SPRATLY ISLANDS

The Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or
reefs. They are surrounded by rich fishing grounds and potentially by
gas and oil deposits. They are claimed in their entirety by the
People's Republic of China, the Republic of China (Taiwan), and
Vietnam, while portions are claimed by Malaysia and the
Philippines. About 45 islands are occupied by relatively small
numbers of military forces from China, Malaysia, the Philippines,
Taiwan, and Vietnam. Brunei has established a fishing zone that
overlaps a southern reef but has not made any formal claim.
The Islands are located in the Southeastern Asian group of reefs and
islands in the South China Sea, about two-thirds of the way from
southern Vietnam to the southern Philippines.

Contents

Geography and economic development

Early History

Political dispute

China claims on the Spratly Islands

Philippine claims on the Spratly Islands

Vietnam claims on the Spratly Islands

Tabular listing of features showing country possessions

20th century timeline

See also

External links

References

Geography and economic development

★ Coordinates: (Spratly Island)

★ Area ''(land)'': less than 5 km²

★
★ ''note'': includes 148 or so islets, coral reefs, and
seamounts scattered over an area of nearly 410,000 km² of the
central South China Sea

★ Coastline: 926 km

★ Political divisions:

★
★ People's Republic of China: Part of Hainan province;

★
★ Philippines: Part of Palawan province;

★
★ Vietnam: Part of Khanh Hoa Province;

★
★ Malaysia: Part of the state of Sabah;

★
★ Republic of China (Taiwan): Part of Kaohsiung municipality

★ Climate: tropical

★ Terrain: flat

★ Elevation extremes:

★
★ lowest point: South China Sea (0 m)

★
★ highest point: unnamed location on Southwest Cay (4 m)

★ Natural hazards: typhoons; serious maritime hazard because of
numerous reefs and shoals
The islands contain no arable land and have no indigenous
inhabitants, although twenty of the islands, including Itu Aba, the
largest, are considered to be able to sustain human life. Natural
resources include fish, guano, undetermined oil
and natural gas potential. 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. The Spratly
Islands have no ports or harbors but has four airports. These
islands are strategically located near several primary shipping lanes.

Early History

The first possible recorded human interaction with the Spratly Islands
dates back as far as 3BC. This is based on the discovery that the
people of Nanyue (southern China and northern Vietnam) and Old
Champa kingdom fishermen (modern-day central Vietnam) had been
visiting the Spratly Islands and other South China Sea Islands for
fishing annually. The islands were sporadically visited throughout the
nineteenth and early twentieth centuries by mariners from different
European powers (including either Richard Spratly or William
Spratly, after whom the island group derives its most recognizable
English name). However, these nations showed
little interest in the islands. In 1883, German boats surveyed the
Spratly and Paracel Islands but withdrew the survey eventually after
receiving protests from the Nguyen Dynasty. Ancient Chinese maps record
the ''Qianli Changsha'' (千里長沙) and 'Wanli Shitang'' (萬里石塘), which
China today claims refer to these islands. These islands were labeled
as Chinese territory in maps made in 1724, 1755, 1767, 1810, 1817 by
the Qing Dynasty of China. Ancient Vietnamese maps record Bãi Cát
Vàng (''Golden Sandbanks'', as claimed today by Vietnam referring to
both Paracel and Spratly Islands) which lies near the Coast of the
central Vietnam as early as the 17th century. In ''Phủ Biên Tạp Lục''
(Frontier Chronicles) by the scholar Le Quy Don, Hoàng Sa and
Trường Sa were defined as belonging to Quảng Ngãi District. He
described it as where sea products and shipwrecked cargoes were
available to be collected. Vietnamese text written in the 17th century
referenced government-sponsored economic activities during the Le
Dynasty, 200 years earlier. The Vietnamese government conducted
several geographical surveys of the islands in the 18th century.
In the 1930s, France claimed the Spratly and Paracel Islands on
behalf of its then-colony Vietnam. It occupied a number of the Spratly
Islands, including Itu Aba, built weather stations on two, and
administered them as part of French Indochina. This occupation was
protested by the Republic of China government because France
admitted finding Chinese fishermen there when French war ships visited
nine islands. In 1935, the Chinese government also announced
sovereignty claim on the Spartly Islands. Japan occupied some of the
islands in 1939 during World War II, and used the islands as a
submarine base for the occupation of Southeast Asia. During the
occupation, these islands were called ''Shinnan Shoto'' (新南諸島),
literally the New Southern Islands, and put under the governance of
Taiwan together with the Paracel Islands (西沙群岛). Following the defeat
of Japan at the end of World War II, the Republic of China
government (Nationalist) re-claimed the whole Spratly Islands
(including Itu Aba) and accepted the Japanese surrender on the islands
based on Cairo Declaration and Potsdam Declaration. Japan
renounced all claims to the islands in the 1951 San Francisco
Peace Treaty. In the treaty with Republic of China, Japan again
renounced all claims to the islands together with the Paracels, Pratas
& other islands captured from China. The Nationalist withdrew from
most of the Spratly and Paracel Islands after they were defeated by the
forces of the opposing Communist Party of China in 1949. Today
the Itu Aba Island is still administrated by the Republic of
China government in Taiwan. In 1951, the People's Republic of
China declared in response to Treaty of San Francisco
that the Spratly Islands belonged to China. When the French left
Vietnam, the naval units of the Vietnamese government took over in
Truong Sa.

