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Background:
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The Paracel Islands are surrounded by productive fishing
grounds and by potential oil and gas reserves. In 1932, French
Indochina annexed the islands and set up a weather station on
Pattle Island; maintenance was continued by its successor,
Vietnam. China has occupied the Paracel Islands since 1974,
when its troops seized a South Vietnamese garrison occupying
the western islands. The islands are claimed by Taiwan and
Vietnam. |
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Location:
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Southeastern
Asia, group of small islands and reefs in the South China Sea,
about one-third of the way from central Vietnam to the
northern Philippines |
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Geographic coordinates:
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16 30 N, 112 00 E |
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Map references:
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Southeast
Asia |
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Area:
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total: NA
sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: NA sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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NA |
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Land boundaries:
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0 km |
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Coastline:
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518 km |
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Climate:
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tropical |
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Terrain:
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mostly low and
flat |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
South China Sea 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Rocky Island 14 m |
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Natural resources:
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none |
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Land use:
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arable land:
0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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0 sq km (1998
est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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typhoons |
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Environment - current issues:
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NA |
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Geography - note:
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composed of 130
small coral islands and reefs divided into the northeast
Amphitrite Group and the western Crescent Group |
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Population:
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no indigenous
inhabitants
note: there are scattered Chinese garrisons (July 2004
est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional
long form: none
conventional short form: Paracel Islands |
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Economy - overview:
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China announced
plans in 1997 to open the islands for tourism. |
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Waterways:
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none |
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Ports and harbors:
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small Chinese
port facilities on Woody Island and Duncan Island being
expanded |
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Airports:
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1 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2003 est.) |
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Military - note:
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occupied by China |
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Disputes - international:
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occupied by
China, but claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam |
This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004
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