This book presents a global overview of the key provisions (Article 76) of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas, under which many countries will be able to claim a significant addition to their continental shelf. The aim of the book is to persuade government officials of the resource and environmental implications involved, to provide background information about the development of Article 76, and to help coastal States in developing their submissions for an extended continental shelf. Topics include: characteristics for continental margins, distance determination, bathymetric data collection, geological and geophysical techniques, and boundary conditions.