Political dispute

There are multiple reasons why the neighboring nations would be
interested in the Spartly Islands. In 1968 oil was discovered in the
region. The Geology and Mineral Resources Ministry of the China
(People's Republic of China) has estimated that the Spratly area holds
oil and natural gas reserves of 17.7 billion tons (1.60 ×
10¹⁰ kg), as compared to the 13 billion tons
(1.17 × 10¹⁰ kg) held by Kuwait, placing it
as the fourth largest reserve bed in the world. Naturally, these large
reserves assisted in intensifying the situation and propelled the
territorial claims of the neighboring countries. On 11 March
1976, the first major Philippine oil discovery occurred off the
coast of Palawan, within the Spratly Islands territory, and these
oil fields now account for fifteen percent of all petroleum consumed in
the Philippines. In 1992, the PRC and Vietnam granted oil
exploration contracts to U.S. oil companies that covered overlapping
areas in the Spratlys. In May 1992, the China National Offshore Oil
Corporation (CNOOC) and Crestone Energy (a U.S. company based in
Denver, Colorado) signed a cooperation contract for the joint
exploration of the ''Wan'an Bei-21'' block, a 25,155 km² section of the
southwestern South China Sea that includes Spratly Island areas.
Part of the Crestone's contract covered Vietnam’s blocks 133 and 134,
where PetroVietnam and ConocoPhillips Vietnam Exploration &
Production, a unit of ConocoPhillips, agreed to evaluate prospects
in April 1992. This led to a confrontation between China and
Vietnam, with each demanding that the other cancel its contract.
An additional motive is the region's role as one of the world's most productive areas for
commercial fishing. In 1988, for example, the South China Sea accounted
for eight percent of the total world catch, a figure which has
certainly risen. The PRC has predicted that the South China Sea holds
combined fishing and oil and gas resources worth one trillion
dollars. There have already been numerous clashes between the
Philippines and other nations — particularly the PRC — over foreign
fishing vessels in its EEZ (Exclusive
Economic Zone) and the media regularly report the arrest of Chinese
fishermen. In 1984, Brunei established an exclusive fishing zone
encompassing Louisa Reef in the southern Spratly Islands, but has
not publicly claimed the island. The region is also one of the busiest
shipping lanes in the world. During the 1980s, at least two hundred
and seventy ships passed through the Spratly Islands region each day,
and currently more than half of the world’s supertanker traffic, by
tonnage, passes through the region’s waters every year. Tanker traffic
through the South China Sea is over three times greater than through
the Suez Canal and five times more than through the Panama
Canal; twenty five percent of the world’s crude oil passes through
the South China Sea. There have been occasional naval clashes over the
Spratly Islands. In 1988, China and Vietnam clashed at sea over
possession of Johnson Reef in the Spratlys. Chinese gunboats sank
Vietnamese transport ships supporting a landing party of Vietnamese
soldiers. In response to growing concerns by coastal states regarding
encroachments by foreign vessels on their natural resources, the
United Nations convened the United Nations Convention on the Law
of the Sea (UNCLOS) in 1982 to determine the issue of international
sea boundaries. In response to these concerns, it was resolved that a
coastal state could claim two hundred nautical miles of
jurisdiction beyond its land boundaries. However UNCLOS failed to
address the issue of how to adjudicate on overlapping claims and so the
future of the islands remains clouded.
Following a 1995 dispute between China and Philippines an
ASEAN-brokered agreement was reached between the PRC and ASEAN
member nations whereby a nation would inform the others of any military
movement within the disputed territory and that there would be no
further construction. The agreement was promptly violated by China and
Malaysia. Claiming storm damage, seven Chinese naval vessels entered
the area to repair "fishing shelters" in Panganiban Reef. Malaysia
erected a structure on Investigator Shoal and landed at Rizal Reef,
both places situated within the Philippines EEZ. In response the
Philippines lodged formal protests, demanded the removal of the
structures, increased naval patrols in Kalayaan and issued invitations
to American politicians to inspect the PRC bases by plane.
In the early 21st century, the situation is improving. China recently
held talks with ASEAN countries aimed at realizing a proposal for a
free trade area between the ten countries involved. China and ASEAN
also have been engaged in talks to create a code of conduct aimed at
easing tensions in the disputed islands. On 5 March 2002, an
agreement was reached, setting forth the desire of the claimant nations
to resolve the problem of sovereignty "without further use of
force". In November 2002, a ''Declaration on
the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea'' was signed, easing
tensions but falling short of a legally-binding code of conduct.

China claims on the Spratly Islands

China bases its claim to the islands on
historical grounds. They state that the Spratly Islands have been an
integral part of China for nearly two thousand years and point to
ancient manuscripts claiming to refer to the Spratly Islands and
remains of Chinese pottery and coins on the islands as
proof. Chinese fishermen were also found on these islands by the French
when it made its claims in the 1930s. Using this argument, the PRC
states that the Philippines have taken 410,000 square kilometers of its
traditional maritime boundary, having taken advantage of the PRC's poor
condition during its exile from international affairs.
Many official records and maps dating back to Han Dynasty, Yuan
Dynasty, Qing Dynasty and Republic of China did include the
Spratly Islands in Chinese territory. (See
the Chinese class=wikiexternal target=_blank>version of this page for document details and dates). However,
these same maps also claim the northern Philippine archipelago,
Palawan, Vietnam, Korea, Malaysia among others. In addition, China
claimed these areas more as protectorates
rather than as a true part of China since they still had their own
kingdoms and governments.
In reality, the contemporary legal claim originated from (1) the ''de
facto'' administration of these islands by
China as part of post World War II arrangement based on various
treaties of the Allied Powers; and (2) the
succession of Republic of China by the People's Republic of
China in 1949.

