Compare Heard Island and McDonald Islands (2007) - Paracel Islands (2004)

Compare Heard Island and McDonald Islands (2007) z Paracel Islands (2004)

	Heard Island and McDonald Islands (2007)	Paracel Islands (2004)

Airports	-	1 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways	-	total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Area	total: 412 sq km land: 412 sq km water: 0 sq km	total: NA sq km land: NA sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly more than two times the size of Washington, DC	NA
Background	These uninhabited, barren, sub-Antarctic islands were transferred from the UK to Australia in 1947. Populated by large numbers of seal and bird species, the islands have been designated a nature preserve.	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.
Climate	antarctic	tropical
Coastline	101.9 km	518 km
Country name	conventional long form: Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands conventional short form: Heard Island and McDonald Islands abbreviation: HIMI	conventional long form: none conventional short form: Paracel Islands
Dependency status	territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Antarctic Division of the Department of the Environment and Heritage	-
Diplomatic representation from the US	none (territory of Australia)	-
Diplomatic representation in the US	none (territory of Australia)	-
Disputes - international	none	occupied by China, but claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam
Economy - overview	The islands have no indigenous economic activity, but the Australian Government allows limited fishing in the surrounding waters.	China announced plans in 1997 to open the islands for tourism.
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Mawson Peak, on Big Ben 2,745 m	lowest point: South China Sea 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Rocky Island 14 m
Environment - current issues	NA	NA
Flag description	the flag of Australia is used	-
Geographic coordinates	53 06 S, 72 31 E	16 30 N, 112 00 E
Geography - note	-	composed of 130 small coral islands and reefs divided into the northeast Amphitrite Group and the western Crescent Group
Irrigated land	0 sq km	0 sq km (1998 est.)
Land boundaries	0 km	0 km
Land use	arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005)	arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001)
Legal system	the laws of Australia, where applicable, apply	-
Location	islands in the Indian Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Madagascar to Antarctica	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
Map references	Antarctic Region	Southeast Asia
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm	NA
Military - note	defense is the responsibility of Australia; Australia conducts fisheries patrols	occupied by China
Natural hazards	Mawson Peak, an active volcano, is on Heard Island	typhoons
Natural resources	fish	none
Population	uninhabited	no indigenous inhabitants note: there are scattered Chinese garrisons (July 2004 est.)
Ports and harbors	-	small Chinese port facilities on Woody Island and Duncan Island being expanded
Terrain	Heard Island - 80% ice-covered, bleak and mountainous, dominated by a large massif (Big Ben) and an active volcano (Mawson Peak); McDonald Islands - small and rocky	mostly low and flat

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