Borders of the Philippines explained

As an archipelago, the Philippines shares no land borders with any country, although the country claims a land border with Malaysia as a consequence of its territorial claims over the eastern portion of the Malaysian state of Sabah.

The maritime borders of the country are complicated by the South China Sea dispute and lack of delimitation agreements with Palau.

Maritime borders

The following are countries shares maritime borders with the Philippines.

Country Notes
The Philippines shares a maritime border with China in the South China Sea although the extent of the border is disputed by the two countries.[1]

The Philippine claim covers an area of the South China Sea island which its government has designated as "West Philippine Sea" which includes the likewise internationally contested Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal. China claims virtually all of the South China Sea via its nine dash line claim of China straddles near the western coastline of the Philippines.

Japan[2]

See main article: Indonesia–Philippines border.

See main article: Malaysia–Philippines border. The international treaty limits separating the Philippines and Malaysia are situated between the Turtle Islands municipality of Tawi-Tawi in the Philippines and the Malaysian state of Sabah.[3] [4]

Portions of Sabah itself are subject to a territorial dispute between the two countries. Malaysia also claims portions of the Spratly Islands

The exact boundaries of Palau and the Philippines is remained to be defined by delimitation talks. A final agreement has not been made regarding the issue.[5] The two countries share a maritime border with Palau situated southeast of the Philippines.[6] [7]
(Republic of China) North of the Philippines is the Republic of China (ROC) controlled Taiwan island. The Philippines has a dispute with the ROC regarding their EEZs in the Bashi Channel.[8]

Republic of China also shares the same claims in the South China Sea by the People's Republic of China.

Notes and References

  1. News: Shen. Wenwen. China and its Neighbours: troubled relations. EU-Asia Centre. March 1, 2012. November 30, 2017.
  2. Web site: Limits in the Seas No. 128 Maritime Boundaries of the World. Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs. November 30, 2017.
  3. News: Turtle Islands: Hundreds of nautical miles away from justice . 20 April 2024 . Philippine Daily Inquirer . 30 June 2010 . en.
  4. News: Garcia . Teofilo Jr. . 3 Filipinos nabbed in PHL-Malaysia border 'innocent' . 20 April 2024 . Philippine News Agency . 12 June 2020.
  5. Web site: Palau president appeals to President Noynoy Aquino to keep embassy. Sun.Star. January 25, 2012. June 2, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20160203130046/http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/local-news/2012/01/25/palau-president-appeals-aquino-keep-embassy-202362. February 3, 2016. dead.
  6. News: Tan. Kimberly Jane. RP talks with Palau, Indonesia over maritime issues. GMA News. June 22, 2008. November 30, 2017.
  7. News: Lee-Brago . Pia . Philippines vows to resolve maritime dispute with Palau . 20 April 2024 . The Philippine Star . 24 September 2021.
  8. Shih . Yi-Che . Chang . Yen-Chiang . Gullett . Warwick . Chiau . Wen-Yan . Challenges and opportunities for fishery rights negotiations in disputed waters – A Taiwanese perspective regarding a fishing boat case incident . Marine Policy . November 2020 . 121 . 103755 . 10.1016/j.marpol.2019.103755 . 20 April 2024.