Spratly Islands

Spratly Islands
	Chinese name
Traditional Chinese:	南沙群島
Simplified Chinese:	南沙群岛
Transliterations
	Mandarin
- Hanyu Pinyin:	Nánshā Qúndǎo
	Cantonese
- Jyutping:	nam4 saa1 kwun4 dou2
	Filipino name
Tagalog:	Kapuluan ng Kalayaan
	Malay name
Malay:	Kepulauan Spratly
	Vietnamese name
Quốc ngữ:	Quần Đảo Trường Sa
Hán tự:	長沙群島

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The Spratly Islands are a group of more than 100 reefs, islets and islands in the South China Sea between the Philippines and Vietnam. They comprise less than five square kilometers of land area, spread over more than 400,000 square kilometers of sea. The Spratlys, as they are called, are part of the great sweep of archipelago comprising more than 30,000 islands and reefs and which so complicates geography, governance and economics in that region of Southeast Asia. Such small and remote islands have little economic value in themselves, but are important in establishing international boundaries. There are no native islanders but there are rich fishing grounds and initial surveys indicate the islands may contain significant oil and gas.

About 45 islands are occupied by relatively small numbers of military forces from China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Brunei has established a fishing zone that overlaps a southern reef but has not made any formal claim.

[edit] Geography and economic development

NASA picture of a cay in the Spratly group.

Coordinates: 8°38′N 111°55′E / 8.633, 111.917Coordinates: 8°38′N 111°55′E / 8.633, 111.917 (Spratly Island)
Area (land): less than 5 km²
- note: includes 148 or so islets, coral reefs, and seamounts scattered over an area of nearly 410,000 km² of the central South China Sea
Coastline: 926 km
Political divisions:
- Vietnam: Part of Khanh Hoa Province;
- People's Republic of China: Part of the Paracels, Spratlys, and Zhongsha Islands Authority, Hainan province;
- Philippines: Part of Palawan province;
- Malaysia: Part of the state of Sabah (also claimed by the Philippines);
- Republic of China: Part of Kaohsiung municipality
Climate: tropical
Terrain: flat
Elevation extremes:
- lowest point: South China Sea (0 m)
- highest point: unnamed location on Southwest Cay (4 m)
Natural hazards: typhoons; serious maritime hazards because of numerous banks, reefs and shoals

The islands themselves contain almost no significant arable land and have no indigenous inhabitants, although twenty of the islands, including Itu Aba, the largest, are considered to be able to sustain human life. Natural resources include fish, guano, undetermined oil and natural gas potential. 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. The Spratly Islands have no ports or harbors but have four airports. These islands are strategically located near several primary shipping lanes.

[edit] Early history

Geographic map of Spratlys. Click for more detailed image.

The first possible recorded human interaction with the Spratly Islands dates back as far as 3 B.C. This is based on the discovery that the people of Nanyue (southern China and northern Vietnam) and Old Champa kingdom fishermen (modern-day central Vietnam) had been visiting the Spratly Islands and other South China Sea Islands for fishing.^{[citation needed]}

Ancient Chinese maps record the Thousand Li_(unit) Stretch of Sands"; Qianli Changsha (千里長沙) and the "Ten-Thousand Li_(unit) of Stone Pools"; Wanli Shitang (萬里石塘)^{[citation needed]}, which China today claims refer to these islands. These islands were labeled as Chinese territory since the Yuan Dynasty^[1] in the 13th century,^[2] followed by the Ming Dynasty.^[3] When the Ming Dynasty collapsed, the Qing Dynasty continued to include the territory in maps complied in 1724,^[4] 1755,^[5] 1767,^[6] 1810,^[7] 1817^[8] by the Qing Dynasty of China.

