Archipelstaat

Archipelstaat, or archipelagic state, is a term in international law used to describe states that are primarily composed of archipelagos—groups of islands separated by maritime zones. Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) of 1982, an archipelagic state is a state constituted by one or more archipelagos and/or a group of islands. The law allows such states to draw archipelagic baselines that connect the outermost points of the islands and drying reefs, creating an area called archipelagic waters.

These baselines define internal waters and a territorial sea for the state; the airspace above and the seabed and subsoil within archipelagic waters fall under national sovereignty. Foreign vessels retain certain rights to archipelagic sea lanes passage (ASLP) through designated routes to ensure continuous and expeditious passage, subject to the state’s safety and security regulations.

Beyond archipelagic waters, the state may claim an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and continental shelf like other coastal states, subject to UNCLOS rules. The archipelagic configuration presents specific challenges for security, border control, fisheries management and maritime delimitation with neighboring states, especially in regions with overlapping claims.

Indonesia and the Philippines are among the most prominent examples of archipelagic states. Other states described as archipelagic under international law include the Maldives and Comoros.