The Philippines is composed of more than 7,100 islands and islets lying a little above the equator off

the coast of Asia . Its island stretch almost a thousand miles from north to south and its irregular
coastline consists of 10,850 statue miles, twice as long as that of the United States. Its total land area
is about 114,830 square miles, one half of which is covered by forests.

The Philippines archipelago, with all the islands and water embrace there in the above definition of our
national territory shall have reference to and shall cover the islands and the waters set forth in the
Treaty of Paris of December 10, 1898, the Treaty of November 7, 1900 between the United States and
Spain (covering Cagayan, Sulu and Siboto groups omitted in the Treaty of Paris) and the Treaty of
January 2, 1930 between the United States and Great Britain (covering Turtle Islands and the
Mangsee Groups). It was, therefore, erroneous to conclude that the above definition did away with the
territorial waters set forth in the Treaty of Paris .

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, adopted in 1982 but not yet in force,
addresses ocean law issues, including rights of navigation and overflight, fishing, marine
scientific research, seabed minerals development, and marine environmental protection. It allows
each coastal nation to exercise sovereignty over a territorial sea up to 12 nautical miles (22
km/14 mi) wide and jurisdiction over resources, scientific research, and environmental protection
in an exclusive economic zone up to 200 nautical miles (370 km/230 mi) offshore; beyond this
zone, seabed minerals development will be regulated by an international body.
According to the widely accepted Law of the Sea (see Maritime Law), each nation that borders
the ocean may claim an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), which extends offshore for 200
nautical miles (370 km/230 mi). Resources within an EEZ belong to the nation that claims it.

Speaking of the scope and legal implications of the boundaries of the Philippines archipelago, the
Committee on National Territory of the 1971 Constitutional Convention, observed:

“if we plot on a map the boundaries of the Philippines archipelago as set forth in the Treaty of Paris , a
huge or giant rectangle will emerge, measuring about 600 miles in width, and over 1,200 miles in
length. Inside the rectangle are 7,100 islands comprising the Philippines Islands . From the east coast
of Luzon to the eastern boundary of this huge rectangle in the Pacific Ocean , there is distance of over
300 miles. From the west coast of Luzon to the western boundary of this giant rectangle in the China
Sea , there is a distance over 150 miles."