Compare Paracel Islands (2003) - Bassas da India (2002)

Compare Paracel Islands (2003) z Bassas da India (2002)

	Paracel Islands (2003)	Bassas da India (2002)

Airports	1 (2002)	-
Airports - with paved runways	total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)	-
Area	total: NA sq km land: NA sq km water: 0 sq km	total: 0.2 sq km land: 0.2 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	NA	about one-third the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
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.	This atoll is a volcanic rock surrounded by reefs and is awash at high tide. A French possession since 1897, it was placed under the administration of a commissioner residing in Reunion in 1968.
Climate	tropical	tropical
Coastline	518 km	35.2 km
Country name	conventional long form: none conventional short form: Paracel Islands	conventional long form: none conventional short form: Bassas da India
Dependency status	-	possession of France; administered by a high commissioner of the Republic, resident in Reunion
Disputes - international	occupied by China, but claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam	claimed by Madagascar
Economy - overview	China announced plans in 1997 to open the islands for tourism.	no economic activity
Elevation extremes	lowest point: South China Sea 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Rocky Island 14 m	lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 2.4 m
Environment - current issues	NA	NA
Flag description	-	the flag of France is used
Geographic coordinates	16 30 N, 112 00 E	21 30 S, 39 50 E
Geography - note	composed of 130 small coral islands and reefs divided into the northeast Amphitrite Group and the western Crescent Group	the islands emerge from a circular reef that sits atop a long-extinct, submerged volcano
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% (1998 est.)	arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (all rock) (1998 est.)
Legal system	-	the laws of France, where applicable, apply
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	Southern Africa, islands in the southern Mozambique Channel, about one-half of the way from Madagascar to Mozambique
Map references	Southeast Asia	Africa
Maritime claims	NA	exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM
Military - note	occupied by China	defense is the responsibility of France
Natural hazards	typhoons	maritime hazard since it is usually under water during high tide and surrounded by reefs; subject to periodic cyclones
Natural resources	none	none
Population	no indigenous inhabitants note: there are scattered Chinese garrisons (July 2003 est.)	uninhabited (July 2002 est.)
Ports and harbors	small Chinese port facilities on Woody Island and Duncan Island being expanded	none; offshore anchorage only
Terrain	mostly low and flat	volcanic rock
Waterways	none	none

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