Background: This archipelago is surrounded by productive fishing grounds and potentially large oil reserves. In 1932 French Indochina annexed the islands and set up a weather station on Prattle Island; maintenance was continued by its successor Vietnam. China has occupied the Paracel Islands since 1974 when its troops captured a South Vietnamese garrison occupying the western islands. However the islands are still claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan.
Environment Current issues: subject to typhoons Current issues note: located 400 km east of Vietnam in the South China Sea about one-third of the way between Vietnam and the Philippines