Spratly Islands
none conventional short form: Spratly Islands
Spratly Islands as the 2001 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
Rich fishing grounds and the potential for gas and oil deposits have caused this archipelago to be claimed in its entirety by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam, while portions are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines. All five parties have occupied certain islands or reefs, and occasional clashes have occurred between Chinese and Vietnamese naval forces
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
Elevation extremes
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Southwest Cay 4 m
Land use
arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 100%
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 2001 est.)
Government
1 fieldEconomy
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
5 fieldsMilitary
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 that encompasses Louisa Reef in the southern Spratly Islands, but has not publicly claimed the island;
- in 2000, China joined ASEAN discussions towards creating a South China Sea "code of conduct" - a non-legally binding confidence building measure
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Spratly Islands.” The World Factbook 2001. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/spratly-islands/2001.