Paracel Islands

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Paracel Islands
Disputit islands
Paracel Islands
Geography
Location Sooth Cheenae Sea
Coordinates 16°30′N 112°00′E / 16.500°N 112.000°E / 16.500; 112.000
Total islands >30
Major islands Rocky Island, Tree Island, Widdy Island
15,000 km² ocean surface (7.75 km² land surface)
Coastline 518 kilometre (322 mi)
Heichest point on Rocky Island
14 metre (46 ft)
Admeenistered bi
 Fowkrepublic o Cheenae
Prefectur-level ceety Sansha[1]
Claimit bi
 Fowkrepublic o Cheenae
Province Hainan
 Republic o Cheenae (Taiwan)
Municipality Kaohsiung
 Vietnam
Province Da Nang
Paracel Islands
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese西沙群島
Simplified Chinese西沙群岛
Vietnamese name
VietnameseQuần đảo Hoàng Sa
Hán-Nôm
The location of the Paracel and Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.

The Paracel Islands, cried Xīshā Islands (西沙群岛) in Cheenese an Hoàng Sa Islands (Quần đảo Hoàng Sa) in Vietnamese an aw, is a group o islands whaur the sovereignty is disputit bi the Fowkrepublic o Cheenae (PRC), Republic o Cheenae (Taiwan) an Vietnam. Aw o the islands are currently unner the admeenistration o Hainan Province o the PRC, which, in Julie 2012, established Sansha Ceety coverin the islands as ane o the three tounships o the ceety. Cheenese an Sooth Vietnamese forces baith occupied pairts o the Paracel Islands afore 1974, when the Battle o the Paracel Islands occurred, efter which the umwhile teuk ower an controlled aw o the Paracels.

The islands are locatit in the Sooth Cheenae Sea consistin o ower 30 islets, sandbanks an reefs wi aboot 15,000 square kilometre (5,800 sq mi) o the ocean surface, an less nor 8 square kilometre (3.1 sq mi) o land surface. The archipelago is approximately equidistant frae the coastlines o Vietnam an Cheenae, 180 nautical mile (330 km; 210 mi) sootheast o Hainan Island, an aboot ane-third o the way frae central Vietnam tae the northren Philippines. Turtles live on the islands, an seabirds hae left nests an guanae deposits, but thare are na permanent human residents except militar personnel an fishermen.[2]

The islands are dividit intae twa main groups. The Amphitrite group is in the northeast an the Crescent group is in the soothwast, an thay are locatit aboot 70 km (43 mi) frae ane anither. Subject tae het an humid climate, wi abundant rainfall an frequent typhuins, the archipelago is surroondit bi productive fishin grounds an potential ile an gas reserves.

References[eedit | eedit soorce]

  1. "民政部关于国务院批准设立地级三沙市的公告-中华人民共和国民政部". Archived frae the original on 25 Juin 2012. Retrieved 29 Juin 2013.
  2. Paracel Islands Population - Demographics

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