Ancient Vietnamese maps record Bãi Cát Vàng (Golden Sandbanks, as claimed today by Vietnam referring to both Paracel and Spratly Islands) which lies near the Coast of the central Vietnam as early as the 17th century. In Phủ Biên Tạp Lục (Frontier Chronicles) by the scholar Le Quy Don, Hoàng Sa and Trường Sa were defined as belonging to Quảng Ngãi District. He described it as where sea products and shipwrecked cargoes were available to be collected. Vietnamese text written in the 17th century referenced government-sponsored economic activities during the Le Dynasty, 200 years earlier. The Vietnamese government conducted several geographical surveys of the islands in the 18th century.

Despite the fact that China and Vietnam claim that they have evidences that date back to before the 19th century, even to ancient times, for sovereignty over the Spratlys, neither country has ever provided any evidence that prior to the late 19th century people from other lands needed permission from either country in order to use the Spratlys or the adjacent sea.

The islands were sporadically visited throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries by mariners from different European powers (including either Richard Spratly or William Spratly, after whom the island group derives its most recognizable English name). However, these nations showed little interest in the islands. In 1883, German boats surveyed the Spratly and Paracel Islands but withdrew the survey eventually after receiving protests from the Nguyen Dynasty.

In 1933, France claimed the Spratly and Paracel Islands on behalf of its then-colony Vietnam. It occupied a number of the Spratly Islands, including Itu Aba, built weather stations on two, and administered them as part of French Indochina. This occupation was protested by the Chinese government because France admitted finding Chinese fishermen there when French war ships visited the nine islands. In 1935, the Chinese government also announced a sovereignty claim on the Spratly Islands. Japan occupied some of the islands in 1939 during World War II, and used the islands as a submarine base for the occupation of Southeast Asia. During the occupation, these islands were called Shinnan Shoto (新南諸島), literally the New Southern Islands, and put under the governance of Taiwan together with the Paracel Islands (西沙群岛). Today, Itu Aba Island is still administrated by the Republic of China (Taiwan).

Following the defeat of Japan at the end of World War II, China re-claimed the entirety of the Spratly Islands (including Itu Aba), accepting the Japanese surrender on the islands based on the Cairo and Potsdam Declarations. Several years later, the Nationalist Chinese government withdrew from most of the Spratly and Paracel Islands after they were defeated by the forces of the opposing Communist Party of China in 1949.

Japan renounced all claims to the islands in the 1951 San Francisco Peace Treaty, together with the Paracels, Pratas & other islands captured from China, upon which China reasserted its claim to the islands.

The naval units of the Vietnamese government took over in Trường Sa after the defeat of the French at the end of the First Indochina War. In 1958, the People's Republic of China issued a declaration defining its territorial waters, which encompassed the Spratly Islands. North Vietnam's prime minister, Pham Van Dong, sent a formal note to Zhou Enlai, stating that "The Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam respects this decision."^[9]. However, the Spratly Islands were under the jurisdiction of South Vietnam, not North Vietnam.

[edit] Political dispute

Part of a series on
Spratly Islands

[edit] Various Claims

Spratly islands map showing occupied features marked with the flags of countries occupying them. Click to enlarge.

[edit] Brunei

Brunei holds no claim to any of the islands, but claims part of the South China Seas nearest to it as part of its continental shelf and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). In 1984, Brunei declared an EEZ that includes Louisa Reef.^[10] Brunei does not pracatice military control in the area.

[edit] Malaysia

Malaysia has militarily occupied three islands that it considers to be within its continental shelf. Malaysia has tried to build up one atoll by bringing soil from the mainland and has built a hotel.

Malaysian claims are based upon the continental shelf principle which require clearly defined coordinates.

The Malaysian military currently occupies the Ardasier Reef(Terumbu Ubi), the Mariveles Reef (Terumbu Mantanani) and the Swallow Reef (Terumbu Layang).^[11]

[edit] People's Republic of China and Republic of China

The Chinese believe that the islands have been an integral part of China for nearly two thousand years and that neighboring countries and European Powers took advantage of China's poor condition and diversity to impinge on its sovereignty.

