ervice:
males age 18-49: 902,432 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$16.9 million (2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.4% (FY02)

Transnational Issues Papua New Guinea

Disputes - international:
relies on assistance from Australia to keep out illegal
cross-border activities from primarily Indonesia, including goods
smuggling, illegal narcotics trafficking, and squatters and
secessionists

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005

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@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
land: NA 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:
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

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 Pa