Where two adjacent coastal states face toward areas of Open Ocean, unimpeded by third-state territory or maritime claims, tripoint relationships do not arise.22 However, in areas with constricted coastal relationships, such as semi-enclosed seas, or concave coastlines, the maritime areas of most coastal states overlap the claims of at least two other coastal states and tripoint relationships abound.23 In an equidistant world devoid of sovereignty disputes, it would be clear which states have tripoint relationships with each other and where those tripoints would be located. The reality is that unresolved territorial disputes and claims to maritime area beyond equidistant lines create significant uncertainty, not only with regard to the location of a potential tripoint, but more fundamentally, with regard to the very existence of a tripoint relationship in the first place.