Compare Spratly Islands (2005) - Coral Sea Islands (2008)

Compare Spratly Islands (2005) z Coral Sea Islands (2008)

	Spratly Islands (2005)	Coral Sea Islands (2008)

Airports	3 (2004 est.)	-
Airports - with paved runways	total: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 less than 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)	-
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)	-
Area	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	total: less than 3 sq km land: less than 3 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes numerous small islands and reefs scattered over a sea area of about 780,000 sq km, with the Willis Islets the most important
Area - comparative	NA	NA
Background	The Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or reefs. They are surrounded by rich fishing grounds and potentially by gas and oil deposits. They are claimed in their entirety by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam, while portions are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines. About 45 islands are occupied by relatively small numbers of military forces from China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Brunei has established a fishing zone that overlaps a southern reef, but has not made any formal claim.	Scattered over more than three-quarters of a million square kilometers of ocean, the Coral Sea Islands were declared a territory of Australia in 1969. They are uninhabited except for a small meteorological staff on the Willis Islets. Automated weather stations, beacons, and a lighthouse occupy many other islands and reefs.
Climate	tropical	tropical
Coastline	926 km	3,095 km
Country name	conventional long form: none conventional short form: Spratly Islands	conventional long form: Coral Sea Islands Territory conventional short form: Coral Sea Islands
Dependency status	-	territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Attorney-General's Department
Diplomatic representation from the US	-	none (territory of Australia)
Diplomatic representation in the US	-	none (territory of Australia)
Disputes - international	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 reef; claimants in November 2002 signed the "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea," which has eased tensions but falls short of a legally binding "code of conduct"; in March 2005, the national oil companies of China, the Philippines, and Vietnam signed a joint accord to conduct marine seismic activities in the Spratlys	none
Economy - overview	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; there are no reliable estimates of potential reserves; commercial exploitation has yet to be developed.	no economic activity
Elevation extremes	lowest point: South China Sea 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Southwest Cay 4 m	lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Cato Island 6 m
Environment - current issues	NA	no permanent fresh water resources
Executive branch	-	administered from Canberra by the Australian Attorney-General's Department
Flag description	-	the flag of Australia is used
Geographic coordinates	8 38 N, 111 55 E	18 00 S, 152 00 E
Geography - note	strategically located near several primary shipping lanes in the central South China Sea; includes numerous small islands, atolls, shoals, and coral reefs	important nesting area for birds and turtles
Irrigated land	0 sq km (1998 est.)	0 sq km
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% (mostly grass or scrub cover) (2005)
Legal system	-	the laws of Australia, where applicable, apply
Location	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	Oceania, islands in the Coral Sea, northeast of Australia
Map references	Southeast Asia	Oceania
Maritime claims	NA	territorial sea: 3 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Military - note	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	defense is the responsibility of Australia; visited regularly by the Royal Australian Navy; Australia has control over the activities of visitors
Natural hazards	typhoons; serious maritime hazard because of numerous reefs and shoals	occasional tropical cyclones
Natural resources	fish, guano, undetermined oil and natural gas potential	NEGL
Population	no indigenous inhabitants note: there are scattered garrisons occupied by personnel of several claimant states (2004)	no indigenous inhabitants note: there is a staff of three to four at the meteorological station on Willis Island (July 2007 est.)
Ports and harbors	none; offshore anchorage only	-
Terrain	flat	sand and coral reefs and islands (or cays)

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