The coastal zone, broadly defined as near-coast waters and the
adjacent land area, forms a dynamic interface of land and water
of high ecological diversity and critical Change Impacts and
Adaptation: A Canadian Perspective The zone includes the beach,
estuaries, the adjacent land draining directly into the coastal
waters, and the offshore waters, usually out to the edge of the
continental shelf. The physical characteristics are described in
Types of Coasts. - Many people live in the coastal zone. Overall
38% of the world's population lives within 100 km of the coast
or estuaries, and 44% live within 150 km of the coast.. - The
number of people living within 100 km of the coast increased
from roughly 2 billion in 1990 to 2.2 billion in 1995—39 percent
of the world's population. From World Resource Institute,
Earthtrends. Thus, each year roughly 50 million more people move
into the coastal - The coastal zone is important because it is a
source of fish and - The coastal zone is an important political
entity. Wha