No More "Wild West" on the "High Seas"

There was a time when the western part of the United States was mostly lawless--the "Wild West." Yet slowly but surely, as humanity started to fill up the space, law became more and more necessary. Commerce, land use, water rights and more all require agreed upon laws. Civilization is one term for this process.

Like the "Wild West," the term "High Seas" refers to an area outside of normal laws. The parts of Earth's oceans and seas which can be claimed by no single country (or can be claimed by so many countries that the claims are meaningless) have long been ruled by either pirates or the strongest navy.

But most of the world has ratified a treaty bringing law to all parts of the ocean. The United States, however, has stayed out.

Until now.