Compare Paracel Islands (2003) - Spratly Islands (2002)

Compare Paracel Islands (2003) z Spratly Islands (2002)

	Paracel Islands (2003)	Spratly Islands (2002)

Airports	1 (2002)	4 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)	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: NA sq km land: NA 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	NA	NA
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 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	tropical	tropical
Coastline	518 km	926 km
Country name	conventional long form: none conventional short form: Paracel Islands	conventional long form: none conventional short form: Spratly Islands
Disputes - international	occupied by China, but claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam	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	China announced plans in 1997 to open the islands for tourism.	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: South China Sea 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Rocky Island 14 m	lowest point: South China Sea 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Southwest Cay 4 m
Environment - current issues	NA	NA
Geographic coordinates	16 30 N, 112 00 E	8 38 N, 111 55 E
Geography - note	composed of 130 small coral islands and reefs divided into the northeast Amphitrite Group and the western Crescent Group	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% (1998 est.)	arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.)
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	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	Southeast Asia	Southeast Asia
Maritime claims	NA	NA
Military - note	occupied by China	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	typhoons	typhoons; serious maritime hazard because of numerous reefs and shoals
Natural resources	none	fish, guano, undetermined oil and natural gas potential
Population	no indigenous inhabitants note: there are scattered Chinese garrisons (July 2003 est.)	no indigenous inhabitants note: there are scattered garrisons occupied by personnel of several claimant states (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	flat
Waterways	none	none

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