In 1972, the U.S. proclaimed a contiguous zone extending from 3 to 12 miles offshore (Department of State Public Notice 358, 37 Fed. Reg. 11906 (June 15, 1972), consistent with the 1958 UN Convention on the Territorial Sea and Contiguous Zone.
The aperture of a lens is the opening in the diaphragm that controls how much light is allowed to reach your focal plane (film or sensor). The aperture is usually rated as a fraction of the focal length, hence the f/x.y nomenclature. The wider an aperture is, the more light it allows through, and the smaller the number under f/ is.
Aperture is how we describe the size of the opening that determines how much light can come into your lens (like an iris on your eye). Assuming two lenses have the same size opening, a wider aperture value (smaller f stop #) will let more light in than the same size lens with a larger minimum aperture value.