U.S. added over one million square kilometers to its territory
U.S. added over one million square kilometers to its territory America just got a whole lot bigger. The United States has successfully claimed an additional one million square kilometers beneath the ocean, expanding its extended continental shelf boundaries. Yes, it’s like America just bought a new basement, one that is almost 60% the size of Alaska. Mead Treadwell, former lieutenant governor of Alaska and chair of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, helps us understand the situation. “America is larger than it was yesterday. It’s not quite the Louisiana Purchase. It’s not quite the purchase of Alaska, but the new area of land and subsurface resources under the land controlled by the United States is two Californias larger,” Treadwell explained. Understanding Extended Continental Shelf (ECS) What’s this all about? Well, imagine the ocean as a multi-story building, with each country owning specific floors extending out from their shoreline. Typically, a country’s rights stop after 200 ...