Zone width (measured from low tide line, and.
        therefore including the territorial sea).
Argentina
  T = 3 mi.; C = 12 mi. for security and fiscal laws; C also = continental
shelf and "epicontinental sea."
Brazil
  T = 3 mi.; C =12 mi., for customs and sanitary regulations, security
and coastal fishing.
Canada
  T=3 mi.
Chile
  T =3 mi.; C =12 mi., also 200 mi. for "all the natural resources.'7

Colombia
  T =12 mi.
Costa Rica
  T= 31mi.; C=200QJmi.
Cuba
  T = 3 mi.; C =-12 mi., customs surveillance.
  Sent to BogotA, Buenos Aires, Caracas, Ciudad Trujillo, Guatemala, Ilabana,
Lima, Managua, Mexico, Montevideo, Panama, Port-au-Prince, Quit oRioa
de Janeiro, San Jos3, San Salvador, Santiago, Tegucigalpa.
  2 Circular airgram of J~uly 21, 1949, nut printed.


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