The Regime of Islands in International Law - Publications on Ocean Development Volume 15

Islands, islets, low-tide elevations, drying rocks, rocks awash, shoals, reefs, atolls, island fringes, groups of islands- archipelagos, archipelagic States and artificial islands; of what purport are these terms in international law? How are they to be distinguished? What rules govern the construction and use of artificial islands? These are the characteristic issues of islands in international law. Already, a complex legal framework exists as a basis for a resolution of some of these issues. Identification of a wide range of insular features, and extension and consolidation of national jurisdiction have brought about gradual refinement of an emerging complex international legal regime of islands. 

This book is part of a series of studies on the International, Legal, Institutional and Policy Aspects of Ocean Development.