Paracel Islands
Paracel Islands as the 2025 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 28 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
The Paracel Islands are surrounded by productive fishing grounds and potential oil and gas reserves. In 1932, French Indochina annexed the islands and set up a weather station on Pattle Island. China has occupied all the Paracel Islands since 1974, when its troops seized a South Vietnamese garrison occupying the western islands. China has built a military installation on Woody Island with an airfield and artificial harbor, and it has scattered garrisons on some of the other islands. Taiwan and Vietnam also claim the Paracel Islands.
Geography
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
16 fieldsLocation
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
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
Geography - note
composed of 130 small coral islands and reefs divided into the northeast Amphitrite Group and the western Crescent Group
People and Society
4 fieldsPopulation 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
Environment
3 fieldsEnvironmental issues
- harm to reef systems from China's use of dredged sand and coral to build artificial islands;
- damage to ecosystem from human activities, including military operations, infrastructure construction, and tourism
Government
1 fieldTransportation
2 fieldsMilitary and Security
1 fieldMilitary - note
- occupied by China, which is assessed to maintain 20 outposts or bases in the Paracels (Antelope, Bombay, and North reefs; Drummond, Duncan, Lincoln, Middle, Money, North, Pattle, Quanfu, Robert, South, Tree, Triton, Woody, and Yagong islands; South Sand and West Sand; Observation Bank);
- Woody Island is the main military base and includes an airstrip with aircraft hangers, naval facilities, surveillance radars, and defenses such as surface-to-air missiles and anti-ship cruise missiles (2025)
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Paracel Islands.” The World Factbook 2025. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/paracel-islands.