The United States has the world's second largest exclusive economic zone (EEZ) after France. The total size is <sup>2</sup>. Areas of its EEZ are located in three oceans, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean Sea Including Puerto Rico in the North Atlantic Ocean. Most notable areas are Alaska, Hawaii, the East Coast, West Coast and Gulf Coast of the United States.
The EEZ borders with Russia to the north west, Canada to the north, Cuba, Bahamas, Mexico to the south, Dominican Republic, British Virgin Islands, Anguilla to the south east and Samoa, Niue to the south west. The unincorporated territories of Guam, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and Northern Mariana Islands are included.
A wedge-shaped section of the Beaufort Sea is disputed between Canada and the United States, because the area reportedly contains substantial oil reserves.
Since 2007, the Dominican Republic in Hispaniola considers itself an archipelagic state, encroaching the long-established median or equidistance line dividing the EEZ of the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, and claiming portion of the EEZ claimed by the United States in relation to the archipelago of Puerto Rico, which is itself an unincorporated U.S. territory. The United States does not accept the archipelagic status and maritime boundaries claimed by the Dominican Republic. Victor Prescott, an authority in the field of maritime boundaries, argued that, as the coasts of both states are short coastlines with few offshore islands, an equidistance line is appropriate.