Australia's Maritime Jurisdiction and Continental Shelf Map

Australia's Maritime Jurisdiction wall map depicts the nation's maritime boundaries, including external territories and the Australian Antarctic Territory. It is one of 27 maps in the 'Australia's Maritime Jurisdiction Map Series' produced by the Australian Ocean Data Network. The map incorporates bathymetry data from 2009 and continental shelf limits approved in April 2008.

Use Cases

• Analyze the approved extended continental shelf boundaries for legal or resource claims.
• Use the bathymetry background layer for oceanographic or geological modeling.
• Reference maritime jurisdiction lines for cartographic projects or educational materials.
• Integrate the map's territorial and EEZ boundaries into GIS systems for spatial analysis.

Strengths

• Part of a series of 27 constituent maps providing detailed jurisdictional coverage.
• Incorporates bathymetry data from a 2009 9 arc-second grid and a 1997 source for depth information.
• Includes continental shelf limits formally approved by the UN Commission in April 2008.

Limitations

• Primary data is a static PDF map, limiting direct machine-readability and analysis.
• Background bathymetry imagery combines sources from 1997 and 2009, which may be outdated for some applications.
• No underlying tabular or vector data (e.g., shapefiles) are specified, restricting GIS integration.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network, part of the 'Australia's Maritime Jurisdiction Map Series' (GeoCat 71789).

Collection Method

Cartographic compilation from official boundary data and synthesized bathymetric grids.

Time Range

Continental shelf limits approved April 2008; bathymetry data from 1997 and 2009.

Freshness

Map data reflects boundaries approved in 2008 and bathymetry from 2009; metadata last updated April 2026.

Geography

Australia's full maritime jurisdiction, including external territories and the Australian Antarctic Territory.