China claims to have discovered the islands in the Han Dynasty in 2 BC. The islands were claimed to have been marked on maps compiled during the time of Eastern Han Dynasty and Eastern Wu (one of the Three Kingdoms). Since the Yuan Dynasty, these islands have been labeled as Chinese territory in the 12th century,^[2] followed by the Ming Dynasty^[3] and the Qing Dynasty from the 13th to 19th Centuries.^[4]^[8] In archaeological surveys the remains of Chinese pottery and coins have been found in the islands and are cited as proof for the Chinese claim.^[12].

From 1932 to 1935, China continued to include the territory in their administrative area through the Map Compilation Committee. When France claimed 9 islands of the territory in 1933, it immediately encountered a revolt from Chinese fishermen and a protest from the Republic of China government in Nanking. Although China continued to claim the islands, the Second Sino-Japanese war drew its attention for the mean time from 1937 onwards. After the second world war, China reclaimed sovereignty over the islands through post World War II arrangements based on various treaties of the Allied Powers^[12] and China built a hoar-stone on the island. In 1947, the government renamed 159 islands in the area.

In 1958, the People's Republic of China having taken over nearly all of the Republic of China's formerly controlled territory, issued a declaration defining the Spratly Islands as its territorial waters. North Vietnam's prime minister, Phạm Văn Đồng, sent a formal note to recognize these claims and stated that "The Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) respects this decision." (image)

In 1958, North Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Văn Đồng sent a formal note to Zhou Enlai.

At the time, the Spratly islands were also claimed by the South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam), adding to the debate of sovereignty. A year before the end of the Vietnam War the army of the South Vietnamese still held military control over the majority of the Spratly islands. When North Vietnam unified Vietnam, it continued to claim the Spratly islands as an integral part of Vietnam. Today, the People's Liberation Army (PRC) and the military of the Republic of China (Taiwan) are both stationed in several islands, including the largest, Taiping Island.

[edit] Philippines

While the Philippines' claim to the Spratly Islands was first expressed in the United Nations General Assembly in 1946, Philippine involvement in the Spratlys did not begin in earnest until 1956, when on May 15, 1956, Filipino citizen and admiral Tomas Cloma proclaimed the founding of a new state, Kalayaan (Freedom Land).

Cloma’s Kalayaan encompassed fifty three features spread throughout the eastern South China Sea, including Spratly Island proper, Itu Aba, Pag-asa and Nam Yit Islands, as well as West York Island, North Danger Reef, Mariveles Reef and Investigator Shoal. Cloma then established a protectorate in July 1956 with Pag-asa as its capital and Cloma as “Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Kalayaan State”.

This action, although not officially endorsed by the Philippine government, was considered by other claimant nations as an act of aggression by the Philippines and international reaction was swift.

Taiwan, the PRC, South Vietnam, France, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands lodged official protests (the Netherlands on the premise that it considered the Spratly Islands part of Dutch New Guinea) and Taiwan sent a naval task force to occupy the islands and establish a base on Itu Aba, which it retains to the present day.

Tomas Cloma and the Philippines continued to state their claims over the islands; in October 1956 Cloma traveled to New York to plead his case before the United Nations and the Philippines had troops posted on three islands by 1968 on the premise of protecting Kalayaan citizens. In early 1971 the Philippines sent a diplomatic note on behalf of Cloma to Taipei demanding the ROC's withdrawal from Itu Aba and on 10 July in the same year Ferdinand Marcos announced the annexation of the 53 island group known as Kalayaan, although since neither Cloma or Marcos specified which fifty three features constituted Kalayaan, the Philippines began to claim as many features as possible. In April 1972 Kalayaan was officially incorporated into Palawan province and was administered as a single “poblacion” (township), with Tomas Cloma as the town council Chairman and by 1992, there were twelve registered voters on Kalayaan. The Philippines also reportedly attempted to land troops on Itu Aba in 1977 to occupy the island but were repelled by ROC troops stationed on the island. There were no reports of casualties from the conflict. In 2005, a cellular phone base station was erected by the Philippines' Smart Communications on Pag-asa Island.

