What are Internal Waters?

Internal waters refer to bodies of water on the landward side of the baseline from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured. This definition implies that these waters are entirely surrounded by a nation’s land and do not extend to the high seas or provide access to international waters. Thus, they do not allow passage to the open sea or connect directly to another country.

Selecting B accurately captures this understanding by stating that these waters provide neither access to the open sea nor a foreign country. This characteristic distinguishes them from territorial seas or international waters, which are subject to different laws and rights regarding navigation and passage.

The other options do not reflect this proper definition. Access to the open sea is not permissible in internal waters, and internal waters are not defined by international treaties but rather by the sovereignty of the state that controls them. Similarly, while navigability for commercial ships is a feature of internal waters, it does not encompass the full legal definition of what internal waters are, as not all navigable waters are considered internal.