Philippine claims on the Spratly Islands

While the Philippine claim to the Spratly Islands was first expressed
in the United Nations General Assembly in 1946, Philippine
involvement in the Spratlys did not begin in earnest until 1956,
when on 15 May Philippine citizen and admiral Tomas Cloma
proclaimed the founding of a new state, Kalayaan (Freedom Land).
Cloma’s Kalayaan encompassed fifty three features spread throughout the
eastern South China Sea, including Spratly Island proper, Itu Aba,
Pag-asa and Nam Yit Islands, as well as West York Island, North
Danger Reef, Mariveles Reef and Investigator Shoal. Cloma then
established a protectorate in July 1956 with Pag-asa as its capital and
Cloma as “Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Kalayaan State”. This
action, although not officially endorsed by the Philippine government,
was considered by other claimant nations as an act of aggression by the
Philippines and international reaction was swift. Taiwan, the PRC,
South Vietnam, France, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands
lodged official protests (the Netherlands on the premise that it
considered the Spratly Islands part of Dutch New Guinea) and Taiwan
sent a naval task force to occupy the islands and establish a base on
Itu Aba, which it retains to the present day.
Tomas Cloma and the Philippines continued to state their claims over
the islands; in October 1956 Cloma traveled to New York to plead
his case before the United Nations and the Philippines had troops
posted on three islands by 1968 on the premise of protecting Kalayaan
citizens. In early 1971 the Philippines sent a diplomatic note on
behalf of Cloma to Taipei demanding the ROC's withdrawal from Itu Aba
and on 10 July in the same year Ferdinand Marcos announced the
annexation of the 53 island group known as Kalayaan, although since
neither Cloma or Marcos specified which fifty three features
constituted Kalayaan, the Philippines began to claim as many features
as possible. In April of 1972 Kalayaan was officially incorporated into
Palawan province and was administered as a single “poblacion”
(township), with Tomas Cloma as the town council Chairman and by 1992,
there were twelve registered voters on Kalayaan. The Philippines also
reportedly attempted to land troops on Itu Aba in 1977 to occupy the
island but were repelled by ROC troops stationed on the island. There
were no reports of casualties from the conflict. In 2005, a
cellular phone base station was erected by the Philippines' Smart
Communications on Pag-asa Island.
The Philippines base their claims of sovereignty over the Spratlys on
the issues of ''res nullius'' and geography. The Philippines
contend Kalayaan was ''res nullius'' as there was no effective
sovereignty over the islands until the 1930s when France and then
Japan acquired the islands. When Japan renounced their sovereignty over
the islands in the San Francisco Peace Treaty in 1951, there was a
relinquishment of the right to the islands without any special
beneficiary. Therefore, argue the Philippines, the islands became res
nullius and available for annexation. Philippine businessman Tomas
Cloma did exactly that in 1956 and while the Philippines never
officially supported Cloma’s claim, upon transference of the islands’
sovereignty from Cloma to the Philippines, the Philippines used the
same sovereignty argument as Cloma did. The Philippine claim to
Kalayaan on geographical bases can be summarized using the assertion
that Kalayaan is distinct from other island groups in the South China
Sea because:

''It is a generally accepted practice in oceanography
to refer to a chain of islands through the name of the biggest island
in the group or through the use of a collective name. Note that Spratly
(island) has an area of only 13 hectares compared to the 22 hectare
area of the Pag-asa Island. Distance-wise, Spratly Island is some 210nm
off Pag-asa Islands. This further stresses the argument that they are
not part of the same island chain. The Paracels being much further
(34.5nm northwest of Pag-asa Island) is definitely a different group of
islands''

A second argument used by the Philippines regarding their geographical
claim over the Spratlys is that all the islands claimed by the
Philippines lie within their archipelagic baselines, the only claimant
who can make such a statement. The 1982 United Nations Convention on
the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) stated that a coastal state could claim two
hundred nautical miles of jurisdiction beyond its land boundaries. It
is perhaps telling that while the Philippines is a signatory to UNCLOS,
the PRC and Vietnam are not. The Philippines also argue, under
Law of the Sea provisions, that the PRC can not
extend its baseline claims to the Spratlys because the PRC is not an
archipelagic state. Whether this argument (or any other used by the
Philippines) would hold up in court is debatable but possibly moot, as
the PRC and Vietnam seem unwilling to legally substantiate their claims
and have rejected Philippine challenges to take the dispute to the
World Maritime Tribunal in Hamburg.

Vietnam claims on the Spratly Islands

Vietnam also claims the island on historical grounds. Ancient
Vietnamese geographical maps record Bãi Cát Vàng (''Golden Sandbanks'',
referring to Spratly Islands) as Vietnamese territory as early as the
17th century. In ''Phủ Biên Tập Lục'' by the scholar Lê Quý Đôn, Hoàng
Sa (Paracel Islands), and Trường Sa (Spratly Islands) were defined
as belonging to Quảng Ngãi District. In ''Đại Nam Nhất Thống Toàn Đồ''
(Dai Nam Unified Map), an atlas of Vietnam completed in 1838, Trường Sa
was shown to be Vietnam's territory. Vietnam had conducted many
geographical and resource surveys of the islands. The results of these
surveys have been recorded in Vietnamese literature and history
published since the 17th century. After the treaty signed with the
Nguyen Dynasty, France represented Vietnam in international affairs
and had exercised sovereignty over the islands.
On 7 July 1951, Tran Van Huu, head of the Bao Dai Government's
delegation to the San Francisco Conference on the peace treaty with
Japan declared that the archipelago's of Hoang Sa and Truong Sa had
been part of Vietnamese territory. This declaration met with no
challenge from the 51 representatives at the conference. It should be
noted, however, that neither P.R.China or R.O.China were present at the
conference. After the French left, the Vietnam government had
exercised sovereignty over the islands.
Vietnam currently occupies 31 islands. They are organized as a district
of Khanh Hoa Province. At the 12th National Assembly Election held
early in Trường Sa, the people and solders also voted for their local
district government for the first time. For the first time, Trường Sa
is organized like a normal inland district, with a townlet (thị trấn
Trường Sa) and two commnunes (xã Sinh Tồn, xã Song Tử Tây). Forty nine
people were elected to the communes' people's councils.

