Exclusive economic zone of Brazil

Brazil's exclusive economic zone is an offshore area of 3.6 million square km on the Brazilian coast, rich in marine biodiversity and energy resources.^[1][2] The size is equivalent to the surface of the Amazon rainforest. The name is a reference to the biologically rich region of the Brazilian Amazon, with the addition of the adjective blue denoting the ocean.

This region has many riches and potential for various types of economic use:

• Fishing, due to the enormous diversity of marine species that reside in this region.
• Metallic minerals and other mineral resources in the seabed;
• Enormous biodiversity of marine species that reside in this region.
• Oil, as found in the Campos Basin and in the Pre-salt layer (Campos Basin, Santos Basin and Espírito Santo Basin – prospecting in these areas already accounts for two million barrels of oil per day, 90% of the current Brazilian production );
• Use of tidal energy and wind energy on the high seas or offshore.

With the entry into force of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCR) in 1995, and in accordance with its provisions, by which rocks without permanent human occupation do not give the right to the establishment of an Exclusive Economic Zone , aiming to explore, to conserve and manage the resources of the region, Brazil – which already occupied the archipelago of Trindade and Martin Vaz, now also occupies the Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago. This decision elevated them to the status of an archipelago, allowing the country to expand its EEZ by 450 thousand square kilometers, an area equivalent to the Brazilian state of Bahia.^[3]

Region	EEZ Area (km2)[4]
Mainland Brazil	2,570,917
Trindade and Martim Vaz Islands	468,599
Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago	413,636
Fernando de Noronha Islands	363,362
Total	3,830,955

• Gonçalves, JB – Brazilian Rights in an Exclusive Economic Zone ... Archived 22 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
• Islands of Brazil: Brazil beyond 200 miles. O Globo , October 12, 2008, p. 59.