OpenGeofiction:Rules of the sea

OpenGeofiction has rules for coastal borders and the creation of islands, without these our world would quickly become chaotic and crowded.

Rules for sea borders

Sea borders should be drawn 22 km from the shore. Note the optional exceptions for island nations, and for bays which are mostly enclosed. (See also: How to create sea borders)

Draw 22km from shoreline	Baseline for island territories	Enclosed inland water
No arbitrary border	Not just a baseline	Sea border must take into account islands

Rules for island building

OGF has some rules for creating coastal and oceanic islands. Without these rules, our world would eventually get pretty crowded...	Avoiding chaos
Therefore user-created islands should respect two basic principles: Islands should be within 100 km of your mainland coastline, and Islands should be reasonably small (use your judgement). Of course larger islands and more distant islands do exist in OGF, but in order to control their number they are normally created by the admin team only.	Within 100km and reasonably small
If you add islands, remember to adjust your 22 km maritime boundary	Adjust the sea border
Coordinate with your neighbors to create a natural looking environment across borders. Study real world maps to mimic islands realistically.	Coordination is important
Please create your own original islands, instead of copying land from Earth	Do not copy
If you are developing an island country, please do not "fatten" your island to gain more land area. If you would like more territory, then please contact admin to select a bigger territory.	Do not fatten

Rules for ferry lines

Ferry routes should be mapped following OpenStreetMap guidelines. Historically, shipping routes were also mapped in OGF, however this is no longer supported.

See also

For information about sea boundaries in the real world: Territorial waters