Tabular listing of features showing country possessions

'Occupied Features'

'Philippines'
'Int'l Name'	'Local Names'	'Description'	'Area (ha.)'
Flat Island	Patag (P)	A low, flat, sandy cay, 240 by 90 m, subject to erosion.Has a nearby reef which is above water at high tide. With large guanodeposits. No vegetation. Several soldiers stationed.	0.57
	费信岛 Feixin Dao (C)
	Đảo Bình Nguyên (V)
Lankiam Cay	Panata (P)	Sand, surrounded by three reefs which are above water athigh tide. Several soldiers stationed.	0.44
	杨信沙洲 Yangxin Shazhou (C)
	Cồn San Hô Lan Can (V)
Loaita Island	Kota (P)	Covered with mangrove bushes, above which rose coconutpalms and other small trees. Several soldiers stationed.	6.45
	南钥岛 Nanyue Dao (C)
	Đảo Loại Ta (V)
Nanshan Island	Lawak (P)	Covered with coconut trees, bushes and grass. 580 m long,on the edge of a submerged reef. Several soldiers stationed. Has asmall airstrip.	7.93
	马欢岛 Mahuan Dao (C)
	Đảo Vĩnh Viễn (V)
Northeast Cay	Parola (P)	The fifth largest Spratly island. Covered with grass andthick trees. Much of the ringing reef is above water at high tide.Supported a beacon in 1984. Has Guano deposits. Several soldiersstationed. Has an airstrip. Shira Islet lies 320 m from the south ofNortheast Cay. ''Part of North Danger Reef.''	12.7
	北子岛 Beizi Dao (C)
	Đảo Song Tử Đông (V)
Thitu Island	Pag-asa (P)	The second largest Spratly island. Serves as the''poblacion'' for the Municipality of Kalayaan,Palawan, Phils. It is covered with trees and has a variety of fauna.It is home to some 300+ civilians (including children) and over fortysoldiers. Other islands are expected to be populated before 2010.Population is regulated to protect the islands' flora and fauna and toavoid tension with other countries. It has 1.4 km airstrip, amarina, water filtering plant, power generator and a commercialcommunications tower (by Smart Communications). Thereare two commercial flights available weekly. The Philippines'Department of Tourism is making improvements to the island to make itprofitable.	37.2
	中业岛 Zhongye Dao (C)
	Đảo Thị Tứ (V)
West York Island	Likas (P)	The third largest Spratly island. Covered with bushes,mangroves and coconut palms. Has an observation post. Several soldiersstationed.	18.6
	西月岛 Xiyue Dao (C)
	Đảo Bến Lạc, Đảo Dừa (V)
''Commodore Reef''	Rizal (P)	A sand "cay", 0.5 m high, surrounded by two lagoons. Partsof reef above water at high tide. Some structures. Several soldiersstationed.	0
	司令礁 Siling Jiao (C)
	Đá Công Đo (V)
	Terumbu Laksamana (M)
''Irving Reef''	Balagtas (P)	Naturally above water only at low tide. A very small caylies at northern end. Some structures. Several soldiers stationed.	0
	火艾礁 Huo'ai Jiao (C)
	Đảo Cá Nhám (V)
''Shira Islet''		Technically part of Northeast Cay. It lies 320 meters from thatisland. Occupation is almost always credited to the Philippines becauseof its very close proximity to a Philippine-occupied island. ''SeeNortheast Cay''	??
'Total'	''7 islands, 2 reefs, 1 islet''	'83.89'
'Republic of China (Taiwan)'
'Int'l Name'	'Local Names'	'Description'	'Area (ha.)'
Itu Aba Island	Ligaw (P)	The largest Spratly island. Covered w/shrubs, coconut andmangroves. 600 soldiers stationed, lighthouse, radio and weatherstations, concrete landing jetty and two wells at SW end. Guanodeposits, fringing reef. Hainan fishermen used to visit annually. In8/93, plans were announced for a 2 km-long airstrip and fishing port.Pineapple was once cultivated here. ''Part of Tizard Banks.''	46
	太平岛 Taiping Dao (C)
	Đảo Ba Bình (V)
''Ban Than Jiao''	Ban Than Jiao (C)	Small drying reef halfway between Taiwan-occupied Itu Abaand Vietnam-occupied Sand Cay. Has a structure and is garrisoned bysome soldiers. ''Part of Tizard Banks.''	0
	Bãi Bàn Than (V)
'Total'	''1 island, 1 reef''	'46'
'Vietnam'
'Int'l Name'	'Local Names'	'Description'	'Area (ha.)'
Amboyna Cay	Kalantiyaw (P)	Two parts: East part consists of sand and coral, west partis covered with guano. Has fringing reef. An obelisk, about 2.7 m high,stands on the SW corner. Little vegetation. Lighthouse operationalsince May 1995. Heavily fortified.	1.6
	安波沙洲 Anbo Shazhou (C)
	Đảo An Bang (V)
	Pulau Amboyna Kecil (M)
Namyit Island	Binago (P)	Covered with small trees, bushes and grass. Has a fringingreef and is inhabited by sea birds. The island is inhabited by anunknown number of Vietnamese soldiers and in the deep waters frontingthe south side it is said that a submarine base issituated. ''Part of Tizard Banks.''	5.3
	鸿庥岛 Hongxiu Dao (C)
	Đảo Nam Yết (V)
Sand Cay	Bailan (P)	Covered with trees and bushes. Fringing reef partly abovewater at low tide. ''Part of Tizard Banks.''	7
	敦谦沙洲 Dunqian Shazhou (C)
	Đảo /Đá Sơn Ca (V)
Sin Cowe Island	Rurok (P)	Has fringing reef which is above water at low tide. ''Partof Union Banks.''	??
	景宏岛 Jinghong Dao (C)
	Đảo Sinh Tồn (V)
Sin Cowe East Island	Đảo Sinh Tồn Đông (V)	''Description is probably the same with Sin Cowe Island sincedifferent sources refer to these two cays collectively. Part of UnionBanks.''	??
Southwest Cay	Pugad (P)	Only 1.75 miles from Northeast Cay. Previously a breedingplace for birds and covered with trees and guano. Export of guano wasonce carried out "on a considerable scale." Fringing reef partly abovewater at high tide. Vietnam erected its first lighthouse in theSpratlys here in October 1993 and built an airstrip. Has a three-storybuilding, garrisoned by soldiers. Philippine military controlled theisland before mid 1970's. Vietnamese forces invaded the island whenFilipino soldiers guarding the island attended the birthday party oftheir commanding officer based in the nearby Northeast Cay. This wasconfirmed by interviews with soldiers involved in an episode of thedefunct ABS-CBN's ''Magandang Gabi Bayan'' (Good Evening Nation)program. ''Part of North Danger Reef.''	??
	南子岛 Nanzi Dao (C)
	Đảo Song Tử Tây (V)
Spratly Island (''proper'')	Lagos (P)	The fourth largest Spratly island. 2.5 m high, flat.Covered with bushes, grass, birds and guano. 5.5 m-high obelisk atsouthern tip. Has landing strip, and a fishing port. Fringing reef isabove water at low tide. Some structures with soldiers stationed.	13
	南威岛 Nanwei Dao (C)
	Đảo Trường Sa (V)
''Alison Reef''	六门礁 Liumen Jiao (C)	Naturally above water only at low tide. Encloses a lagoon.	0
	Bãi Tốc Tan (V)
''Barque Canada Reef''	Mascado (P)	Coral. Highest rocks are 4.5 m high, at SW end. Much ofreef is above water at high tide. Some sandy patches. 18 miles long.Its military structures were recently upgraded.	0
	柏礁 Bai Jiao (C)
	Bãi Thuyền Chài (V)
	Terumbu Perahu (M)
''Bombay Castle''		''See Rifleman Bank''	0
''Central London Reef	中礁 Zhong Jiao (C)	SW part is a sandbank which barely submerges at high tide.The rest is coral reef, awash, surrounding a lagoon. ''Part of LondonReefs.''	0
	Đảo Trường Sa Đông (V)
''Collins Reef/ Johnson North Reef''	鬼喊礁 Guihan Jiao (C)	Connected to Johnson South Reef. A "coral dune" is locatedat the southeast corner, above the high tide line. ''Part of UnionBanks.''	0
	Đá Cô Lin (V)
''Cornwallis South Reef''	南华礁 Nanhua Jiao (C)	Naturally above water only at low tide. Encloses a lagoon.	0
	Đá Núi Le (V)
''Great Discovery Reef''	Paredes (P)	Several rocks are above water at high tide. Most of reefis above water at low tide. Has lagoon.	0
	大现礁 Daxian Dao (C)
	Đá Lớn (V)
''East London Reef''	Silangan (P)	Rocks up to 1 m high. Encloses a lagoon. ''Part of LondonReefs.''	0
	东礁 Dong Jiao (C)
	Đá Đông (V)
''Grainger Bank''	李准滩 Lizhun Tan (C)	Shallowest natural depth is either 9 m or 11 m.	0
	Bãi Quế Đường (V)
''Higgens Reef''	屈原礁 Quyuan Jiao (C)	Only above water at low tide. ''Part of Union Banks.''	0
	Đá Hi Ghen, Đá Hi Gen (V)
''Johnson North Reef''		''See Collins Reef''	0
''Ladd Reef''	日积礁 Riji Jiao (C)	Naturally above water at low tide. Has coral lagoon.	0
	Đá Lát (V)
''Lan(d)sdowne Reef''	琼礁 Qiong Jiao (C)	Sand dune, with fringing reef. ''Part of Union Banks.''	0
	Đá Len Đao (V)
''Pearson Reef''	Hizon (P)	Two sand "cays", 2 m and 1 m high, lie on the edges of alagoon. Parts of the surrounding reef are above water at high tide.	0
	毕生礁 Bisheng Jiao (C)
	Đảo Phan Vinh (V)
''Petley Reef''	舶兰礁 Bolan Jiao (C)	Naturally above water only at low tide, some small rocksmight stand above high water. ''Part of Tizard Banks.''	0
	Đá Núi Thị (V)
''Pigeon Reef/ Tennent Reef''	无乜礁 Wumie Jiao (C)	Numerous rocks are naturally above the high tide line.Encloses a lagoon.	0
	Đá Tiên Nữ (V)
''Prince Consort Bank''	西卫滩 Xiwei Tan (C)	Shallowest natural depth is 9 m.	0
	Bãi Phúc Nguyên (V)
''Rifleman Bank (containing Bombay Castle)''	南薇滩 Nanwei Tan (C)	Shallowest natural depth is 3 m, called Bombay Castle.Sand and coral.	0
	Bãi Vũng Mây (V)
''South Reef''	奈罗礁 Nailuo Jiao (C)	A tiny cay appears atop this reef on the most detailed mapavailable. On the southwest end of North Danger Reef. Fringing reef isabove water at low tide. ''Part of North Danger Reef.''	0
