SELECT EDITION
CATEGORIES
◆ ECONOMY(1 fields)
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, and there are no reliable estimates of potential reserves; commercial exploitation has yet to be developed.
◆ GEOGRAPHY(18 fields)
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 a large area of the central South China Sea
Area-comparative
NA
Climate
tropical
Coastline
926 km
Elevation extremes
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Southwest Cay 4 m
Environment-current issues
NA
Environment-international agreements
party to: none of the selected agreements signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geographic coordinates
8 38 N, 111 55 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
Irrigated land
0 sq km (1993)
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 100%
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
Map references
Southeast Asia
Maritime claims
NA
Natural hazards
typhoons; serious maritime hazard because of numerous reefs and shoals
Natural resources
fish, guano, undetermined oil and natural gas potential
Terrain
flat
◆ GOVERNMENT(2 fields)
Country name
conventional long form: none conventional short form: Spratly Islands
Data code
PG
◆ MILITARY(1 fields)
Military-note
about 50 small islands or reefs are occupied by China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam
◆ PEOPLE(1 fields)
Population
no indigenous inhabitants note: there are scattered garrisons occupied by personnel of several claimant states
◆ TRANSNATIONAL ISSUES(1 fields)
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, which encompasses Louisa Reef in the southern Spratly Islands, but has not publicly claimed the island SRI LANKA
◆ TRANSPORTATION(4 fields)
Airports
4 (1997 est.)
Airports-with paved runways
total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1997 est.)
Airports-with unpaved runways
total: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (1997 est.)
Ports and harbors
none