In 2012, the Cook Islands and Kiribati signed a maritime boundary agreement that delimited their overlapping entitlements to an exclusive economic zone and continental shelf. The boundary, which was established based on the principle of equidistance, is 482 nautical miles long and is made up of a starting point, terminal point and 12 internal turning points all connected with geodesic line segments. For Kiribati’s Line Islands, the boundary was controlled by Starbuck, Vostok and Flint Islands, and for the Cook Islands, its sole controlling island was Penrhyn.

Kiribati is an Archipelagic State located in the South Pacific Ocean and is composed of 33 insular features spread among three groupings, which include the Phoenix Islands, the Line Islands, and the Gilbert Islands. The Cook Islands is an island nation that is composed of 15 islands located in the South Pacific Ocean. While it has not yet gained full independence, it is nonetheless a self-governing nation that remains in free association with New Zealand.