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PARACEL ISLANDS

@Paracel Islands:Geography

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: NA

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%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 100%

Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1993)

Natural hazards: typhoons

Environment-current issues: NA

Environment-international agreements:
party to: none of the selected agreements
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

@Paracel Islands:People

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

@Paracel Islands:Government

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Paracel Islands

Data code: PF

@Paracel Islands:Economy

Economy-overview: no economic activity

@Paracel Islands:Transportation

Ports and harbors: small Chinese port facilities on Woody Island and
Duncan Island being expanded

Airports: 1 (1997 est.)

Airports-with paved runways:
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (1997 est.)

@Paracel Islands:Military

Military-note: occupied by China

@Paracel Islands:Transnational Issues

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

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PARAGUAY

@Paraguay:Geography

Location: Central South America, northeast of Argentina

Geographic coordinates: 23 00 S, 58 00 W

Map references: South America

Area:
total: 406,750 sq km
land: 397,300 sq km
water: 9,450 sq km

Area-comparative: slightly smaller than California

Land boundaries:
total: 3,920 km
border countries: Argentina 1,880 km, Bolivia 750 km, Brazil 1,290 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Climate: subtropical; substantial rainfall in the eastern portions,
becoming semiarid in the far west

Terrain: grassy plains and wooded hills east of Rio Paraguay; Gran
Chaco region west of Rio