	Đá Nam (V)
''Tennent Reef''		''See Pigeon Reef''	0
''Vanguard Bank''	万安滩 Wan'an Tan (C)	Shallowest natural depth is 16 m. Vietnam has run two"economic technological service stations" in this area since July 1994.	0
	Bãi Tư Chính (V)
''West London Reef''	西礁 Xi Jiao (C)	East part is sand "cay", 0.6 m high. West part is coralreef which is above water only at low tide. Between them is a lagoon.Vietnam erected a lighthouse here in May or June 1994. ''Part of LondonReefs.''	0
	Đá Tây (V)
'Total'		''7 islands, 16 reefs, 3 banks''	'<40'
'Malaysia'
'Int'l Name'	'Local Names'	'Description'	'Area (ha.)'
''Ardesier Reef''	安渡滩 Andu Tan (C)	Naturally above water only at low tide. Encloses a lagoon.Has a few sandy patches. Malaysia presently has 20 soldiers stationedhere.	0
	Bãi Kiêu Ngựa (V)
	Terumbu Ubi (M)
''Dallas Reef''	光星礁 Guangxing Jiao (C)	Naturally above water only at low tide. Encloses a lagoon.Several soldiers stationed. Malaysia is also using this reef fortourism.	0
	Terumbu Laya (M)
''Erica Reef''	Boji Jiao (C)	Above water only at low tide. Some isolated rocks on theeastern edge stand above high water.	0
	Terumbu Siput (M)
''Investigator Shoal''	Yuya Jiao (C)	Above water only at low tide. Some large rocks at thewestern end are visible at high water. Encloses a lagoon.	0
	Bãi Thám Hiểm (V)
	Terumbu Peninjau (M)
''Louisa Reef''	南通礁 Nantong Jiao (C)	Rocks 1 m high. Malaysia operates a lighthouse here.	0
	Terumbu Semarang/ Barat Kecil (M)
''Mariveles Reef''	Mariveles (P)	A sand cay, 1.5-2 m high, surrounded by two lagoons, partsof which are above water at high tide. Several soldiers stationed.	0
	南海礁 Nanhai Jiao (C)
	Bãi /Đá Kỳ Vân (V)
	Terumbu Mantanani (M)
Swallow Reef	弹丸礁 Danwan Jiao (C)	Treeless cay and rocks up to 3 m high surround a lagoon.Malaysia has drawn territorial seas around this and Amboyna Cay. Some70 plus soldiers stationed here maintain a beacon. Has a fishing portand a 15-room diving resort, including a 1.5 km airstrip. Soil andtrees have been planted on what was "four miles of treeless beaches andcoral reefs." |rowspan="3"|6.2
	Đá Hoa Lau (V)
	Terumbu Layang Layang (M)
'Total'		''1 manmade island, 5 reefs, 1 shoal''	'6.2'
'China'
'Int'l Name'	'Local Names'	'Description'	'Area (ha.)'
''Cuarteron Reef''	华阳礁 Huayang Jiao (C)	Coral rocks only. Highest are 1.5 m high, on the north.''Part of London Reefs.''	0
	Bãi /Đá Châu Viên (V)
''Fiery Cross Reef/ Northwest Investigator Reef''	Kagilingan (P)	Rocks up to 1 m high. All below at high tide, but hasguano deposits. PRC built a navy harbor by blasting, piling up andcementing coral, but says no soldiers stationed here. 8,080 squaremeters, 14 miles long, with airstrip. "Marine observation station"built in 1988; coconut, fir, and banyan trees planted. Actually 3reefs.	0
	永暑礁 Yongshu Jiao (C)
	Đá Chữ Thập (V)
''Gaven Reefs''	南薰礁 Nanxun Jiao (Northern reef)/ Xinan or Duolu Jiao (S. reef) (C)	A sand dune, 2 m high. Has fringing reef plus a reef 2miles to the south, both covered at high tide. Now all cement and araised metal frame, with two-story buildings placed on top. Southernreef was occuped by PRC on 7/4/92. ''Part of Tizard Banks.''	0
	Đá Ga Ven (V)
''Johnson South Reef''	Mabini (P)	Contiguous with Collins Reef. Naturally above water onlyat low tide, but [9] says many rocks above water at high tide. Site of1988 PRC/Vietnam clash. ''Part of Union Banks.''	0
	赤瓜礁 Chigua Jiao (C)
	Đá Gạc Ma (V)
''Kennan Reef''	西门礁 Ximen Jiao (C)	Naturally above water at least at low tide. ''Part ofUnion Banks.''	0
	Đá Ken Nan (V)
''Mischief Reef''	Panganiban (P)	Some rocks above water at low tide. Has a lagoon. In Feb.1995, PRC had built a wooden complex on stilts here. In 1999,Philippines protested over this structures claiming that it is amilitary outpost and it poses danger to Philippine security andnational defense, being 130 miles from Palawan. PRC claims it is ashelter for fishermen.	0
	美济礁 Meiji Jiao (C)
	Đá Vành Khăn (V)
''Northwest Investigator Reef''		''See Fiery Cross Reef''	0
''Subi Reef''	渚碧礁 Zhubi Dao (C)	Naturally above water only at low tide. Surrounds alagoon. PRC has constructed 3-story buildings, wharfs, and a helipadhere.	0
	Đá Su Bi (V)
''Whitson Reef''	牛轭礁 Niu'e Jiao (C)	Some rocks naturally above water at high tide. ''Part ofUnion Banks.''	0
	Đá Ba Đầu (V)
'Total'		''8 reefs''	'0'

