Brazil's exclusive economic zone is an offshore area of 3.6 million square km on the Brazilian coast, rich in marine biodiversity and energy resources.[1][2] The size is equivalent to the surface of the Amazon rainforest. The name is a reference to the biologically rich region of the Brazilian Amazon, with the addition of the adjective blue denoting the ocean.
Economic potential
editThis region has many riches and potential for various types of economic use:
- Fishing, due to the enormous diversity of marine species that reside in this region.
- Metallic minerals and other mineral resources in the seabed;
- Enormous biodiversity of marine species that reside in this region.
- Oil, as found in the Campos Basin and in the Pre-salt layer (Campos Basin, Santos Basin and Espírito Santo Basin – prospecting in these areas already accounts for two million barrels of oil per day, 90% of the current Brazilian production );
- Use of tidal energy and wind energy on the high seas or offshore.
History
editWith the entry into force of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCR) in 1995, and in accordance with its provisions, by which rocks without permanent human occupation do not give the right to the establishment of an Exclusive Economic Zone , aiming to explore, to conserve and manage the resources of the region, Brazil – which already occupied the archipelago of Trindade and Martin Vaz, now also occupies the Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago. This decision elevated them to the status of an archipelago, allowing the country to expand its EEZ by 450 thousand square kilometers, an area equivalent to the Brazilian state of Bahia.[3]
Geography
edit| Region | EEZ Area (km2)[4] |
|---|---|
 Mainland Brazil |
2,570,917 |
 Trindade and Martim Vaz Islands |
468,599 |
 Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago |
413,636 |
 Fernando de Noronha Islands |
363,362 |
| Total | 3,830,955 |
References
edit- ^ Wiesebron, Marianne (January–June 2013). "Blue Amazon: Thinking The Defense of The Brazilian Maritime Territory". Austral: Brazilian Journal of Strategy & International Relations. 2 (3): 101–124. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
- ^ Ortiz, Fabiola (2 May 2015). "The Blue Amazon, Brazil's New Natural Resources Frontier". Inter Press Service. Inter Press Service News Agency. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
- ^ Ilhas do Brasil: O Brasil além das 200 milhas. O Globo, 12 de outubro de 2008, p. 59.
- ^ See Around Us Project (n.d.). "Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ)". Retrieved 3 June 2015.
EEZ waters of: Mainland Brazil 2,570,917 km2, Fernando de Noronha Islands 363,362 km2, Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago 413,636 km2, and the Trindade and Martim Vaz Islands 468,599 km2