Paracel Islands

§1. Paracel Islands Introduction

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.

§2. 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 kmē
  land: NA kmē
  water: 0 kmē

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% (2005)

Irrigated land:
  0 kmē (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

§3. Paracel Islands People

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

§4. Paracel Islands Government

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

§5. Paracel Islands Economy

Economy - overview:
  China announced plans in 1997 to open the islands for tourism.

§6. Paracel Islands Transportation

Airports:
  1 (2005)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2005)

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

§7. Paracel Islands Military

Military - note:
  occupied by China

§8. Paracel Islands Transnational Issues

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


<Factbook 2006>
