1999 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1999 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Area
total: less than 5 sq km land: less than 5 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes 100 or so islets, coral reefs, and sea mounts scattered over an area of nearly 410,000 sq km of the central South China Sea
Area--comparative
NA
Climate
tropical
Coastline
926 km
Elevation extremes
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Southwest Cay 4 m
Environment--current issues
NA
Environment--international agreements
party to: none of the selected agreements signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geographic coordinates
8 38 N, 111 55 E
Geography--note
strategically located near several primary shipping lanes in the central South China Sea; includes numerous small islands, atolls, shoals, and coral reefs
Irrigated land
0 sq km (1993)
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 100%
Location
Southeastern Asia, group of reefs and islands in the South China Sea, about two-thirds of the way from southern Vietnam to the southern Philippines
Map references
Southeast Asia
Maritime claims
NA
Natural hazards
typhoons; serious maritime hazard because of numerous reefs and shoals
Natural resources
fish, guano, undetermined oil and natural gas potential
Terrain
flat
People and Society
Population
no indigenous inhabitants note: there are scattered garrisons occupied by personnel of several claimant states
Government
Country name
conventional long form: none conventional short form: Spratly Islands
Data code
PG
Economy
Economy--overview
Economic activity is limited to commercial fishing. The proximity to nearby oiland 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.
Transportation
Airports
4 (1998 est.) Airports--with paved runways: total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1998 est.) Airports--with unpaved runways: total: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (1998 est.)
Military and Security
Military--note
Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or reefs, of which about 45 are claimed and occupied by China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam
Transnational Issues
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