France – Saint Lucia Delimitation Agreement
Encyclopedia
The France – Saint Lucia Agreement on Delimitation is a 1981 treaty
between France
and Saint Lucia
which delimits
the maritime boundary
between Saint Lucia
and the French territory of Martinique
.
The treaty was signed in Paris
on 4 March 1981. The text of the treaty sets out a boundary
that is an equidistant line between the two islands in the Saint Lucia Channel
. The boundary is set out in an east–west direction and consists of 17 straight-line maritime
segments defined by 18 individual coordinate points. The far western point of the boundary is the tripoint
with Venezuela
and the far eastern point is the tripoint with Barbados
. Commentators have noted that it is curious that the treaty does not refer to the island of Martinique.
The treaty came into force upon signature. The full name of the treaty is Agreement on Delimitation between the Government of the French Republic and the Government of Saint Lucia.
Treaty
A treaty is an express agreement under international law entered into by actors in international law, namely sovereign states and international organizations. A treaty may also be known as an agreement, protocol, covenant, convention or exchange of letters, among other terms...
between France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia is an island country in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. Part of the Lesser Antilles, it is located north/northeast of the island of Saint Vincent, northwest of Barbados and south of Martinique. It covers a land area of 620 km2 and has an...
which delimits
Boundary delimitation
Boundary delimitation, or simply delimitation, is the term used to describe the drawing of boundaries, but is most often used to describe the drawing of electoral boundaries, specifically those of precincts, states, counties or other municipalities...
the maritime boundary
Maritime boundary
Maritime boundary is a conceptual means of division of the water surface of the planet into maritime areas that are defined through surrounding physical geography or by human geography. As such it usually includes areas of exclusive national rights over the mineral and biological resources,...
between Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia is an island country in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. Part of the Lesser Antilles, it is located north/northeast of the island of Saint Vincent, northwest of Barbados and south of Martinique. It covers a land area of 620 km2 and has an...
and the French territory of Martinique
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
.
The treaty was signed in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
on 4 March 1981. The text of the treaty sets out a boundary
Border
Borders define geographic boundaries of political entities or legal jurisdictions, such as governments, sovereign states, federated states and other subnational entities. Some borders—such as a state's internal administrative borders, or inter-state borders within the Schengen Area—are open and...
that is an equidistant line between the two islands in the Saint Lucia Channel
Saint Lucia Channel
Saint Lucia Channel is a strait in the Caribbean, at . It separates Martinique and Saint Lucia.On August 17, 2007, Hurricane Dean crossed the channel as a Category 2 storm....
. The boundary is set out in an east–west direction and consists of 17 straight-line maritime
Ocean
An ocean is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the hydrosphere. Approximately 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by ocean, a continuous body of water that is customarily divided into several principal oceans and smaller seas.More than half of this area is over 3,000...
segments defined by 18 individual coordinate points. The far western point of the boundary is the tripoint
Tripoint
A tripoint, or trijunction , is a geographical point at which the borders of three countries or subnational entities meet....
with Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
and the far eastern point is the tripoint with Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
. Commentators have noted that it is curious that the treaty does not refer to the island of Martinique.
The treaty came into force upon signature. The full name of the treaty is Agreement on Delimitation between the Government of the French Republic and the Government of Saint Lucia.