Final answer:
The international Law of the Sea Treaty establishes a 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) for maritime nations, dictates state rights and obligations for maritime activities, and regulates activities like waste dumping and mining in international waters.
Step-by-step explanation:
The international Law of the Sea Treaty establishes an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) that extends 200 nautical miles seaward from the coast of each maritime nation. This treaty emerged from the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which was signed in 1982 and became effective in 1994. UNCLOS delineates state rights, freedoms, and obligations concerning maritime activities such as shipping, fishing, the protection of the marine environment and the preservation of cultural heritage such as shipwrecks. Under this treaty, state sovereignty extends to the EEZ, granting them rights over natural resources. However, the treaty also provides mechanisms for the arbitration of disputes and regulates activities like the dumping of waste and mining in international waters, although there are restrictions on such activities.