Spratly Islands
Spratly Islands as the 2003 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
The Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or reefs. They are surrounded by rich fishing grounds and potentially by gas and oil deposits. They are claimed in their entirety by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam, while portions are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines. About 50 islands are occupied by China (about 450 soldiers), Malaysia (70-90), the Philippines (about 100), and Vietnam (about 1,500). Brunei is a claimant but has no outposts.
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 fieldsLand use(1998 est.)
Location
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
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
- water:
- 0 sq km
- land:
- less than 5 sq km
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 2003 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 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 that encompasses Louisa Reef in the southern Spratly Islands but has not publicly claimed the island;
- claimants in November 2002 signed the "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea", a mechanism to ease tension but which fell short of a legally binding "code of conduct"
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Spratly Islands.” The World Factbook 2003. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/spratly-islands/2003.