East Indian Archipelago
The East Indian Archipelago (Indonesia) is an area designated by the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO). It encompasses twelve seas, two gulfs, and one strait in the East Indies (Southeast Asia).[1]
The waters of the East Indian Archipelago are:
- Arafura Sea
- Bali Sea
- Banda Sea
- Celebes Sea
- Ceram Sea
- Flores Sea
- Gulf of Boni
- Gulf of Tomini
- Halmahera Sea
- Java Sea
- Makassar Strait
- Molucca Sea
- Savu Sea
- Sulu Sea
- Timor Sea
Six of the seas, the two gulfs, and the strait are wholly waters of Indonesia. The Sulu Sea, lying between the Philippines and Sabah (a state of Malaysia on the island of Borneo), is not entirely in Indonesian waters. The other five seas are partially Indonesian.
Five countries have exclusive economic zones (EEZ) that extend into one or more of the five seas that are partially Indonesian. Apart from the Sulu Sea, Philippine and Malaysian EEZs also extend into the Celebes Sea. The East Timor EEZ is wholly within the Savu, Banda, and Timor Seas. Australia's EEZ extends into both the Timor and Arafura Seas and Papua New Guinea's EEZ extends into the Arafura Sea from its far southwest coast.
References
- ↑ "Limits of Oceans and Seas, 3rd edition" (PDF). International Hydrographic Organization. 1953.