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East & Southeast Asia :: 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 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:
  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:
  agricultural land: 0%
  arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; permanent pasture 0%
  forest: 0%
  other: 100% (2011 est.)
  Irrigated land:
  0 sq km (2011)
  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 and Society :: PARACEL ISLANDS

- Population:
  no indigenous inhabitants
  note: there are scattered Chinese garrisons

- ## 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.

- ## Transportation :: PARACEL ISLANDS

- Airports:
  1 (2013)
  country comparison to the world: 230
  Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2013)
  Ports and terminals:
  small Chinese port facilities on Woody Island and Duncan Island

- ## Military :: PARACEL ISLANDS

- Military - note:
  occupied by China

- ## Transnational Issues :: PARACEL ISLANDS

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

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