'Unoccupied Features'

'Not Occupied But Largely Controlled by thePhilippines'
''The reefs, shoals, etc. to the east of the 116 longitudeare closely guarded by the Philippine Navy and Air Force. Though not occupied, Philippines undeniably hascontrol over these features which are less 100 miles from thePalawan west coast (except for Scarborough Shoal which is 100miles from Zambales). There are many Filipinofishermen in this region, who cooperate closely with the PhilippineNavy. Non-Filipino fishermen are tolerated in this region provided thatthey comply with Philippine laws. The media in the Philippines havereported many arrests of Chinese fishermen by the Philippine Navy ongrouds of usage of illegal fishing methods and cathing of endangeredsea species, both in this region and in the Sulu Sea. Philippinemilitary presence in this region intensified after the 1995 MischiefReef incident. Philippine Air Force has been active in striking eventhe markers set up by other countries in this region.''
'Int'l Name'	'Local Names'	'Description'	'Area (ha.)'
''Bombay Shoal''	蓬勃暗沙 Pengbo Ansha (C)	Several rocks are exposed at low tide. Surrounds a lagoon.	0
''Boxall Reef''	Niuchelun Jiao (C)	Above water only at low tide.	0
''Brown Reef''			0
''Carnadic Shoal''			0
''Glasgow Bank''			0
''Half Moon Shoal''	Banyue Jiao (C)	Several rocks on the eastern side rise one to two feetabove high tide. Encloses a lagoon.	0
	Bãi Trăng Khuyết (V)
''Hardy Reef''	Banlu Jiao (C)	Naturally above water only at low tide. Surrounds a narrow strip ofsand.	0
''Hopkins Reef''			0
''Investigator Northeast Shoal''			0
''Iroquois Reef''	Houteng Jiao (C)	Above water only at low tide.	0
''Leslie Bank''			0
''Lord Auckland Shoal''			0
''Pensylvania North Reef''			0
''Pensylvania South Reef''			0
''Reed Tablemount (including Nares Bank and Marie LouiseBank)''	Lile Tan (C)	Shallowest natural depth is 9 m. About 2500 sq miles inarea. Philippines occupied this feature in 1971 and a Philippine-Swedenjoint oil-exploration followed afterwards. However, China protestedthis act of the Philippines saying that this tablemount which centerlies 100 miles from the Philippines is part of China's territories.After that, Philippines tried asking China for a joint effort but Chinadeclined arguing that Philippines has no right in this feature.Presently, no country is occupying this feature but is still largelycontrolled by the Philippines.	0
	Bãi Cỏ Rồng (V)
''Royal Captain Shoal''	Jiangzhang Ansha (C)	A few rocks are above water at low tide. Surrounds a lagoon.	0
''Sandy Shoal''			0
''Scarborough Shoal''	Huang Yen Tao (C)	Not actually part of Spratly Island group. It is farther north, about100 miles from Palauig, Zambales, Phils. Several rocks up to 3 mhigh. Much of the reef is just below water at high tide. Encloses alagoon. Near the mouth of the lagoon are the ruins of an iron tower,8.3 m high. Presently occupied by the Philippine Navy, fishing istolerated in the area. Many Chinese fishermen were already arrestedhere by the Philippine Navy for using illegal fishing methods andcatching of endangered sea species.	0
''Seahorse Shoal''			0
''Templar Bank''			0
'With Uncertain Possession'
''Some sources say that these features are occupied byVietnam or China, but most sources, including the most recent, say theyare not occupied. Some features listed here may not exist and mighthave been confused with other existing features.''
'Int'l Name'	'Local Names'	'Description'	'Area (ha.)'
''Discovery Small Reef''	Xiaoxian Jiao (C)	Above water only at low tide. ''Some sources say that thisis possessed by Vietnam.''	0
	Đá Nhỏ (V)
''Eldad Reef''	Beting Burgai (P)	Only a few large rocks are naturally above water at hightide. ''Part of Tizard Banks. Some sources say that this is possessedby China and some say by Vietnam.''	0
	Anda Jiao (C)
''Hughes Reef''	Dongmen Jiao (C)	Above water only at low tide. ''Part of Union Banks. Some sources saythat this is possessed by China.''	0
Loaita Cay	Nanyao Shazhou (C)	A sand cay, with fringing reef naturally above water athigh tide. ''Not to be confused with Loaita Island. Some sources saythat this is possessed by China.''	??
	Bãi Loại Ta (V)
''Loaita Nan/ Loaita Southwest Reef''	Shuanghuang Shazhou (C)	Never above water. ''Some sources say that this ispossessed by China.''	0
	Bãi Loại Ta Nam (V)
''North Reef''	Dongbei Jiao (C)	At NE end of North Danger Reef. Naturally above water only at lowtide. ''Part of North Danger Reef. Some sources say that this ispossessed by China and some say by Vietnam.''	0
''Owen Shoal''	Aoyuan Ansha (C)	Shallowest natural depth is 6 m. ''Some sources say that this ispossessed by Vietnam.''	0
''Prince of Wales Bank''	Guangya Tan (C)	Shallowest natural depth is 7 m. Has corals. ''Somesources say that this is possessed by China and some say by Vietnam.''	0
	Bãi Phúc Tần (V)
'Not Occupied by any Country'
'Int'l Name'	'Local Names'	'Description'	'Area (ha.)'
''Alicia Anne Reef''	Arellano (P)	A sand "cay", 1.2 m high. Many rocks above high tide line.	0
	Xian'e Jiao (C)
	Đá Suối Ngọc (V)
''Baker Reef''	Gongzhen Jiao (C)	Awash at low tide.	0
''First Thomas Reef''	Xinyi Jiao (C)	A few rocks are permanently above sea level. Much of thereef is above water at low tide. Encloses a lagoon.	0
	Bãi Suối Ngà (V)
''Holiday Reef''	Changxian Jiao (C)	Above water only at low tide. ''Part of Union Banks.''	0
''Hopps Reef''	Lusha Jiao (C)	Above water only at low tide. ''Part of SouthamptonReefs.''	0
	Đá Hop (V)
''Jackson Atoll''	Wufan(g) Jiao (C)	Four or five portions are above water at low tide. Encloses a lagoon.	0
''Livock Reef''	Sanjiao Jiao (C)	Above water only at low tide. Some rocks still visible at high tide.''Part of Southampton Reefs.''	0
''Menzies Reef''	Mengzi Jiao (C)	Awash at low tide. ''Part of Loaita Bank.''	0
	Đá Men Di (V)
''Sandy Cay/ Extension Reef''	Tiexian Jiao (C)	A low sand cay; fringing reef above water at high tide.	??
''Tieshi Jiao''	Tieshi Jiao (C)	Above water only at low tide. ''Located northeast of Thitu Island andunnamed on most maps.''	0
''Zhangxi Jiao''	Zhangxi Jiao (C)	Small reef, partly above water only at low tide. ''Part of UnionBanks.''	0

'Unoccupied Claimed Features'

''Only China (inclusive of Taiwan) and Vietnam claims all of theSpartly Island Chain. They even claim features that are just 50 km fromother countries like Philippines and Malaysia. However, Philippines,Malaysia and Brunei all have partial claims only. Here are the islandsclaimed but unoccupied by these three countries (parenthesis refer tothe country currently occupying the feature):''

'Philippines:' Itu Aba Island (T), Amboyna Cay (V), Namyit Island(V), Sand Cay (V), Sin Cowe Island (V), Sin Cowe East Island (V),Southwest Cay (V), Spratly Island Proper (V), Pigeon Reef (V), SouthReef (V), Ardasier Reef (M), Erica Reef (M), Investigator Shoal (M),Mariveles Reef (M), Mischief Reef (C), Subi Reef (C) and all offeatures to the east of the 116 longitude (unoccupied) (see Unoccupiedbut Largely Controlled by the Philippines subtable).