The Philippines base their claims of sovereignty over the Spratlys on the issues of res nullius and geography. The Philippines contend Kalayaan was res nullius as there was no effective sovereignty over the islands until the 1930s when France and then Japan acquired the islands. When Japan renounced their sovereignty over the islands in the San Francisco Peace Treaty in 1951, there was a relinquishment of the right to the islands without any special beneficiary. Therefore, argue the Philippines, the islands became res nullius and available for annexation. Philippine businessman Tomas Cloma did exactly that in 1956 and while the Philippines never officially supported Cloma's claim, upon transference of the islands’ sovereignty from Cloma to the Philippines, the Philippines used the same sovereignty argument as Cloma did. The Philippine claim to Kalayaan on geographical bases can be summarized using the assertion that Kalayaan is distinct from other island groups in the South China Sea because:

It is a generally accepted practice in oceanography to refer to a chain of islands through the name of the biggest island in the group or through the use of a collective name. Note that Spratly (island) has an area of only 13 hectares compared to the 22 hectare area of the Pag-asa Island. Distance-wise, Spratly Island is some 210 nm off Pag-asa Islands. This further stresses the argument that they are not part of the same island chain. The Paracels being much further (34.5 nm northwest of Pag-asa Island) is definitely a different group of islands^[13]

A second argument used by the Philippines regarding their geographical claim over the Spratlys is that all the islands claimed by the Philippines lie within their archipelagic baselines, the only claimant who can make such a statement. The 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) stated that a coastal state could claim two hundred nautical miles of jurisdiction beyond its land boundaries. It is perhaps telling that while the Philippines is a signatory to UNCLOS, the PRC and Vietnam are not. The Philippines also argue, under Law of the Sea provisions, that the PRC can not extend its baseline claims to the Spratlys because the PRC is not an archipelagic state. Whether this argument (or any other used by the Philippines) would hold up in court is debatable but possibly moot, as the PRC and Vietnam seem unwilling to legally substantiate their claims and have rejected Philippine challenges to take the dispute to the World Maritime Tribunal in Hamburg.

In addition to the aforementioned, Sabah, a state of Malaysia, is being claimed by the Philippines under legal and historical bases. (See Sabah dispute) So if the Philippines reclaimed Sabah, by default, Malaysia's claims to the Spratly Islands will be declared null, and it will be given to the Philippines, because Malaysia designated its claims to the Spratly Islands as a part of Sabah.

[edit] Vietnam

Vietnam also claims the islands on historical grounds. Vietnamese geographical maps record Bãi Cát Vàng (Golden Sandbanks, referring to Spratly Islands) as Vietnamese territory as early as the 17th century. In Phủ Biên Tạp Lục by the scholar Lê Quý Đôn, Hoàng Sa (Paracel Islands), and Trường Sa (Spratly Islands) were defined as belonging to Quảng Ngãi District. In Đại Nam Nhất Thống Toàn Đồ (Dai Nam Unified Map), an atlas of Vietnam completed in 1838, Trường Sa was shown as Vietnamese territory. Vietnam had conducted many geographical and resource surveys of the islands. The results of these surveys have been recorded in Vietnamese literature and history published since the 17th century. After the treaty signed with the Nguyen Dynasty, France represented Vietnam in international affairs and exercised sovereignty over the islands. On July 7, 1951, Tran Van Huu, head of the Bao Dai Government's delegation to the San Francisco Conference on the peace treaty with Japan declared that the archipelagoes of Hoang Sa and Truong Sa were part of Vietnamese territory. This declaration met with no challenge from the 51 representatives at the conference including delegates from both the People's Republic of China (mainland) and the Republic of China (Taiwan). After the French left, the Vietnamese government exercised sovereignty over the islands. Vietnam currently occupies 31 islands. They are organized as a district of Khanh Hoa Province. At the 12th National Assembly Election held early in Trường Sa, the people and soldiers also voted for their local district government for the first time. For the first time, Trường Sa is organized like a normal inland district, with a townlet (thị trấn Trường Sa) and two communes (xã Sinh Tồn, xã Song Tử Tây). Forty nine people were elected to the communes' people's councils.

