North Sea | 12 Mar 2025

Source: DTE 

A cargo ship carrying toxic chemicals collided with a US military-chartered oil tanker in the North Sea. 

North Sea: 

• Location: A shallow, northeastern arm of the Atlantic Ocean between the British Isles and mainland northwestern Europe. 
  • It is connected to the Atlantic by the Strait of Dover and the English Channel and to the Baltic Sea through the Skagerrak and Kattegat. 
  • The deepest point in the North Sea is the Norwegian Trench (725 meters). 
• Borders: Surrounded by the United Kingdom, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. 
• Economic Importance: Major trade route for Europe, linking key ports in the UK, Scandinavia, and mainland Europe. 
  • The 1958 Geneva Convention on the Continental Shelf established countries' rights over adjacent shelves, enabling North Sea exploration, which is rich in oil and gas with extensive offshore drilling.