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Spratly Islands

2000 Edition — disputed

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Economy
Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]
Economic activity is limited to commercial fishing. The proximity to nearby oil- and gas-producing sedimentary basins suggests the potential for oil and gas deposits, but the region is largely unexplored, and there are no reliable estimates of potential reserves; commercial exploitation has yet to be developed.
Geography
Area [time series]
total: less than 5 sq km land: less than 5 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes 100 or so islets, coral reefs, and sea mounts scattered over an area of nearly 410,000 sq km of the central South China Sea
Area - comparative [time series]
NA
Climate [time series]
tropical
Coastline [time series]
926 km
Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Southwest Cay 4 m
Environment - current issues [time series]
NA
Geographic coordinates [time series]
8 38 N, 111 55 E
Geography - note [time series]
strategically located near several primary shipping lanes in the central South China Sea; includes numerous small islands, atolls, shoals, and coral reefs
Irrigated land [time series]
0 sq km (1993)
Land boundaries [time series]
0 km
Land use [time series]
arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 100%
Location [time series]
Southeastern Asia, group of reefs and islands in the South China Sea, about two-thirds of the way from southern Vietnam to the southern Philippines
Map references [time series]
Southeast Asia
Maritime claims [time series]
NA
Natural hazards [time series]
typhoons; serious maritime hazard because of numerous reefs and shoals
Natural resources [time series]
fish, guano, undetermined oil and natural gas potential
Terrain [time series]
flat
Government
Country name [time series]
conventional long form: none conventional short form: Spratly Islands
Data code [time series]
PG
Military
Military - note [time series]
Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or reefs, of which about 45 are claimed and occupied by China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam
People
Population [time series]
no indigenous inhabitants note: there are scattered garrisons occupied by personnel of several claimant states (July 2000 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international [time series]
all of the Spratly Islands are claimed by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam; parts of them are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines; in 1984, Brunei established an exclusive fishing zone, which encompasses Louisa Reef in the southern Spratly Islands, but has not publicly claimed the island [Country Listing] [ The World Factbook Home]
Transportation
Airports [time series]
4 (1999 est.)
Airports - with paved runways [time series]
total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1999 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]
total: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (1999 est.)
Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]
none