Spratly Islands
Spratly Islands as the 1995 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 25 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Geography
Southeastern Asia, group of reefs in the South China Sea, | about two-thirds of the way from southern Vietnam to the southern | Philippines
14 fieldsLocation
Southeastern Asia, group of reefs in the South China Sea, about two-thirds of the way from southern Vietnam to the southern Philippines
Area
- total 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
Environment
- current issues:
- NA
- natural hazards:
- typhoons; serious maritime hazard because of numerous reefs and shoals
- international agreements:
- NA
Note
strategically located near several primary shipping lanes in the central South China Sea; includes numerous small islands, atolls, shoals, and coral reefs
People
1 fieldGovernment
2 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.
Transportation
2 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right · 4 in all
Communications
3 fieldsDefense Forces
1 fieldNote
about 50 small islands or reefs are occupied by China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam SRI LANKA
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Spratly Islands.” The World Factbook 1995. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/spratly-islands/1995.