[edit] Tabular listing of features showing country possessions

[edit] Occupied Features

A feature is occupied by a country if one of the following is true:

Soldiers and/or civilian citizens of a country are present in the feature, either by building structures over the feature to house the citizens (most features are of this type) or by manning a ship anchored over the feature (Philippine-occupied Irving Reef is of this type).
Regularly visited by soldiers of a country, not necessarily having soldiers present in it 24 hours. These features must lie near (within 9 miles (14 km)) a feature occupied by the country in the way of the first condition. Presence of structures is not necessary. This is the case of Philippine-occupied Flat Island and Lankiam Cay where soldiers stationed at Nanshan Island and Loaita Island respectively, regularly visit on a daily basis.

The effective visible distance of horizon from a 15 meter (typical large structure) height above sea-level is 9 miles (14 km). This makes features occupied by the second condition to be also labeled as "occupied" since they can be guarded far away. However not all features within the 9-mile (14 km) radius can be considered as absolutely occupied. This is especially true for features that lie between and within 9 miles (14 km) of two or more features occupied by different countries. (See Virtually Occupied or Controlled table)

**Republic of China (Taiwan)**
Int'l Name	Local Names	Description	Area (ha.)
Itu Aba Island^[14]^[15]	太平岛 Taiping Dao	The largest of the Spratly islands. Located about 22 miles (35 km) south-southwest of Philippine-occupied Loiata (Kota) Island and about 6 miles (10 km) west of Vietnam-occupied Sand Cay. Covered with shrubs, coconut and mangroves. 600 soldiers stationed, lighthouse, radio and weather stations, concrete landing jetty and two wells at the SW end. Guano deposits, fringing reef. Hainan fishermen used to visit annually. In 8/93, plans were announced for a 2 km-long airstrip and a fishing port. The now only 1150-meters-long airstrip was completed in January 2008. ^[16] Pineapple was once cultivated here. Occupied since September 1956, four months after Filipino Tomas Cloma claimed the islands. Part of Tizard Banks.	46
	Ligaw^[17]/Ligao -lit. courtship, lost or wild
	Đảo Ba Bình
Ban Than Reef^[14]	中洲礁 Zhong Zhou Jiao	Lies 3 miles (5 km) east of Itu-Aba Island and 3 miles (5 km) west of Vietnamese occupied Sand Cay. Small drying reef. Occupied since 1995. Part of Tizard Banks.	0
	Bãi Bàn Than
Total		1 island, 1 reef	46

