Compare Spratly Islands (2005) - Europa Island (2002)

Compare Spratly Islands (2005) z Europa Island (2002)

	Spratly Islands (2005)	Europa Island (2002)

Airports	3 (2004 est.)	1 (2001)
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.)	total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)
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: 28 sq km land: 28 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	NA	about 0.16 times the size of Washington, DC
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.	A French possession since 1897, the island is heavily wooded; it is the site of a small military garrison that staffs a weather station.
Climate	tropical	tropical
Coastline	926 km	22.2 km
Country name	conventional long form: none conventional short form: Spratly Islands	conventional long form: none conventional short form: Europa Island local long form: none local short form: Ile Europa
Dependency status	-	possession of France; administered by a high commissioner of the Republic, resident in Reunion
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	claimed by Madagascar
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: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 24 m
Environment - current issues	NA	NA
Flag description	-	the flag of France is used
Geographic coordinates	8 38 N, 111 55 E	22 20 S, 40 22 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	wildlife sanctuary
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% (mangrove forests and woodlands) (1998 est.)
Legal system	-	the laws of France, 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	Southern Africa, island in the Mozambique Channel, about one-half of the way from southern Madagascar to southern Mozambique
Map references	Southeast Asia	Africa
Maritime claims	NA	exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 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 France
Natural hazards	typhoons; serious maritime hazard because of numerous reefs and shoals	NA
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 small French military garrison and a few meteorologists; visited by scientists (July 2002 est.)
Ports and harbors	none; offshore anchorage only	none; offshore anchorage only
Terrain	flat	low and flat
Waterways	-	none

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