Spratly Islands
Spratly Islands as the 1993 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 22 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Geography
In the South China Sea, between Vietnam and the Philippines
14 fieldsArea
- total area:
- NA km2 but less than 5 km2
- land area:
- less than 5 km2
- comparative area:
- NA
note: includes 100 or so islets, coral reefs, and sea mounts scattered over the South China Sea
International disputes
- 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 economic zone, which encompasses Louisa Reef, but has not publicly claimed the island
Note
strategically located near several primary shipping lanes in the central South China Sea; serious navigational hazard
People
1 fieldGovernment
2 fieldsEconomy
2 fieldsOverview
- Economic activity is limited to commercial fishing;
- 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.
Communications
2 fieldsDefense Forces
1 fieldNote
about 50 small islands or reefs are occupied by China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Spratly Islands.” The World Factbook 1993. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/spratly-islands/1993.