Background: Rich fishing grounds and the potential for gas and oil deposits have caused this archipelago to be claimed in its entirety by China Taiwan and Vietnam while portions are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines. All five parties have occupied certain islands or reefs and occasional clashes have occurred between Chinese and Vietnamese naval forces

Geographic coordinates: 8 38 N, 111 55 E

Map reference: Southeast Asia

Area
Total: less than 5 km²
Land: less than 5 km²
Water: 0 km²
Note: includes 100 or so islets, coral reefs, and sea mounts scattered over a large area of the central South China Sea
Comparative: NA

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 926 km

Maritime claims: NA

Climate: tropical

Terrain: flat

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
Extremes highest point: unnamed location on Southwest Cay 4 m

Natural resources: fish, guano, undetermined oil and natural gas potential

Land use
Arable land: 0%
Permanent crops: 0%
Permanent pastures: 0%
Forests and woodland: 0%
Other: 100%

Irrigated land: 0 km² (1993)

Natural hazards: typhoons; serious maritime hazard because of numerous reefs and shoals

Geography
Note: strategically located near several primary shipping lanes in the central South China Sea; includes numerous small islands, atolls, shoals, and coral reefs

Population: no indigenous inhabitants
Note: there are scattered garrisons occupied by personnel of several claimant states

Environment
Current issues: NA
International agreements party to: none of the selected agreements
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Spratly Islands

Economy overview: 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.

Airports: 4 (1997 est.)
With paved runways total: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (1997 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 3
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 2 (1997 est.)

Disputes international: all of the Spratly Islands are claimed by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam; parts of them are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines; in 1984, Brunei established an exclusive fishing zone, which encompasses Louisa Reef in the southern Spratly Islands, but has not publicly claimed the island