Story: Law of the sea
Around the time that the concept of ‘freedom of the seas’ was evolving, in the 17th century, European navigators were exploring the Pacific Ocean. This map shows the routes taken by the Portuguese explorers Fernão de Magalhães (Ferdinand Magellan) and Pedro Fernandes de Queirós, Spaniard Luis Vaez de Torres, Englishman Francis Drake, and Dutchman Abel Tasman. The philosophy behind freedom of the seas was that the ocean outside a territorial sea of about 3 nautical miles could be travelled by anyone, and its resources exploited. This concept supported exploration to new lands.
About this item
Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.