Spratly Islands
Spratly Islands as the 2017 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 27 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 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 45 islands are occupied by relatively small numbers of military forces from China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Since 1985 Brunei has claimed a continental shelf that overlaps a southern reef but has not made any formal claim to the reef. Brunei claims an exclusive economic zone over this area.
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
16 fieldsLand use(2011 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
- 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 (158,000 sq mi) of the central South China Sea
country comparison to the world: 250
Environment - current issues
- China's use of dredged sand and coral to build artificial islands harms reef systems;
- illegal fishing practices indiscriminately harvest endangered species, including sea turtles and giant clams
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 and Society
1 fieldPopulation
no indigenous inhabitants note: there are scattered garrisons occupied by military personnel of several claimant states
Government
1 fieldCountry name
- conventional long form:
- none
- conventional short form:
- Spratly Islands
- etymology:
- named after a British whaling captain Richard SPRATLY, who sighted Spratly Island in 1843; the name of the island eventually passed to the entire archipelago
Economy
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 indicate potential oil and gas deposits, but the region is largely unexplored. No reliable estimates of potential reserves are available. Commercial exploitation has yet to be developed.
Transportation
5 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved only
Airports by runway lengthunpaved only
Military and Security
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 (including Taiwan) and Vietnam;
- parts of them are claimed by Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines;
- despite no public territorial claim to Louisa Reef, Brunei implicitly lays claim by including it within the natural prolongation of its continental shelf and basis for a seabed median with Vietnam;
- claimants in November 2002 signed the "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea," which has eased tensions but falls short of a legally binding "code of conduct";
- in March 2005, the national oil companies of China, the Philippines, and Vietnam signed a joint accord to conduct marine seismic activities in the Spratly Islands
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Spratly Islands.” The World Factbook 2017. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/spratly-islands/2017.