Definition of the continental shelf

Definition of the continental shelf
1. The continental shelf of a coastal State comprises the
seabed and subsoil of the submarine areas that extend beyond its
territorial sea throughout the natural prolongation of its land
territory to the outer edge of the continental margin, or to a
distance of 200 [nm] from the baselines from which the breadth of
the territorial sea is measured where the outer edge of the
continental margin does not extend up to that distance.
2. The continental shelf of a coastal State shall not extend
beyond the limits provided for in paragraphs 4 to 6.
3. The continental margin comprises the submerged
prolongation of the land mass of the coastal State, and consists of
the seabed and subsoil of the shelf, the slope and the rise. It does
not include the deep ocean floor with its oceanic ridges or the
subsoil thereof.