Spratly Islands

   Introduction Spratly Islands
   ----------------------------
                            Background: This archipelago - surrounded by
                                        rich fishing grounds and potentially
                                        by gas and oil deposits - is claimed
                                        in its entirety by China, Taiwan,
                                        and Vietnam, while portions are
                                        claimed by Malaysia and the
                                        Philippines. All five parties occupy
                                        certain islands or reefs.
  
   Geography Spratly Islands
   -------------------------
                              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
                                        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
                                        water: 0 sq km
                                        land: less than 5 sq km
                    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%
                                        other: 100% (1998 est.)
                        Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1998 est.)
                       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
  
   People Spratly Islands
   ----------------------
                             Population: no indigenous inhabitants
                                         note: there are scattered garrisons
                                         occupied by personnel of several
                                         claimant states (July 2002 est.)
                 Population growth rate: NA
  
   Government Spratly Islands
   --------------------------
                             Country name: conventional long form: none
                                           conventional short form: Spratly
                                           Islands
  
   Economy Spratly Islands
   -----------------------
                    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.
  
  
   Transportation Spratly Islands
   ------------------------------
                                    Waterways: none
                            Ports and harbors: none; offshore anchorage only
                                     Airports: 4 (2001)
                Airports - with paved runways: total: 1
                                               914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2001)
              Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 3
                                               914 to 1,523 m: 1
                                               under 914 m: 2 (2001)
  
   Military Spratly Islands
   ------------------------
                       Military - note: Spratly Islands consist of more than
                                        100 small islands or reefs, of which
                                        about 45 are claimed and occupied by
                                        China, Malaysia, the Philippines,
                                        Taiwan, and Vietnam
  
   Transnational Issues Spratly Islands
   ------------------------------------
              Disputes - international: all of the Spratly Islands are
                                        claimed by China, Taiwan, and
                                        Vietnam; parts of them are claimed
                                        by Malaysia and the Philippines; in
                                        1984, Brunei established an
                                        exclusive fishing zone that
                                        encompasses Louisa Reef in the
                                        southern Spratly Islands, but has
                                        not publicly claimed the island; in
                                        2000, China joined ASEAN discussions
                                        towards creating a South China Sea
                                        "code of conduct" - a non-legally
                                        binding confidence building measure