tween
Chinese and Vietnamese naval forces

Spratly Islands Geography

Location: Southeastern Asia, group of reefs and islands in the South
China Sea, about two-thirds of the way from southern Vietnam to the
southern Philippines

Geographic coordinates: 8 38 N, 111 55 E

Map references: Southeast Asia

Area: total: less than 5 sq km

land: less than 5 sq km

water: 0 sq km

note: includes 100 or so islets, coral reefs, and sea mounts
scattered over an area of nearly 410,000 sq km of the central South
China Sea

Area - comparative: NA

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 926 km

Maritime claims: NA

Climate: tropical

Terrain: flat

Elevation extremes: lowest point: South China Sea 0 m

highest point: unnamed location on Southwest Cay 4 m

Natural resources: fish, guano, undetermined oil and natural gas
potential

Land use: arable land: 0%

permanent crops: 0%

permanent pastures: 0%

forests and woodland: 0%

other: 100%

Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1993)

Natural hazards: typhoons; serious maritime hazard because of
numerous reefs and shoals

Environment - current issues: NA

Geography - note: strategically located near several primary
shipping lanes in the central South China Sea; includes numerous
small islands, atolls, shoals, and coral reefs

Spratly Islands People

Population: no indigenous inhabitants

note: there are scattered garrisons occupied by personnel of
several claimant states (July 2001 est.)

Spratly Islands Government

Country name: conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Spratly Islands

Spratly Islands Economy

Economy - overview: Economic activity is limited to commercial
fishing. The proximity to nearby oil- and gas-producing sedimentary
basins suggests the potential for oil and gas deposits, but the
region is largely unexplored, and there are no reliable estimates of
potential reserves; commercial exploitation has yet to be developed.

Spratly Islands Transportation

Waterways: none

Ports and harbors: none; offshore anchorage only

Airports: 4 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 1

914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 3

914 to 1,523 m: 1

under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.)

Spratly Islands Military

Military - note: Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small
islands or reefs, of which about 45 are claimed and occup