Member States

Chile

Chile is a tricontinental country made up of three geographical zones:

Continental Chile, which consists of a strip along the western coast of the Southern Cone of South America, between the highest section of the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, extending south to the Drake Passage;

Insular Chile, which includes a group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean: the Juan Fernández Archipelago, the Desventuradas Islands, Salas y Gómez Island, and Easter Island, the latter located in Oceania; and

The Chilean Antarctic Territory, a sector of Antarctica between meridians 53° W and 90° W over which Chile claims sovereignty, extending its southern boundary to the South Pole.

Chile has a coastline 6,435 km long and exercises exclusive rights and sovereignty over its maritime space, known as the Chilean Sea. This maritime space comprises four zones: the Territorial Sea, the Contiguous Zone, the Exclusive Economic Zone, and the Continental Shelf.

Grupo 6

Maritime Authority of

Chile

FOTO AAMM

The Maritime Authority of the country is under the responsibility of the Directorate General of the Maritime Territory and Merchant Marine.

Created by Decree Law on August 30, 1953, the Directorate General of the Maritime Territory and Merchant Marine has as its main functions the protection of Human Life at Sea, the protection of the Aquatic Environment and Marine Natural Resources, the regulation of maritime–port activities, and the enforcement of national laws and international agreements in force.

ORGANIC DEPENDENCE

DIRECTEMAR reports to the Commander-in-Chief of the Chilean Navy, which in turn reports to the Ministry of National Defense.

It serves as the State’s highest Maritime Authority and holds exclusive and excluding powers in this field. Furthermore, in carrying out its international functions as the State’s representative, it performs these duties in accordance with the foreign policy established by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Directorate General of the Maritime Territory and Merchant Marine is the high-level body of the Chilean Navy whose mission is to ensure compliance with current laws and international agreements, to provide safety in navigation, protect human life at sea, preserve the aquatic environment and marine natural resources, and oversee the activities carried out within the maritime area under its jurisdiction, with the purpose of contributing to the Nation’s maritime development.

“The Directorate General of the Maritime Territory and Merchant Marine, in order to contribute to the maritime development of the Nation, upholds as its guiding Vision and Commitment: To provide an excellent Maritime Public Service.”