I learned for the first time the term "high seas" on an English language forum, now nearly twenty years ago.

And with all the fuss about "exclusive economic zones and even extensions in the high seas depending on the "continental shelf" I saw this week coincidentally a documentary about that subject. (And I am nearly sure that I discussed it yet on these boards some years ago.)
https://www.arte.tv/fr/videos/053952-000-A/a-qui-appartiennent-les-oceans/

And even the high seas aren't save anymore for mining for economic profit...
https://www.ft.com/content/dcbc6e94-de26-11e9-b8e0-026e07cbe5b4

But back to the "exclusive economical" zone and the "continental shelf"
https://sites.tufts.edu/lawofthesea/chapter-two/



If I understand it well the nation states can above their 200 nautical miles EEZ, funded by arguments, call for an extension based on the "continental shelf"?

And I shaw in the documentary that even a small rock can be usefull to require for the British Crown as a circle of  400 NM becomes EEZ, as here:
https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2013/may/28/rockall-nick-hancock-tom-mcclean

Even the Japanese (as ever inventive) made a special factory to grow coral to plant it in on a coral rock, to keep the rock above water by the growing algues from the factory. Again a rock with an 400 nm circle around it.

And yes, who do you think has the largest "EEZ"?
Surprisingly France...




https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/countries-with-the-largest-exclusive-economic-zones.html

1	France	11,691,000
2	United States	11,351,000
3	Australia	8,505,348
4	Russia	7,566,673
5	United Kingdom	6,805,586
6	Indonesia	6,159,032
7	Canada	5,599,077
8	Japan	4,479,388
9	New Zealand	4,083,744
10	Chile	3,681,989
11	Brazil	3,660,955

OOPS: move with the cursor over the hidden black letters:
France: 11,691,000