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Spratly Islands
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese:	南沙群島
Simplified Chinese:	南沙群岛
Transliterations Mandarin - Hanyu Pinyin: Nánshā Qúndǎo Yue (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

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 kilometres of land area, spread over more than 400,000 square kilometres of sea. The Spratlys are part of the great sweep of archipelago Southeast Asia of more than 30,000 islands and reefs and which so complicates geography, governance and economics in the region. 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.

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 contain no 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.

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.

Ancient Chinese maps record the Qianli Changsha (千里長沙) and Wanli Shitang (萬里石塘), which China today claims refer to these islands. These islands were labeled as Chinese territory since the Yuan Dynasty in the 13th century,¹ followed by the Ming Dynasty.² When the Ming Dynasty collapsed, the Qing Dynasty continued to include the territory in maps complied in 1724,³ 1755,⁴ 1767,⁵ 1810,⁶ 1817⁷ 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.

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 Republic of China 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, the Republic of China government (Nationalist) 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 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."⁸

Political dispute

Part of a series on Spratly Islands
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Confrontations
Johnson South Reef Skirmish Southwest Cay Invasion
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Kalayaan, Palawan Policies, activities and history...
Others
Kingdom of Humanity Republic of Morac-Songhrati-Meads
Available Island/Reef Articles
Philippine-occupied Thitu Island · Pagasa Island West York Island · Likas Island Northeast Cay · Parola Island Nanshan Island · Lawak Island Loaita Island · Kota Island Flat Island · Patag Island Lankiam Cay · Panata Island Vietnam-occupied Spratly Island · Truong Sa Island Southwest Cay · Song Tu Tay Island Sincowe Island · Sinh Ton Island Sandcay · Son Ca Island Namyit Island · Nam Yet Island Amboyna Cay · An Bang Island Taiwan-occupied Itu Aba Island · Taiping Island Malaysia-occupied Swallow Reef · Layang-Layang Island China-occupied Johnson South Reef · Chigua Reef Mischief Reef · Meiji Reef Subi Reef · Zhubi Reef
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There are multiple reasons why the neighboring nations would be interested in the Spratly Islands. In 1968 oil was discovered in the region. The Geology and Mineral Resources Ministry of the People's Republic of China (PRC) has estimated that the Spratly area holds oil and natural gas reserves of 17.7 billion tons (1.60 × 10¹⁰ kg), as compared to the 13 billion tons (1.17 × 10¹⁰ kg) held by Kuwait, placing it as the fourth largest reserve bed in the world. Naturally, these large reserves assisted in intensifying the situation and propelled the territorial claims of the neighboring countries. On 11 March 1976, the first major Philippine oil discovery occurred off the coast of Palawan, within the Spratly Islands territory, and these oil fields now account for fifteen percent of all petroleum consumed in the Philippines. In 1992, the PRC and Vietnam granted oil exploration contracts to U.S. oil companies that covered overlapping areas in the Spratlys. In May 1992, the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) and Crestone Energy (a U.S. company based in Denver, Colorado) signed a cooperation contract for the joint exploration of the Wan'an Bei-21 block, a 25,155 km² section of the southwestern South China Sea that includes Spratly Island areas. Part of the Crestone's contract covered Vietnam’s blocks 133 and 134, where PetroVietnam and ConocoPhillips Vietnam Exploration & Production, a unit of ConocoPhillips, agreed to evaluate prospects in April 1992. This led to a confrontation between China and Vietnam, with each demanding that the other cancel its contract.

An additional motive is the region's role as one of the world's most productive areas for commercial fishing. In 1988, for example, the South China Sea accounted for eight percent of the total world catch, a figure which has certainly risen. The PRC has predicted that the South China Sea holds combined fishing and oil and gas resources worth one trillion dollars. There have already been numerous clashes between the Philippines and other nations — particularly the PRC — over foreign fishing vessels in its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and the media regularly report the arrest of Chinese fishermen. In 1984, Brunei established an exclusive fishing zone encompassing Louisa Reef in the southern Spratly Islands, but has not publicly claimed the island.

The region is also one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. During the 1980s, at least two hundred and seventy ships passed through the Spratly Islands region each day, and currently more than half of the world's supertanker traffic, by tonnage, passes through the region’s waters every year. Tanker traffic through the South China Sea is over three times greater than through the Suez Canal and five times more than through the Panama Canal; twenty five percent of the world’s crude oil passes through the South China Sea.

There have been occasional naval clashes over the Spratly Islands. In 1988, China and Vietnam clashed at sea over possession of Johnson Reef in the Spratlys. Chinese gunboats sank Vietnamese transport ships supporting a landing party of Vietnamese soldiers.

