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CATEGORIES
◆ ECONOMY(1 fields)
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.
◆ GEOGRAPHY(18 fields)
Area
total: ca. 7.75 sq km | land: ca. 7.75 sq km | water: 0 sq km | country comparison to the world: 245
Area - comparative
land area is about 13 times the size of the National Mall in Washington, DC
Climate
tropical
Coastline
518 km
Elevation
mean elevation: NA | elevation extremes: lowest point: South China Sea 0 m | highest point: unnamed location on Rocky Island 14 m
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
Geographic coordinates
16 30 N, 112 00 E
Geography - note
composed of 130 small coral islands and reefs divided into the northeast Amphitrite Group and the western Crescent Group
Irrigated land
0 sq km (2012)
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
agricultural land: 0% | arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; permanent pasture 0% | forest: 0% | other: 100% (2011 est.)
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
Map references
Southeast Asia
Maritime claims
NA
Natural hazards
typhoons
Natural resources
none
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
Terrain
mostly low and flat
◆ GOVERNMENT(1 fields)
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"
◆ INTRODUCTION(1 fields)
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.
◆ MILITARY AND SECURITY(1 fields)
Military - note
occupied by China
◆ PEOPLE AND SOCIETY(2 fields)
Population
no indigenous inhabitants | 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
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
◆ TRANSNATIONAL ISSUES(1 fields)
Disputes - international
occupied by China, also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam
◆ TRANSPORTATION(3 fields)
Airports
1 (2013) | country comparison to the world: 230
Airports - with paved runways
total: 1 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2017)
Ports and terminals
small Chinese port facilities on Woody Island and Duncan Island