**People's Republic of China**
Int'l Name	Local Names	Description	Area (ha.)
Cuarteron Reef^[14]^[15]	华阳礁 Huayang Jiao	Coral rocks only. Highest are 1.5 m high, on the north. Occupied since 1988. Part of London Reefs.	0
	Calderon
	Bãi /Đá Châu Viên
Fiery Cross Reef/ Northwest Investigator Reef^[14]^[15]	永暑礁 Yongshu Jiao	Rocks up to 1 m high. All below at high tide, but has guano deposits. PRC built a navy harbor by blasting, piling up and cementing coral, but says no soldiers stationed here. 8,080 square meters, 14 miles (23 km) long, with airstrip. "Marine observation station" built in 1988; coconut, fir, and banyan trees planted. Actually 3 reefs. Occupied since 1988.	0
	Kagitingan -lit. valor
	Đá Chữ Thập
Gaven Reefs^[14]^[15]	南薰礁 Nanxun Jiao (Northern reef) / Xinan or Duolu Jiao (S. reef)	A sand dune, 2 m high. Has fringing reef plus a reef 2 miles (3 km) to the south, both covered at high tide. Now all cement and a raised metal frame, with two-story buildings placed on top. Southern reef was occupied by PRC on 7/4/92. Occupied since 1988.Part of Tizard Banks.	0
	Burgos -after GOMBURZA
	Đá Ga Ven
Hughes Reef^[15]	东门礁 Dongmen Jiao	Lies 9 miles (14 km) to the east of Sin Cowe Island. Naturally above water at least at low tide. Occupied since 1988. Part of Union Banks.	0
Johnson South Reef^[14]^[15]	赤瓜礁 Chigua Jiao	Contiguous with Vietnam-occupied Collins Reef which lies 4 miles (6 km) away northwest. Naturally above water only at low tide, but [9] says many rocks above water at high tide. Site of 1988 PRC/Vietnam clash. Occupied since 1988. Part of Union Banks.	0
	Mabini -after Apolinario Mabini
	Đá Gạc Ma
Mischief Reef^[14]^[15]	美济礁 Meiji Jiao	Some rocks above water at low tide. Has a lagoon. In February 1995, PRC had built a wooden complex on stilts here, starting its formal occupation of the feature. In 1999, the Philippines protested over this structures claiming that it is a military outpost and it poses danger to Philippine security and national defense, being 130 miles (209 km) from Palawan. PRC claims it is a shelter for fishermen.	0
	Panganiban^[17]
	Đá Vành Khăn
Subi Reef^[14]^[15]	渚碧礁 Zhubi Dao	Lies 16 miles (26 km) southwest of Philippine-occupied Thitu Island (Pagasa Island). Naturally above water only at low tide. Surrounds a lagoon. PRC has constructed 3-story buildings, wharfs, and a helipad here.	0
	Zamora -after GOMBURZA
	Đá Su Bi
First Thomas Reef	信义礁 Xinyi Jiao	A few rocks are permanently above sea level. Soldiers from nearby Second Thomas Reef, as well as Filipino fisherfolks, visit this reef daily to fish. Much of the reef is above water at low tide. Encloses a lagoon.	0
	Bulig^[17] -lit. mudfish
	Bãi Suối Ngà
Whitson Reef^[14]	牛轭礁 Niu'e Jiao	Some rocks naturally above water at high tide. Part of Union Banks.	0
	Đá Ba Đầu
Total		9 reefs	0

