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Paracel Islands (East & Southeast Asia)


Introduction :: Paracel Islands

The Paracel Islands are surrounded by productive fishing grounds and potential oil and gas reserves. In 1932, French Indochina annexed the islands and set up a weather station on Pattle Island. China has occupied all the Paracel Islands since 1974, when its troops seized a South Vietnamese garrison occupying the western islands. China has built a military installation on Woody Island with an airfield and artificial harbor, and it has scattered garrisons on some of the other islands. Taiwan and Vietnam also claim the Paracel Islands.

Geography :: 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 : 8 sq km ca.

land: 7.75 sq km ca.

water: 0 sq km

comparison ranking: total 242
Area - comparative

land area is about 13 times the size of the National Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries

total: 0 km
Coastline

518 km
Maritime claims

NA
Climate

tropical
Terrain

mostly low and flat
Elevation

highest point: unnamed location on Rocky Island 14 m

lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
Natural resources

none
Land use

other: 100% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land

0 sq km (2022)
Population distribution

a population of over 1,000 Chinese resides on Woody Island, the largest of the Paracels; there are scattered Chinese garrisons on some other islands
Natural hazards

typhoons
Geography - note

composed of 130 small coral islands and reefs divided into the northeast Amphitrite Group and the western Crescent Group
People and Society
Population

total: 1,440 (July 2014 est.)

note: Chinese activity has increased in recent years, particularly on Woody Island, where the population exceeds 1,000; some other islands have scattered Chinese garrisons

comparison ranking: total 234
Population growth rate

0.75% (2021 est.)

comparison ranking: 118
Net migration rate

-0.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)

comparison ranking: 130
Population distribution

a population of over 1,000 Chinese resides on Woody Island, the largest of the Paracels; there are scattered Chinese garrisons on some other islands
Environment
Environment - current issues

China's use of dredged sand and coral to build artificial islands harms reef systems; ongoing human activities, including military operations, infrastructure construction, and tourism endangers local ecosystem including birds, fish, marine mammals, and marine reptiles
Climate

tropical
Land use

other: 100% (2018 est.)
Government
Country name

conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Paracel Islands

etymology: Portuguese navigators began to refer to the "Ilhas do Pracel" in the 16th century as a designation of low lying islets, sandbanks, and reefs scattered over a wide area; over time the name changed to "parcel" and then "paracel"
Military and Security
Military - note

occupied by China, which is assessed to maintain 20 outposts in the Paracels (Antelope, Bombay, and North reefs; Drummond, Duncan, Lincoln, Middle, Money, North, Pattle, Quanfu, Robert, South, Tree, Triton, Woody, and Yagong islands; South Sand and West Sand; Observation Bank); the outposts range in size from one or two buildings to bases with significant military infrastructure; Woody Island is the main base in the Paracels and includes an airstrip with fighter aircraft hangers, naval facilities, surveillance radars, and defenses such as surface-to-air missiles and anti-ship cruise missiles; combat aircraft have deployed to the island (2024)

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