Encyclopedia
Continental shelf
In these articles, the term "continental shelf" is used in relation to:
(a) the surface and subsoil of seabed areas adjacent to the coast but lying outside the territorial sea, up to a depth of 200 meters, or beyond that limit, up to the point where the water depth allows for the exploitation of natural resources in these areas;
(b) the surface and subsoil of similar seabed areas adjacent to the coasts of islands
Source: "CONVENTION ON THE CONTINENTAL SHELF"