Spratly Islands
Spratly Islands as the 1994 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 37 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Geography
Southeastern Asia, in the South China Sea, between Vietnam and the | Philippines
23 fieldstotal area
NA sq km but less than 5 km2
land area
less than 5 sq km
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
arable land
0%
permanent crops
0%
meadows and pastures
0%
forest and woodland
0%
other
100%
current issues
NA
natural hazards
subject to typhoons
international agreements
NA
Note
- strategically located near several primary shipping lanes in the central South China Sea;
- serious navigational hazard;
- includes numerous small islands, atolls, shoals, and coral reefs
People
1 fieldGovernment
3 fieldsEconomy
Economic activity is limited to commercial fishing.
2 fieldsOverview
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.
Communications
7 fieldstotal
4
usable
4
with permanent-surface runways
1
with runways over 3,659 m
0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m
0
with runways 1,220-2,439 m
0
Defense 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 1994. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/spratly-islands/1994.