Australia–France Marine Delimitation Agreement facts for kids
| Agreement on Marine Delimitation between the Government of Australia and the Government of the French Republic | |
|---|---|
| Type | boundary delimitation |
| Signed | 4 January 1982 |
| Location | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Effective | 10 January 1983 |
| Parties |  Australia France |
| Languages | English; French |
The Australia–France Marine Delimitation Agreement is an important agreement from 1982. It was made between Australia and France. This agreement helps to draw the ocean borders between their territories.
Contents
What is This Agreement About?
This agreement is like drawing lines on a map, but in the ocean. It clearly shows where Australia's ocean area ends and France's ocean area begins. This helps both countries know their rights and responsibilities in different parts of the ocean.
The agreement was signed in Melbourne, Australia, on January 4, 1982. It actually sets up two different ocean borders.
The First Ocean Border: Australia and New Caledonia
One of the borders is in the Coral Sea. This line separates Australia's ocean territory from New Caledonia, which is a French territory. This includes the border between Australia's Norfolk Island and New Caledonia.
This border is made up of 21 straight lines. These lines connect 22 specific points in the ocean. The border is drawn so that it's about the same distance from both Australia and New Caledonia. For this border, it was decided that France would be considered in charge of the Matthew and Hunter Islands. These islands are also claimed by Vanuatu. The very top of this border is a special point where the ocean areas of Australia, France, and the Solomon Islands all meet. This border generally runs from north to south, then turns and goes from west to east.
The Second Ocean Border: Southern Indian Ocean
The second border is in the southern Indian Ocean. This line separates Heard Island and McDonald Islands (which belong to Australia) from Kerguelen Island (which belongs to France).
This border is also drawn to be roughly the same distance from both sets of islands. It is made up of seven straight lines. These lines connect eight specific points in the ocean.
When Did the Agreement Start?
The agreement officially started on January 10, 1983. This happened after both Australia and France had officially approved it. The full name of this important agreement is Agreement on Marine Delimitation between the Government of Australia and the Government of the French Republic.
