Environments and People - Dragons and Tigers: A Geography of South, East and Southeast Asia - page 34

Conflicts over fishing areas
Conflicts over shipping lanes
Conflicts over islands

KURILE
ISLANDS
Japan vs.
Russia

0
0

500 1000 mi

500 1000 km

Sea of
Japan

TAKESHIMA AND TOKDO ISLANDS
Japan vs. Korea

East
China Sea

RYUKU ISLANDS
T Taiwan - PRC - Japan

PRC/ TAIWAN

DIAOYU / SENKAKU ISLANDS
T Taiwan - PRC - Japan

South
China Sea

TAIWAN / PHILIPPINES

Bay of
Bengal

PARACEL ISLANDS
Vietnam vs. PRC

Pacific Ocean

Arabian
Sea

MYANMAR /
THAILAND

PRC / VIETNAM

THAILAND /
VIETNAM

PRC / PHILIPPINES

SPRATLY IS.
PRC vs. Multiple claims

MALAYSIA /
THAILAND

Palk
Strait

MALAYSIA /
THAILAND /
VIETNAM

Strait of
Malacca

Singapore
Strait

Indian Ocean

Sunda
Strait

INDONESIA /
TAIWAN

Figure 2-8
Conflicts at sea. Conflicts arise over ocean territories such as straits and islands, and over
rights to resources such as fish and minerals.

Physical geography can also affect political geogra-
phy . We know that rivers, mountain ridges, and other
physical features are often used to demarcate political
boundaries. Although some are disputed, most of these
natural boundaries are stable. But bodies of water are
problematic to define, presenting many opportunities for
territorial disagreements (Figure 2-8). Many of these dis-
putes will be discussed in the regional chapters.

the United Nations issued the Law of the Sea T Treaty, ,
which allows each coastal state to claim a 200-nautical-mile
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in which it controls
resource rights. Countries are authorized to sell or lease
rights in the EEZ to multinational corporations and can
control fishing and pollution. However, problems arise
when fishers stray over boundaries or pollution comes
from another country' s EEZ.
Designation of EEZs has not solved all problems.
The 200-nautical-mile EEZ does not work where dis-
tance between states is less than 400 nautical miles. T To
solve this dilemma, a median line is used. This line di-
vides the waters equidistantly between the opposing
countries. For example, Malaysia and Indonesia share
the Strait of Malacca, whose width ranges from 8 to

Ocean Disputes and Conflicts

Oceans and seas are problematic because it is difficult to
demarcate, in any practical sense, who owns which terri-
tory or mineral rights, or even who owns fish. In 1982,