Paracel Islands: Background & Geography

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
water: 0 sq km
land: NA sq km
Area - comparative:
 NA
Land boundaries:
 0 km
Coastline:
 518 km
Maritime claims - as described in UNCLOS 1982 (see Notes and Definitions):
 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% (1998 est.)
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

See Also: