Coast Introduction
19 02 2008Definition
Coast: Where the land meets the ocean.
Usually a 3 or 4 kilometre strip.
Coastal: On, near, or associated with the coast.
Why are coasts important?
Coastal regions are about 15% of the earth’s land surface.
Costal regions have 50% of the world’s population.
3.1b people live within 200km of the sea.
75% of the population will live in these regions by 2025.
Example: Europe
Europe has 89,000 km of coastline.
Almost half of the population now lives within 50 kilometres of the sea.
The coastal zone resources produce much of the Union’s economic wealth.
The fishing, shipping and tourism industries all compete for coastal space.
