What are Foreign Territorial Seas?

The term "Foreign Territorial Seas" refers specifically to the waters that are adjacent to a foreign nation's coast. Territorial seas are generally defined as the belt of coastal water extending at most 12 nautical miles from the baseline of a coastal state. However, when discussing "foreign" territorial seas, it emphasizes waters that belong to other nations, as opposed to one's own territorial sea.

Understanding that territorial seas grant the coastal state sovereignty over the water column, the sea bed, and the air space above it, the concept of foreign territorial seas highlights the jurisdiction and rights of other nations over their adjacent waters. This is an important aspect of international maritime law, particularly in situations involving navigation, fishing rights, and maritime enforcement by foreign nations.

In contrast, the other choices refer to different definitions or scenarios that do not accurately describe "Foreign Territorial Seas." For instance, waters on the high seas are areas not under any nation's sovereignty, and while waters within 12 nautical miles of a nation's coast do define territorial seas, they do not pertain specifically to foreign territories. Lastly, waters beyond the territorial sea extend into the high seas and do not align with the concept of a foreign nation's territorial jurisdiction.