East Asia/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: 7.75 sq km ca.
  land: 7.75 sq km ca.
  water: 0 sq km
  country comparison to the world: 244
  Area - comparative:
  land area is about 13 times the size of the National Mall in Washington, DC
  Land boundaries:
  0 km
  Coastline:
  518 km
  Maritime claims:
  NA
  Climate:
  tropical
  Terrain:
  mostly low and flat
  Elevation:
  0 m lowest point: South China Sea
  14 highest point: unnamed location on Rocky Island
  Natural resources:
  none
  Land use:
  agricultural land: 0% (2011 est.)
  arable land: 0% (2011 est.) / permanent crops: 0% (2011 est.) / permanent pasture: 0% (2011 est.)
  forest: 0% (2011 est.)
  other: 100% (2011 est.)
  Irrigated land:
  0 sq km (2012)
  Population distribution:
  a population of over 1,000 Chinese resides on Woody Island, the largest of the Paracels; there are scattered Chinese garrisons on some other islands
  Natural hazards:
  typhoons
  Environment - current issues:
  China's use of dredged sand and coral to build artificial islands harms reef systems; ongoing human activities, including military operations, infrastructure construction, and tourism endangers local ecosystem including birds, fish, marine mammals, and marine reptiles
  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:
  1,440 (2014 est.)

  note: Chinese activity has increased in recent years, particularly on Woody Island, where the population exceeds 1,000; there are scattered Chinese garrisons on some other islands

  country comparison to the world: 234
  Population distribution:
  a population of over 1,000 Chinese resides on Woody Island, the largest of the Paracels; there are scattered Chinese garrisons on some other islands
- Government :: Paracel Islands
- Country name:
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Paracel Islands
  etymology: Portuguese navigators began to refer to the "Ilhas do Pracel" in the 16th century as a designation of low lying islets, sandbanks, and reefs scattered over a wide area; over time the name changed to "parcel" and then "paracel"
- 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: 233
  Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 1 (2017)
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2017)
  Ports and terminals:
  small Chinese port facilities on Woody Island and Duncan Island
- Military and Security :: Paracel Islands
- Military - note:
  occupied by China
- Transnational Issues :: Paracel Islands
- Disputes - international:
  occupied by China, also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam