CSS International Law chapter 2: Subjects and territory MCQs with answers
By Team Megalecture · Updated 4 Nov 2026
54 exam-style questions on Subjects and territory, each with the answer and a short explanation. Ten of them are below to try. The chapter test draws ten fresh questions each time and is marked the moment you finish, with your score by topic.
Try each one, then open the answer. These ten stay the same; the test draws new ones every time.
1. The exclusive economic zone under UNCLOS extends up to
A
350 nautical miles from the baselines
B
24 nautical miles from the baselines
C
12 nautical miles from the baselines
D
200 nautical miles from the baselines
Show answer
Answer: D. Article 57 limits the EEZ to 200 nautical miles from the baselines from which the territorial sea is measured.
2. Britain recognised the Soviet government de facto in 1921. It granted de jure recognition in
A
1933
B
1924
C
1917
D
1919
Show answer
Answer: B. Britain gave de jure recognition in 1924; the United States did not recognise the Soviet government until 1933.
3. State A prosecutes foreigners who, in another country, forged A's banknotes. This is jurisdiction on the
A
passive personality principle
B
universal principle
C
territorial principle
D
protective principle
Show answer
Answer: D. The protective principle applies to acts abroad that threaten the security or vital functions of the state, such as forging its currency or plotting against its government.
4. Pirates are seized on the high seas by a warship of a state that has no link to their ship or victims, and are tried by that state. The basis of jurisdiction is
A
nationality jurisdiction
B
universal jurisdiction
C
territorial jurisdiction
D
protective jurisdiction
Show answer
Answer: B. Piracy, like genocide and war crimes, is a crime of universal jurisdiction: any state may prosecute it, whatever the nationality of the offender or victim.
5. Under Article 121(3) of UNCLOS, rocks that cannot sustain human habitation or economic life of their own have no
A
territorial sea or airspace
B
baselines of any kind
C
territorial sea or contiguous zone
D
exclusive economic zone or continental shelf
Show answer
Answer: D. A rock keeps a territorial sea and contiguous zone like other land, but the Convention denies it an EEZ and continental shelf.
6. While exercising innocent passage in a foreign territorial sea, a submarine must
A
obtain a licence from the International Maritime Organization
B
remain submerged and silent
C
anchor at the nearest port
D
navigate on the surface and show its flag
Show answer
Answer: D. Article 20 requires submarines and other underwater vehicles to navigate on the surface and show their flag in the territorial sea.
7. A state claims jurisdiction over an offence committed abroad because the victim was its national. This is called
A
active personality
B
the protective principle
C
universal jurisdiction
D
passive personality
Show answer
Answer: D. Passive personality looks to the nationality of the victim; the nationality (active personality) principle looks to the offender. It is accepted in some treaties but is more controversial.
8. A foreign government buys office furniture from a local firm and refuses to pay. Under the restrictive theory of immunity the firm
A
may sue only in the courts of the foreign state itself, under its own law
B
cannot sue, because all acts of states are immune from suit
C
may sue in the local court, because the purchase is a commercial act
D
may sue only if the Security Council gives its consent
Show answer
Answer: C. A contract of purchase is an act jure gestionis, so the state cannot claim immunity from local courts.
9. Which of the following is NOT a freedom of the high seas under Article 87?
A
Freedom to lay submarine cables and pipelines
B
Freedom of overflight for aircraft of all states
C
The right of a state to subject part of the high seas to its sovereignty
D
Freedom of navigation for the ships of all states, whether coastal or landlocked
Show answer
Answer: C. Article 89 declares invalid any claim to subject part of the high seas to the sovereignty of a state. The other three are listed freedoms.
10. The normal baseline from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured is
A
the outer edge of the continental shelf
B
the line where the sea is 200 metres deep
C
the low-water line along the coast
D
the high-water line along the coast
Show answer
Answer: C. Article 5 of UNCLOS takes the low-water line along the coast, as marked on large-scale charts, as the normal baseline.
54, each with the answer and a short explanation, across 3 topics: States, recognition and succession, Territory, jurisdiction and immunity, Law of the sea. Every chapter test draws ten of them, so you can take it many times.
Is the CSS International Law chapter 2 test free?
Yes. The test, the answers and the explanations are free and need no sign-up. Sign in only if you want your scores kept across devices.
How is the chapter test marked?
The moment you press Finish: your score, the right answer and an explanation for every question, and the ones you got wrong saved in My mistakes to retry.
