Rockall
Southern face of Rockall
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| Geography | |
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| Location | North-east Atlantic |
| Coordinates | 57°35′46.695″N 13°41′14.308″W / 57.59630417°N 13.68730778°WCoordinates: 57°35′46.695″N 13°41′14.308″W / 57.59630417°N 13.68730778°W |
| OS grid reference | MC035165 |
| Area | 784.3 m2 (8,442 sq ft) |
| Highest elevation | 17.15 m (56.27 ft) |
| Administration | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Council area | Na h-Eileanan Siar |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 0 |
Rockall /ˈrɒkɔːl/ is an uninhabited granite islet within the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the United Kingdom. It is situated in the North Atlantic Ocean at the following rough distances from the closest large islands: 430 km (270 miles) north-west of Ireland, 460 km (290 miles) west of Great Britain and 700 km (440 miles) south of Iceland. The nearest permanently inhabited place is North Uist, an island in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, 370 km (230 miles) to the east.
The United Kingdom incorporated Rockall in 1955. The UK does not make a claim to extended EEZ based on Rockall and the country has ratified the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which states "Rocks which cannot sustain human habitation or economic life of their own shall have no exclusive economic zone or continental shelf". However, such features are entitled to a territorial sea extending 12 nautical miles. Historically, Ireland did not recognise Britain's claim to the rock or the territorial sea surrounding it. With effect from 31 March 2014, the UK and Ireland published EEZ limits which resolved any disputes over the extent of their respective EEZs.
In response to a Freedom of Information request the British Government has written, "The islet of Rockall is part of the UK: specifically it forms part of Scotland under the Island of Rockall Act 1972. No other state has disputed our claim to the islet."
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