**Republic of the Philippines**
Int'l Name	Local Names	Description	Area (ha.)
Flat Island^[14]^[15]	Patag^[17] -lit. flat	The fourteenth largest Spratly island. About 6 miles (10 km) southwest of Philippine-occupied Lawak Island (Nanshan Island). It changes its shape seasonally. The sand build up will depend largely on the direction of prevailing wind and waves. It takes the shape of an elongated one for some years now and a shape like that of a crescent moon for few years ago and it formed the shape of a letter “S” in the past. Like Panata Island (Lankiam Cay), it is also barren of any vegetation. No underground water source is found in the island. Presently, this island serves only as a military observation post for the Municipality of Kalayaan. A low, flat, sandy cay, 240 by 90 m, subject to erosion. Has a nearby reef which is above water at high tide. With large guano deposits. No vegetation. Several soldiers stationed.	0.57
	费信岛費信島 Feixin Dao
	Đảo Bình Nguyên
Lankiam Cay^[14]^[15]	Panata^[17] -lit. oath	The fifteenth largest and the smallest Spratly island. Located 8 miles (13 km) northeast of Philippine-occupied Kota Island (Lankiam Cay). A few years ago this island has a surface area of more than 5 hectares but strong waves brought by a strong typhoon washed out the sandy surface (beach) of the island leaving behind today the calcarenite foundation that can be seen at low tide. Several soldiers stationed. Part of Loaita Banks.	0.44
	杨信沙洲楊信沙洲 Yangxin Shazhou
	Cồn San Hô Lan Can
Loaita Island^[14]^[15]	Kota^[17] -lit. camp(kuta)	The tenth largest Spratly island. Located 22 miles (35 km) southeast of Philippine-occupied Pag-asa Island (Thitu Island) and 22 miles (35 km) north-northeast of Taiwan-occupied Itu Aba Island. It fringes the Laoita bank and reef. Its calcarenite outcrop is visible along its western side at low tide. The present shape of the island indicates sand buildup along its eastern side. The anchor-shaped side will eventually connect with the northern portion as the sand buildup continues thereby creating another mini-lagoon in the process. The presence of migrating sea birds adds to the high phosphorus contents of the sand found in the island. Occasionally, giant sea turtles are reported to be laying their eggs in the island. Covered with mangrove bushes, above which rose coconut palms and other small trees. Several soldiers stationed. Occupied since 1968. Part of Loaita Banks.	6.45
	南钥岛南鑰島 Nanyue Dao
	Đảo Loại Ta
Nanshan Island^[14]^[15]	Lawak^[17] -lit. vastness	The eighth largest Spratly island. Located 98.0 miles (157.7 km) east of Pag-asa (Thitu Island). This island is a bird sanctuary. Its surroundings are highly phosphatized that superphosphate materials can be mined out on a small-scale basis. Near the fringes of the breakwaters (approx. 2 miles (3 km) from the island), intact hard coral reefs were observed to retain their natural environment and beautiful tropical fishes were seen colonizing these coral beds of varying colors. Covered with coconut trees, bushes and grass. 580 m long, on the edge of a submerged reef. Several soldiers stationed. Has a small airstrip.	7.93
	马欢岛馬歡島 Mahuan Dao
	Đảo Vĩnh Viễn
Northeast Cay^[14]^[15]	Parola^[17] -lit. lighthouse	The fifth largest Spratly island. Only 1.75 miles (2.82 km) north of Vietnamese-occupied Southwest Cay and can bee seen before the horizon. Located 28 miles (45 km) northwest of Philippine-occupied Pag-asa (Thitu Island). Some of its outcrops are visible on its western side. It has high salinity groundwater and vegetation limited to beach type of plants. The corals around the island were mostly destroyed by rampant use of dynamite fishing and cyanide method employed by foreign fishing boats in the past. Covered with grass and thick trees. Much of the ringing reef is above water at high tide. Supported a beacon in 1984. Has Guano deposits. Several soldiers stationed. Has an airstrip. Occupied since 1968. Part of North Danger Reef.	12.7
	北子岛北子島 Beizi Dao
	Đảo Song Tử Đông
Thitu Island^[14]^[15]	Pag-asa^[17] -lit. hope	The second largest Spratly island. Serves as the poblacion for the Municipality of Kalayaan, Palawan, Phils. It is covered with trees and has a variety of fauna. It is home to some 300+ civilians (including children) and over 50 soldiers. Other islands are expected to be populated before 2010. Population is regulated to protect the islands' flora and fauna and to avoid tension with other countries. It has 1.4 km airstrip, a marina, water filtering plant, power generator and a commercial communications tower (by Smart Communications). The Philippines' Department of Tourism is making improvements to the island to make it profitable. Occupied since 1968. Part of Thitu Reefs.	37.2
	中业岛中業島 Zhongye Dao
	Đảo Thị Tứ
West York Island^[14]^[15]	Likas^[17] -lit. natural	The third largest Spratly island. This island is located 47 miles (76 km) northeast of Pag-asa (Thitu Island). Outcrops are visible on the southern and eastern portion of the island during low tides. This island is considered a sanctuary for giant sea turtles that lay their eggs on the island all year round. The high salinity of the ground water in the island retards the growth of introduced trees like coconuts, ipil-ipil, and other types. Only those endemic to the area that are mostly beach type of plants thrive and survive the hot and humid condition especially during the dry season. Has an observation post. Several soldiers stationed.	18.6
	西月岛西月島 Xiyue Dao
	Đảo Bến Lạc, Đảo Dừa
Commodore Reef^[14]^[15]	Rizal^[17] -after José Rizal	A sand "cay", 0.5 m high, surrounded by two lagoons. Parts of reef above water at high tide. It is a typical reef lying underwater and is now being manned by a military contingent based and established in the area. Some structures. Several soldiers stationed. Occupied since 1978.	0
	司令礁司令礁 Siling Jiao
	Đá Công Đo
	Terumbu Laksamana
Irving Reef^[14]	Balagtas -after Francisco Balagtas	Naturally above water only at low tide. A very small cay lies at northern end. Some structures. Several soldiers stationed.	0
	火艾礁火艾礁　 Huo'ai Jiao
	Đảo Cá Nhám
Second Thomas Reef^[18]	Ayungin^[17] -after a native fish specie Leiopotherapon plumbeus	A shallow reef. It is close to Chinese-occupied Mischief Reef. It was occupied by the Philippines in 1999, after the 1995 controversial Chinese occupation of Mischief Reef, to put pressure on China not to occupy any features further which lie near the Philippines.	0
	仁爱礁仁愛礁　 Ren'ai Jiao
Total		7 islands, 3 reefs	83.89

