Paracel Islands

group of islands, reefs, banks and other maritime features in the South China Sea

Paracel Islands is the name for a number of uninhabited atolls and reefs in the South China Sea. They are about 330 kilometres (210 mi) from Hainan and about 400 kilometres (250 mi) from Vietnam. Currently they are under the control of the People's Republic of China, but Taiwan and Vietnam also claim them. The islands are uninhabited.[1]

Paracel Islands
Disputed islands
Paracel Islands
Geography
Location South China Sea
Coordinates 16°30′N 112°00′E / 16.500°N 112.000°E / 16.500; 112.000
Total islands >30
Major islands Rocky Island, Tree Island, Woody Island
Area 15,000 km² (ocean surface)
Coastline 518 kilometres (322 mi)
Highest point on Rocky Island
14 metres (46 ft)
Administered by
 People's Republic of China
Province Hainan
Claimed by
 Viet Nam
Prefecture-level city Da Nang
 Republic of China
Municipality Kaohsiung
Paracel Islands
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese西沙群島
Simplified Chinese西沙群岛
Vietnamese name
VietnameseQuần đảo Hoàng Sa
Hán-Nôm群島黃沙
The location of the Paracel and Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.

The islands are located in the South China Sea consisting of over 30 islets, sandbanks and reefs with about 15,000 square kilometres (5,800 sq mi) of the ocean surface. The archipelago is approximately equidistant from the coastlines of Vietnam and China, 180 nautical miles (330 km; 210 mi) southeast of Hainan Island, and about one-third of the way from central Vietnam to the northern Philippines. Turtles live on the islands, and seabirds have left nests and guano deposits, but there are no permanent human residents except military personnel and fishermen.[2]

The islands are divided into two main groups. The Amphitrite group is in the northeast and the Crescent group is in the southwest, and they are located about 70 km (43 mi) from one another. Subject to hot and humid climate, with abundant rainfall and frequent typhoons, the archipelago is surrounded by productive fishing grounds and potential oil and gas reserves.

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References

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  1. "Paracel Islands" at CIA World Factbook Archived 2014-09-24 at the Wayback Machine; excerpt, "no indigenous inhabitants"; retrieved 2013-4-19.
  2. Paracel Islands Population - Demographics