In response to growing concerns by coastal states regarding encroachments by foreign vessels on their natural resources, the United Nations convened the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in 1982 to determine the issue of international sea boundaries. In response to these concerns, it was resolved that a coastal state could claim two hundred nautical miles of jurisdiction beyond its land boundaries. However UNCLOS failed to address the issue of how to adjudicate on overlapping claims and so the future of the islands remains clouded.

Following a 1995 dispute between China and the Philippines an ASEAN-brokered agreement was reached between the PRC and ASEAN member nations whereby a nation would inform the others of any military movement within the disputed territory and that there would be no further construction. The agreement was promptly violated by China and Malaysia. Claiming storm damage, seven Chinese naval vessels entered the area to repair "fishing shelters" in Panganiban Reef. Malaysia erected a structure on Investigator Shoal and landed at Rizal Reef. In response the Philippines lodged formal protests, demanded the removal of the structures, increased naval patrols in Kalayaan and issued invitations to American politicians to inspect the PRC bases by plane.

In the early 21st century, the situation is improving. China recently held talks with ASEAN countries aimed at realizing a proposal for a free trade area between the ten countries involved. China and ASEAN also have been engaged in talks to create a code of conduct aimed at easing tensions in the disputed islands. On 5 March 2002, an agreement was reached, setting forth the desire of the claimant nations to resolve the problem of sovereignty "without further use of force"^{citation needed}. In November 2002, a Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea was signed, easing tensions but falling short of a legally-binding code of conduct.

Various Claims

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

People's Republic of China and Republic of China

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

China claims to have found 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,¹ followed by the Ming Dynasty² and the Qing Dynasty from the 13th to 19th Centuries.³⁷ 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.⁹.

From 1932 to 1935, the Republic of 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 the Republic of 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 Powers⁹ and a hoarstone was built on the islands by China. In 1947, the government renamed 159 islands in the area.

In 1958, the People's Republic of China issued a declaration defining the Spratly Islands as its territorial waters. North Vietnam's prime minister, Pham Van Dong, sent a formal note to recognize these claims and stated that "The Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) respects this decision." However this note is claimed to be void because the Spratly islands belonged to the South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) at that time. A year before the end of the Vietnam War the army of the South Vietnamese still held the majority of the Spratly islands and when North Vietnam unified Vietnam, it continued to claim the Spratly islands as an integral part of Vietnam. Today, the troops of the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China (Taiwan) respectively are stationed in several islands, including the biggest, Taiping island.

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 islands¹⁰

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.

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.

Others

Malaysia, Brunei also claim parts of the islands.

Tabular listing of features showing country possessions

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 the Philippines

Int'l Name	Local Names	Description	Area (ha.)
Flat Island1112	Patag13 -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 Cay1112	Panata13 -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 Island1112	Kota13 -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 Island1112	Lawak13 -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 Cay1112	Parola13 -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 Island1112	Pag-asa13 -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 Island1112	Likas13 -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 Reef1112	Rizal13 -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 Reef11	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 Reef14	Ayungin13 -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
Total		7 islands, 3 reefs	83.89

Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Int'l Name	Local Names	Description	Area (ha.)
Amboyna Cay1112	Kalantiaw13 -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 Island1112	Binago13 -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 Cay1112	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 Island1112	Rurok13 -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 Cay1112	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 Island1112	Lagos -lit. passage	The fourth largest Spratly island. 2.5 m high, flat. Covered with bushes, grass, birds and guano. 5.5 m-high obelisk at southern tip. Has landing strip, and a fishing port. Fringing reef is above water at low tide. Some structures with soldiers stationed. Occupied since 1974.	13
	南威岛 Nanwei Dao
	Đảo Trường Sa
Alison Reef1112	De Jesus13	Naturally above water only at low tide. Encloses a lagoon.	0
	六门礁 Liumen Jiao
	Bãi Tốc Tan
Barque Canada Reef/ Lizzie Weber Reef1112	(Barque Canada Reef) Magsaysay -after Ramon Magsaysay	Coral. Highest rocks are 4.5 m high, at SW end. Much of reef is above water at high tide. Some sandy patches. 18 miles (29 km) long. Its military structures were recently upgraded. Occupied since 1987.	0
	(Lizzie Weber Reef) Mascarado -lit. masked
	柏礁 Bai Jiao
	Bãi Thuyền Chài
	Terumbu Perahu
Central London Reef1112	Gitnang Quezon13 -after Manuel L. Quezon, gitnang is central	SW part is a sandbank which barely submerges at high tide. The rest is coral reef, awash, surrounding a lagoon. Occupied since 1978. Part of London Reefs.	0
	中礁 Zhong Jiao
	Đảo Trường Sa Đông
Collins Reef/ Johnson North Reef11	鬼喊礁 Guihan Jiao	Lies 8 miles (13 km) southwest of Vietnam-occupied Sin Cowe Island. Connected to Johnson South Reef. A "coral dune" is located at the southeast corner, above the high tide line. Part of Union Banks.	0
	Đá Cô Lin
Cornwallis South Reef1112	Osmeña -after President Sergio Osmeña	Naturally above water only at low tide. Encloses a lagoon. Occupied since 1988.	0
	南华礁 Nanhua Jiao
	Đá Núi Le
Great Discovery Reef1112	Paredes	Several rocks are above water at high tide. Most of reef is above water at low tide. Has lagoon. Occupied since 1988.	0
	大现礁 Daxian Dao
	Đá Lớn
East London Reef1112	Silangang Quezon13 -after Manuel L. Quezon, silangang is eastern	Rocks up to 1 m high. Encloses a lagoon. Occupied since 1988. Part of London Reefs.	0
	东礁 Dong Jiao
	Đá Đông
Grierson Reef11	Julian Felipe -after Julian Felipe, who composed the music for the Philippine National Anthem	A sand cay with fringing reef. Some references tell that there exist a Sin Cowe East Island. This island may be Grierson Reef. It was probably called Sin Cowe East Island because it is located to the east of Sin Cowe Island and that its sand bar is visible during low tides, making it an island. Due to convention that an island must always be visible even at highest tides, Grierson Reef is not considered as an island in this list. Its sand bar area is about 12 hectares. Part of Union Banks.	0
	染青沙洲 Ranqing Shazhou
Grainger Bank11	李准滩 Lizhun Tan	Shallowest natural depth is either 9 m or 11 m. Occupied since 1989.	0
	Bãi Quế Đường
Higgens Reef12	屈原礁 Quyuan Jiao	Lies 6 miles (10 km) southeast of Vietnam-occupied Sin Cowe Island. Only above water at low tide. Part of Union Banks.	0
	Đá Hi Ghen, Đá Hi Gen
Ladd Reef12	日积礁 Riji Jiao	Naturally above water at low tide. Has coral lagoon. Occupied since 1988.	0
	Đá Lát
Lan(d)sdowne Reef1112	Pagkakaisa -lit. unity	Sand dune, with fringing reef. Part of Union Banks.	0
	琼礁 Qiong Jiao
	Đá Len Đao
Pearson Reef1112	Hizon13	Two sand "cays", 2 m and 1 m high, lie on the edges of a lagoon. Parts of the surrounding reef are above water at high tide. Occupied since 1988.	0
	毕生礁 Bisheng Jiao
	Đảo Phan Vinh
Petley Reef1112	舶兰礁 Bolan Jiao	Naturally above water only at low tide, some small rocks might stand above high water. Occupied since 1988. Part of Tizard Banks.	0
	Đá Núi Thị
Pigeon Reef/ Tennent Reef1112	无乜礁 Wumie Jiao	Numerous rocks are naturally above the high tide line. Encloses a lagoon. Occupied since 1988.	0
	Đá Tiên Nữ
Prince Consort Bank11	西卫滩 Xiwei Tan	Shallowest natural depth is 9 m. Occupied since 1989.	0
	Bãi Phúc Nguyên
Rifleman Bank (containing Bombay Castle)11	南薇滩 Nanwei Tan	Shallowest natural depth is 3 m, called Bombay Castle. Sand and coral. Occupied since 1989.	0
	Bãi Vũng Mây
South Reef1112	Timog -lit. south	Lies about 2.5 miles (4 km) southwest of Vietnam-occupied Soutwest Cay. A tiny cay appears atop this reef on the most detailed map available. On the southwest end of North Danger Reef. Fringing reef is above water at low tide. Occupied since 1988. Part of North Danger Reef.	0
	奈罗礁 Nailuo Jiao
	Đá Nam
Vanguard Bank11	万安滩 Wan'an Tan	Shallowest natural depth is 16 m. Vietnam has run two "economic technological service stations" in this area since July 1994. Occupied since 1989.	0
	Bãi Tư Chính
West London Reef1112	Kanlurang Quezon13 -after Manuel L. Quezon, kanlurang is western	East part is sand "cay", 0.6 m high. West part is coral reef which is above water only at low tide. Between them is a lagoon. Vietnam erected a lighthouse here in May or June 1994. Part of London Reefs.	0
	西礁 Xi Jiao
	Đá Tây
Total		6 islands, 17 reefs, 3 banks	46.9

Republic of China (Taiwan)

Int'l Name	Local Names	Description	Area (ha.)
Itu Aba Island1112	Ligaw13/Ligao -lit. courtship, lost or wild	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 we