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Appendices

East & Southeast Asia :: Paracel Islands

page last updated on December 20, 2011

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Introduction ::Paracel Islands

Background:

Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.

The Paracel Islands are surrounded by productive fishing grounds and by potential oil and gas reserves. In 1932, French Indochina annexed the islands and set up a weather station on Pattle Island; maintenance was continued by its successor, Vietnam. China has occupied all the Paracel Islands since 1974, when its troops seized a South Vietnamese garrison occupying the western islands. China built a military installation on Woody Island with an airfield and artificial harbor. The islands also are claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam.

Geography ::Paracel Islands

Location:

Southeastern Asia, group of small islands and reefs in the South China Sea, about one-third of the way from central Vietnam to the northern Philippines

Geographic coordinates:

16 30 N, 112 00 E

Map references:

Southeast Asia

Area:

total: ca. 7.75 sq km

land: ca. 7.75 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:

Land boundaries:

0 km

Coastline:

518 km

Maritime claims:

Climate:

tropical

Terrain:

mostly low and flat

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: South China Sea 0 m

highest point: unnamed location on Rocky Island 14 m

Natural resources:

none

Land use:

arable land: 0%

permanent crops: 0%

other: 100% (2005)

Irrigated land:

0 sq km

Natural hazards:

typhoons

Environment - current issues:

Geography - note:

composed of 130 small coral islands and reefs divided into the northeast Amphitrite Group and the western Crescent Group

People and Society ::Paracel Islands

Population:

no indigenous inhabitants

note: there are scattered Chinese garrisons

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

Government ::Paracel Islands

Country name:

conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Paracel Islands

Economy ::Paracel Islands

Economy - overview:

The islands have the potential for oil and gas development. Waters around the islands support commercial fishing, but the islands themselves are not populated on a permanent basis.