'Malaysia:' ''please fill this''

'Brunei:' Rifleman Bank (V), Louisa Reef (M) and Owen Shoal(uncertain)

20th century timeline

1927	The French ship SS ''De Lanessan'' conducted ascientific survey of the Spratly Islands
1930	France launched a second expedition with the ''LaMalicieuse'', which raised the French flag on anisland called Ile de la Tempete. Chinese fishermen were present on theisland, but the French made no attempt to expel them.
1932	The Republic of China sent the French government amemorandum contesting their sovereignty over the Spratlys, based on theChinese interpretation of the 1887 treaty ending the Sino-FrenchWar.
1933	Three French ships had taken control of nine of thelargest islands and declared French sovereignty over the archipelago.France administered the area as part of Cochinchina. The Empireof Japan disputed French sovereignty over the islands, citingevidence of phosphate mining by private Japanese citizens.
1939	Japan declared its intention to place the island groupunder its jurisdiction. France and the United Kingdom protested andreasserted French sovereignty claims.
1941	Japan forcibly occupied the island group and remained incontrol until the end of World War II, administering the area aspart of Taiwan. A submarine base was established on Itu Aba.
1945	After Japan's surrender at the end of World War II,France and the Republic of China reassert claims on the SpratlyIslands. China sent troops to the islands, and Chinese landing forceserected sovereignty markers.
1946	France dispatched warships to the islands several timesbut no attempts are made to evict Chinese forces.
1947	France demanded the Chinese withdraw from the islands.
1948	France ceased maritime patrols near the islands and Chinawithdrew most of its troops.
1951	At the 1951 San FranciscoConference on the Peace Treaty with Japan, delegates from Vietnam;which, at that time, was still French-controlled; claimed sovereigntyover the Paracel and the Spratly Islands.
1956	Tomas Cloma, director of the Maritime Institute of thePhilippines, claimed sovereignty over much of the Spratly Islands,naming his territory "Kalaya'an" ("Freedomland"). The People's Republicof China, the Republic of China, France, South Vietnam, the UnitedKingdom and the Netherlands all issued protests. The Republic ofChina and South Vietnam launched naval units to the islands, thoughSouth Vietnam left no permanent garrison. North Vietnam supportedthe PRC's claims, declaring that "according to Vietnamese data, theXisha and Nansha Islands are historically part of Chinese territory."Later in the year, South Vietnam declared its annexation of the SpratlyIslands as part of its Phuoc Tuy province.
1958	The People's Republic of China issued a declarationdefining its territorial waters which encompassed the Spratly Islands.North Vietnam's prime minister, Pham Van Dong, sent a formal noteto Zhou Enlai, stating that "The Government of the DemocraticRepublic of Vietnam respects this decision."
1961-3	South Vietnamestablished sovereignty markers on several islands in the chain.
1968	The Philippines sent troops to three islands on thepremise of protecting Kalayaan citizens andannounced the annexation of the Kalayaan island group.
1971	Malaysia issued claims to some of the SpratlyIslands.
1972	The Philippines incorporated the Kalayaan islands intoits Palawan province.
1975	A recently-unified Vietnam declared claims over theSpratly Islands.
1978	A presidential decree from the Philippines outlinedterritorial claims to the islands.
1979	Malaysia published a map of its continental shelf claim,which includes twelve islands from the Spratly group. Vietnam publisheda white paper outlining its claims to the islands and disputingthose of the other claimants.
1982	Vietnam published another white paper, occupied severalof the islands and constructed military installations. The Philippinesalso occupied several more islands and constructed an air strip.
1983	Malaysia occupied Swallow Reef (LayangLayang), one of the Spratly Islands. A naval base and resort waslater built at this location.
1984	Brunei established an exclusive fishing zoneencompassing the Louisa Reef in the southern Spratly Islands, butdid not publicly claim the area.
1987	The People's Republic of China conducted naval patrols inthe Spratly Islands and established a permanent base.
1988	PRC and Vietnam ships had a minor clash over Johnson Reef. PRC forcesprevailed and retain control of the area.

See also

★ Kingdom of Humanity

★ South China Sea Islands

★ Paracel Islands

★ Junk Keying

★ Kalayaan, Palawan, Philippines

★ Zheng He

★ Crysis, a computer game set on the Spratly Islands.

★ List of islands in the South China Sea

★ Rockall

External links

★ Mariner's page of the
Spratly Islands

★ Taiwanese List with ~170
entries

★ [ftp://rock.geosociety.org/pub/reposit/2001/2001075.pdf List of atolls
with areas]

★ Satellite images
of all islands and reefs of the Spratly Islands.

★ Flags of the World (FOTW) entry
with various micronations on the Spratly Islands.

★ Map showing
the claims

★ A class=wikiexternal target=_blank>tabular summary about the Spratly and Paracel Islands

★ Another
overview table of the Spratly Islands

★ Evidence of Chinese
Fleets visit to specific places all round the world in early 15th
century

★
CIA class=wikiexternal target=_blank>World Factbook for Spratly Islands

★
, from Vietnam Ministry of
Foreign Affairs

★

★ Third Party Summary of the
Dispute

★ some
coordinate points of reefs

References

★ Spick, Mike. ''Dangerous Ground!'', Air Forces Monthly, Dec. 1993