Compare Spratly Islands (2008) - Heard Island and McDonald Islands (2004)

Compare Spratly Islands (2008) z Heard Island and McDonald Islands (2004)

	Spratly Islands (2008)	Heard Island and McDonald Islands (2004)

Airports	3 (2007)	-
Airports - with paved runways	total: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2007)	-
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)	-
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: 412 sq km land: 412 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	NA	slightly more than two 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.	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.
Climate	tropical	antarctic
Coastline	926 km	101.9 km
Country name	conventional long form: none conventional short form: Spratly Islands	conventional long form: Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands conventional short form: Heard Island and McDonald 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	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 Spratly Islands	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 indigenous economic activity, but the Australian Government allows limited fishing around the islands.
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: Mawson Peak, on Big Ben 2,745 m
Environment - current issues	NA	NA
Flag description	-	the flag of Australia is used
Geographic coordinates	8 38 N, 111 55 E	53 06 S, 72 31 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	-
Heliports	3 (2007)	-
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	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	islands in the Indian Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Madagascar to Antarctica
Map references	Southeast Asia	Antarctic Region
Maritime claims	NA	territorial sea: 12 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; Australia conducts fisheries patrols
Natural hazards	typhoons; numerous reefs and shoals pose a serious maritime hazard	Mawson Peak, an active volcano, is on Heard Island
Natural resources	fish, guano, undetermined oil and natural gas potential	fish
Population	no indigenous inhabitants note: there are scattered garrisons occupied by personnel of several claimant states	uninhabited (July 2004 est.)
Ports and harbors	-	none; offshore anchorage only
Terrain	flat	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

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