Country List | World Factbook Home
The World Factbook
| Paracel Islands |

Introduction | Paracel Islands

Background: | 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 the Paracel Islands since 1974, when its troops seized a South Vietnamese garrison occupying the western islands. The islands 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: NA sq km water: 0 sq km land: NA sq km
Area - comparative: | NA
Land boundaries: | 0 km
Coastline: | 518 km
Maritime claims: | NA
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% (2001)
Irrigated land: | 0 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: | typhoons
Environment - current issues: | NA
Geography - note: | composed of 130 small coral islands and reefs divided into the northeast Amphitrite Group and the western Crescent Group

People | Paracel Islands

Population: | no indigenous inhabitants note: there are scattered Chinese garrisons (July 2004 est.)

Government | Paracel Islands

Country name: | conventional long form: none conventional short form: Paracel Islands

Economy | Paracel Islands

Economy - overview: | China announced plans in 1997 to open the islands for tourism.

Transportation | Paracel Islands

Ports and harbors: | small Chinese port facilities on Woody Island and Duncan Island being expanded
Airports: | 1 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: | total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Military | Paracel Islands

Military - note: | occupied by China

Transnational Issues | Paracel Islands

Disputes - international: | occupied by China, but claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005