Baker Island (2004) | Spratly Islands (2002) | |
Airports | 1 abandoned World War II runway of 1,665 m, completely covered with vegetation and unusable (2003 est.) | 4 (2001) |
Airports - with paved runways | - | total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2002) |
Area | total: 1.4 sq km
land: 1.4 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: less than 5 sq km
land: less than 5 sq km water: 0 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 |
Area - comparative | about 2.5 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC | NA |
Background | The US took possession of the island in 1857, and its guano deposits were mined by US and British companies during the second half of the 19th century. In 1935, a short-lived attempt at colonization was begun on this island - as well as on nearby Howland Island - but was disrupted by World War II and thereafter abandoned. Presently the island is a National Wildlife Refuge run by the US Department of the Interior; a day beacon is situated near the middle of the west coast. | 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. |
Climate | equatorial; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun | tropical |
Coastline | 4.8 km | 926 km |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Baker Island |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Spratly Islands |
Dependency status | unincorporated territory of the US; administered from Washington, DC, by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system | - |
Disputes - international | none | 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 |
Economy - overview | no economic activity | 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. |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 8 m |
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Southwest Cay 4 m |
Environment - current issues | no natural fresh water resources | NA |
Flag description | the flag of the US is used | - |
Geographic coordinates | 0 13 N, 176 31 W | 8 38 N, 111 55 E |
Geography - note | treeless, sparse, and scattered vegetation consisting of grasses, prostrate vines, and low growing shrubs; primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife | strategically located near several primary shipping lanes in the central South China Sea; includes numerous small islands, atolls, shoals, and coral reefs |
Irrigated land | 0 sq km (1998 est.) | 0 sq km (1998 est.) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001) |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.) |
Legal system | the laws of the US, where applicable, apply | - |
Location | Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, about half way between Hawaii and Australia | 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 |
Map references | Oceania | Southeast Asia |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
NA |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the US; visited annually by the US Coast Guard | 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 |
Natural hazards | the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard | typhoons; serious maritime hazard because of numerous reefs and shoals |
Natural resources | guano (deposits worked until 1891), terrestrial and aquatic wildlife | fish, guano, undetermined oil and natural gas potential |
Population | uninhabited
note: American civilians evacuated in 1942 after Japanese air and naval attacks during World War II; occupied by US military during World War II, but abandoned after the war; public entry is by special-use permit from US Fish and Wildlife Service only and generally restricted to scientists and educators; a cemetery and remnants of structures from early settlement are located near the middle of the west coast; visited annually by US Fish and Wildlife Service (2004 est.) |
no indigenous inhabitants
note: there are scattered garrisons occupied by personnel of several claimant states (July 2002 est.) |
Ports and harbors | none; offshore anchorage only; note - there is one small boat landing area along the middle of the west coast | none; offshore anchorage only |
Terrain | low, nearly level coral island surrounded by a narrow fringing reef | flat |
Transportation - note | there is a day beacon near the middle of the west coast | - |
Waterways | - | none |