Spratly Islands
Spratly Islands as the 2000 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 27 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Geography
Southeastern Asia, group of reefs and islands in the South China Sea, about two-thirds of the way from southern Vietnam to the southern Philippines
17 fieldsLocation
Southeastern Asia, group of reefs and islands in the South China Sea, about two-thirds of the way from southern Vietnam to the southern Philippines
Area
- total:
- less than 5 sq km
- land:
- less than 5 sq km
- water:
- 0 sq km
note: includes 100 or so islets, coral reefs, and sea mounts scattered over an area of nearly 410,000 sq km of the central South China Sea
Geography - 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 fieldPopulation
no indigenous inhabitants note: there are scattered garrisons occupied by personnel of several claimant states (July 2000 est.)
Government
2 fieldsEconomy
Economic activity is limited to commercial fishing.
1 fieldEconomy - overview
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
4 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved only
Airports by runway lengthunpaved only
Military
1 fieldMilitary - note
Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or reefs, of which about 45 are claimed and occupied by China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam
Transnational Issues
1 fieldDisputes - international
- 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 fishing zone, which encompasses Louisa Reef in the southern Spratly Islands, but has not publicly claimed the island [Country Listing] [ The World Factbook Home]
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Spratly Islands.” The World Factbook 2000. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/spratly-islands/2000.