What is a baseline?

A baseline is a legal construct: a boundary line that determines where a States maritime
sovereignty and jurisdiction begins and ends.
In fact, baselines determine all areas of maritime jurisdiction.
They create a demarcation between areas where a State has no rights and those where a State
does enjoy rights.
A baseline is the line from which the seaward limits of a state's territorial sea and certain other
maritime zones of jurisdiction are measured.
Normally, a sea baseline follows thelow-water line of a coastal state. When the coastline is
deeply indented, has fringing islands or is highly unstable, straight baselines may be used.
Baselines are reference lines drawn by a coastal or archipelagic State using different methods.
They are used to measure the breadth of the territorial sea (12nm), contiguous zone (24 nm),
EEZ (200nm) and continental shelf (up to 350nm). Also, the waters enclosed by the baselines
are called archipelagic waters over which an archipelagic State exercises sovereignty.
The importance of baselines
Fundamental to maritime boundary delimitation
Determine base points for construction of equidistant lines
Equidistant lines often used at least as the starting point for maritime delimitation

How to determine baselines?

According to the UNCLOS, there are four methods that can be employed in determining a
baselines, namely:
1. Normal Baseline, according to Art. 5, is the low-water line along the coast as marked
on large-scale charts officially recognized by the coastal State.
2. Straight Baseline, according to Art. 7, can be employed if ever the coastlines are
indented and cut into or there is a fringe of islands along the coast in its immediate
vicinity.
3. Bay or river closing lines, according to Art. 10 and 9
Art 9: If a river flows directly into the sea, the baseline shall be a straight line across the
mouth of the river between points on the low-water line of its banks.
Art 10: This article relates only to bays the coasts of which belong to a single State.
4. Archipelagic Baseline, according to Art. 47, is a method of joining the outermost points
of the outermost islands and drying reefs of an archipelago provided that within such
baselines are included the main island and an area in which the ratio of the area of the
water to the area of the land, including atolls, is between 1:1 and 9:1.

Normal Baseline.
According to Article 5 of UNCLOS, a normal baseline is drawn at the low-water line, as
stated in official charts.
Perhaps the easiest way to think of a normal baseline is as an outline of a States coast.
Waters on the landward side of a baseline are considered a State's internal waters, treated
much in the way that land would be treated.
However, in some situations, it is either impractical or uneconomical to draw a normal
baseline. In such cases, straight baselines are used in lieu of normal baselines
Straight Baseline
Straight baselines are used in lieu of normal baselines. Article 7(1) states that straight
baselines should be used when normal baselines are impractical.

 Straight baselines are a system of straight lines joining specified or discrete points on the
low-water line, usually known as Straight baselines. Straight baselines may be drawing in
the following circumstances:
1. Where a river flows directly into the sea.
2. Where the coast is highly unstable because of the presence of a delta or other natural
conditions.
3. Where the coast is deeply indented.
4. Where there is a fringe of islands along the coast in its immediate vicinity.
For the purposes of this section, the points between which straight baselines may be drawn
are1. In a case where a river flows directly into the sea, a point at each side of the rivers mouth on
Low water line of the river's banks.
2. In a case where the coast is highly unstable because of the presence of a delta or other natural
conditions, points along the furthest seaward extent of the low-water line.
3. In any other case, points that are appropriate in the circumstances.
Bay or river closing lines
Where the distance between the low-water marks of the natural entrance points of the bay
does not exceed 24 nautical miles, shall be drawn a straight line joining those low-water
marks.
Where the bay has more than one mouth and the distances between the low-water marks of
the natural entrance points of each mouth added together do not exceed 24 nautical miles,
shall be drawn a series of straight lines across each of the mouths so as to join those lowwater marks.
Where the distance between the low-water marks of the natural entrance points of a bay
exceeds 24 nautical miles, a straight baseline of 24 nautical miles shall be drawn within the
bay in such a manner as to enclose the maximum area of water that is possible with a line
of that length.
Note: The baseline across the bay must also be no more than 24 nautical miles (44 km) in length.

Archipelagic Baseline
Archipelagic baselines are straight lines joining the outermost points of the outermost
islands and drying reefs which may be used to enclose all or part of an archipelago forming
all or part of an archipelagic State.