**Socialist Republic of Vietnam**
Int'l Name	Local Names	Description	Area (ha.)
Amboyna Cay^[14]^[15]	Kalantiaw^[17] -after Datu Kalantiaw	The thirteenth largest Spratly island. Two parts: East part consists of sand and coral, west part is covered with guano. Has fringing reef. An obelisk, about 2.7 m high, stands on the SW corner. Little vegetation. Lighthouse operational since May 1995. Heavily fortified.	1.6
	安波沙洲 Anbo Shazhou
	Đảo An Bang
	Pulau Amboyna Kecil
Namyit Island^[14]^[15]	Binago^[17] -lit. changed or modified	The twelfth largest Spratly island. Covered with small trees, bushes and grass. Has a fringing reef and is inhabited by sea birds. The island is inhabited by an unknown number of Vietnamese soldiers and in the deep waters fronting the south side it is said that a submarine base is situated.^{[citation needed]} Occupied since 1975.Part of Tizard Banks.	5.3
	鸿庥岛 Hongxiu Dao
	Đảo Nam Yết
Sand Cay^[14]^[15]	Bailan -lit. druid (babaylan)	The ninth largest Spratly island. Lies 6 miles (10 km) to the east of Taiwan-occupied Itu Aba Island. Covered with trees and bushes. Fringing reef partly above water at low tide. This feature is commonly confused with Sandy Cay. Occupied since 1974. Part of Tizard Banks.	7
	敦谦沙洲 Dunqian Shazhou
	Đảo /Đá Sơn Ca
Sin Cowe Island^[14]^[15]	Rurok^[17] -lit. peak	The seventh largest. Has fringing reef which is above water at low tide. Occupied since 1974. Part of Union Banks.	8
	景宏岛 Jinghong Dao
	Đảo Sinh Tồn
Southwest Cay^[14]^[15]	Pugad -lit. nest	The sixth largest Spratly island. Only 1.75 miles (2.82 km) from Northeast Cay and can be seen before the horizon. Previously a breeding place for birds and covered with trees and guano. Export of guano was once carried out "on a considerable scale." Fringing reef partly above water at high tide. Vietnam erected its first lighthouse in the Spratlys here in October 1993 and built an airstrip. Has a three-story building, garrisoned by soldiers. Philippine military controlled the island before early 1980s. Vietnamese forces invaded the island when Filipino soldiers guarding the island attended the birthday party of their commanding officer based in the nearby Northeast Cay. A confirmed report came out that Vietnamese prostitutes were sent by Vietnamese officials to the birthday party, supposedly a sign of good brotherhood between the forces, but was actually used to lure the Filipino soldiers guarding the island. Filipino forces apparently planned on attacking the island, thus it would have led to a war, but Vietnamese forces were able to erect a huge garrison in the island within few weeks, forcing Filipino officials to abort the plan. Since then, more soldiers were assigned to Parola Island (North East Cay), to avoid it from happening again. This was confirmed by interviews with soldiers involved in an episode of the defunct ABS-CBN's Magandang Gabi Bayan (Good Evening Nation) program. See Policies, activities and history of the Philippines in Spratly Islands#Southwest Cay Invasion for more details. Part of North Danger Reef.	12
	南子岛 Nanzi Dao
	Đảo Song Tử Tây
Spratly Island (proper)/ Storm Island

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