Paracel Islands

Introduction

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 all the Paracel Islands since 1974, when its troops seized a South Vietnamese garrison occupying the western islands. China built a military installation on Woody Island with an airfield and artificial harbor. The islands also are claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam.

Geography

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

Geographic coordinates

16 30 N, 112 00 E

Map references

Southeast Asia

Area

total: 7.75 sq kmca.
land: 7.75 sq kmca.
water: 0 sq km
country comparison to the world: 244

Area - comparative

land area is about 13 times the size of the National Mall in Washington, DC

Land boundaries

0 km

Coastline

518 km

Maritime claims

NA

Climate

tropical

Terrain

mostly low and flat

Elevation

lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Rocky Island 14 m

Natural resources

none

Land use

agricultural land: 0% (2011 est.)
arable land: 0% (2011 est.)/permanent crops: 0% (2011 est.)/permanent pasture: 0% (2011 est.)
forest: 0% (2011 est.)
other: 100% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land

0 sq km (2012)

Population distribution

a population of over 1,000 Chinese resides on Woody Island, the largest of the Paracels; there are scattered Chinese garrisons on some other islands

Natural hazards

typhoons

Environment - current issues

China's use of dredged sand and coral to build artificial islands harms reef systems; ongoing human activities, including military operations, infrastructure construction, and tourism endangers local ecosystem including birds, fish, marine mammals, and marine reptiles

Geography - note

composed of 130 small coral islands and reefs divided into the northeast Amphitrite Group and the western Crescent Group

People and Society

Population

1,440 (2014 est.)
note: Chinese activity has increased in recent years, particularly on Woody Island, where the population exceeds 1,000; there are scattered Chinese garrisons on some other islands
country comparison to the world: 234

Population distribution

a population of over 1,000 Chinese resides on Woody Island, the largest of the Paracels; there are scattered Chinese garrisons on some other islands

Government

Country name

conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Paracel Islands
etymology: Portuguese navigators began to refer to the "Ilhas do Pracel" in the 16th century as a designation of low lying islets, sandbanks, and reefs scattered over a wide area; over time the name changed to "parcel" and then "paracel"

Economy

Economy - overview

The islands have the potential for oil and gas development. Waters around the islands support commercial fishing, but the islands themselves are not populated on a permanent basis.

Military and Security

Military - note

occupied by China

Transportation

Airports

1 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 233

Airports - with paved runways

total: 1 (2017)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2017)

Ports and terminals

small Chinese port facilities on Woody Island and Duncan Island

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international

occupied by China, also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam