Editing Spratly Islands (section)

==Geographic and economic overview==
{{Further|List of maritime features in the Spratly Islands}}
{{Infobox islands
| disputed                   = yes
| name                       = Spratly Islands
| plural                     = yes
| image_name                 = Spratly_Islands-CIA_WFB_Map.png
| image_size                 = 250px
| image_caption              = The Spratly Islands
| location                   = [[South China Sea]]
| coordinates                = {{Coord|10|N|114|E|region:XP_scale:2500000|display=inline,title}}
| total_islands              = 18 islands and [[cay]]s
| major_islands              = {{Plainlist|
* [[Itu Aba Island]]
* [[Thitu Island]]
* [[West York Island]]
* [[Spratly Island]]
* [[Northeast Cay]]
* [[Southwest Cay]]
* [[Sin Cowe Island]]<ref>See [[List of maritime features in the Spratly Islands]] for information about individual islands.</ref>
}}
| area_ha                    = 200
| coastline_km               = 926
| elevation_m                = 4
| highest_mount              = [[Southwest Cay]]
| country1                   = Brunei
| country1_admin_divisions_title = [[Exclusive economic zone|EEZ]]
| country1_admin_divisions   = Brunei zone
| country3                   = People's Republic of China
| country3_admin_divisions_title = [[Prefecture-level city]]
| country3_admin_divisions   = [[Sansha]], [[Hainan]]<ref>[http://www.mca.gov.cn/article/zwgk/mzyw/201206/20120600325063.shtml 民政部关于国务院批准设立地级三沙市的公告-中华人民共和国民政部] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120625055300/http://www.mca.gov.cn/article/zwgk/mzyw/201206/20120600325063.shtml |date=25 June 2012}}, Ministry of Civil Affairs of the PRC</ref>
| country4                   = Malaysia
| country4_admin_divisions_title = [[States and federal territories of Malaysia|State]]
| country4_admin_divisions   = [[Sabah]]
| country5                   = Philippines
| country5_admin_divisions_title = [[Municipalities of the Philippines|Municipality]]
| country5_admin_divisions   = [[Kalayaan, Palawan|Kalayaan]], [[Palawan]]
| country6                   = Taiwan
| country6_admin_divisions_title = [[Special municipality (Republic of China)|Municipality]]
| country6_admin_divisions   = [[Kaohsiung]]
| country7                   = Vietnam
| country7_admin_divisions_title = [[List of districts of Vietnam|District]]
| country7_admin_divisions   = [[Trường Sa District|Trường Sa]], [[Khánh Hòa Province|Khánh Hòa]]
}}
{{Infobox Chinese
|vie = Quần đảo Trường Sa
|hn  = 群島長沙
|p   = Nánshā Qúndǎo
|j   = nam4 saa1 kwun4 dou2
|y   = Nàhmsaa Kwùhndóu
|t   = 南沙群島
|s   = 南沙群岛
|poj = Lâm-soa Kûn-tó
|hain = Nâm-so Kún-tō
|tgl = Kapuluan ng Kalayaan
|msa = {{unbulleted list
|Kepulauan Spratly
|Gugusan Semarang Peninjau<ref>
{{cite web |url=http://www.navy.mil.my/pusmastldm/index.php/penubuhan-unit/markas-wilayah-laut-2/pasukan-gugusan-semarang-peninjau |title=PASUKAN GUGUSAN SEMARANG PENINJAU |access-date=2013-06-04 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626114904/http://www.navy.mil.my/pusmastldm/index.php/penubuhan-unit/markas-wilayah-laut-2/pasukan-gugusan-semarang-peninjau |archive-date=26 June 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=22 November 2011 |title=Slow progress on capability growth |publisher=Defence Review Asia.com |url=http://www.defencereviewasia.com/articles/140/Slow-progress-on-capability-growth |access-date=4 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141219103640/http://www.defencereviewasia.com/articles/140/Slow-progress-on-capability-growth |archive-date=19 December 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nav.mil.my/index.php/component/k2/item/2479-warga-gugusan-semarang-peninjau-tldm-diraikan-di-pulau-layang-layang |title=LAWATAN OPERASI KAPAL TENTERA DARAT AMERIKA SYARIKAT, CW3 HAROLD C CLINGER KE PULAU PINANG}}{{Dead link|date=November 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}}</ref>}}
}}
[[File:Spratly Islands in the South China Sea Department of State map 2016587286 (2015).jpg|thumb|250px|The Spratly Islands]]
[[File:Mapspratly.jpg|thumb|A geographic map of Spratly Islands{{efn|Black type is used for islands, and for those reefs and shoals that have portions above water at high tide. Blue type is used for submerged features. '''Erratum''': [[Hughes Reef]] is wrongly labelled '''Chigua Reef''', a name of [[Johnson South Reef]] in Chinese, part of the same [[Union Banks]] sunken atoll.}}]]

In 1939, the Spratly Islands were coral islets mostly inhabited by seabirds.<ref name="Madrolle 1939" /> Despite the Spratly Islands naturally consisting of 19 islands ''(see below)'', according to a Chinese 1986 source, the Spratly Islands consist of 14 islands or islets, 6 banks, 113 submerged reefs, 35 underwater banks and 21 underwater shoals.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Impact of Artificial Islands on Territorial Disputes Over The Spratly Islands, by Zou Keyuan |url=http://nghiencuubiendong.vn/en/conferences-and-seminars-/second-international-workshop/597-the-impact-of-artificial-islands-on-territorial-disputes-over-the-sparatly-islands-by-zou-keyuan |access-date=7 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160410112848/http://nghiencuubiendong.vn/en/conferences-and-seminars-/second-international-workshop/597-the-impact-of-artificial-islands-on-territorial-disputes-over-the-sparatly-islands-by-zou-keyuan |archive-date=10 April 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref>

The northeast part of the Spratly Islands is known as [[Dangerous Ground (South China Sea)|Dangerous Ground]] and is characterised by many low islands, sunken reefs, and degraded, sunken atolls with [[coral]] often rising abruptly from ocean depths greater than {{convert|1000|m|ft|sigfig=1}} – all of which makes the area dangerous for navigation.

The islands are all of similar nature; they are [[cay]]s (or keys): sand islands formed on old degraded and submerged coral reefs.

The Spratly Islands contain almost no [[arable land]], are largely uninhabited, and very few of the islands have a permanent drinkable water supply.<ref name="BBC 2011-06-13" /><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://thediplomat.com/2016/07/china-has-much-to-gain-from-the-south-china-sea-ruling/ |title=China Has Much to Gain From the South China Sea Ruling |author=Mark E. Rosen |work=The Diplomat |date=18 July 2016 |access-date=2017-04-27 |language=en-US |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170428051012/https://thediplomat.com/2016/07/china-has-much-to-gain-from-the-south-china-sea-ruling/ |archive-date=28 April 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Natural resources include fish, [[guano]], [[Petroleum|oil]] and natural gas.<ref>Note, however, that a 2013 US EIA report questions the economic viability of many of the potential reserves.</ref> Economic activity has included [[commercial fishing]], shipping, guano mining, oil and gas exploitation, and more recently, tourism. The Spratly Islands are located near several primary shipping lanes.

The islands and cays, listed in descending order of naturally occurring area, are:

{| class="wikitable sortable"
!  # || Island name          ||in Atoll|| Area<br/>(ha.) || Location          || Currently occupied by         || Reclaimed<br />area
|-                                 <!-- Leading zeros and degrees & minutes only are both required to make sorting work -->
|  1 || [[Itu Aba Island]]   ||[[Tizard Bank]]   || 46.00 || {{coord|10|23|N|114|21|E}} || Taiwan (Taiping Island)          || ~6&nbsp;ha
|-
|  2 || [[Thitu Island]]     ||Thitu Reefs       || 37.20 || {{coord|11|03|N|114|17|E}} || Philippines (Pagasa Island)   ||
|-
|  3 || [[West York Island]] ||West York Island  || 18.60 || {{coord|11|05|N|115|01|E}} || Philippines (Likas Island)    ||
|-
|  4 || [[Spratly Island]]   ||Spratly Island    || 13.00 || {{coord|08|38|N|111|55|E}} || Vietnam (Trường Sa Island)    ||
|-
|  5 || [[Northeast Cay]]    ||North Danger Reef || 12.70 || {{coord|11|28|N|114|21|E}} || Philippines (Parola Island)   ||
|-
|  6 || [[Southwest Cay]]    ||North Danger Reef || 12.00 || {{coord|11|26|N|114|20|E}} || Vietnam (Song Tử Tây Island)  || ~8&nbsp;ha
|-
|  7 || [[Sin Cowe Island]]  ||Union Banks       || 08.00 || {{coord|09|52|N|114|19|E}} || Vietnam (Sinh Tồn Island)     || ~1&nbsp;ha
|-
|  8 || [[Nanshan Island]]   ||Nanshan Group     || 07.93 || {{coord|10|45|N|115|49|E}} || Philippines (Lawak Island)    ||
|-
|  9 || [[Sand Cay]]         ||Tizard Bank       || 07.00 || {{coord|10|23|N|114|28|E}} || Vietnam (Sơn Ca Island)       || ~2.1&nbsp;ha<ref name="CSIS">{{cite web |url=http://amti.csis.org/vietnam-island-building/ |title=Sandcastles of their own: Vietnamese Expansion in the Spratly Islands |access-date=13 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518103053/http://amti.csis.org/vietnam-island-building/ |archive-date=18 May 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| 10 || [[Loaita Island]]    ||Loaita Bank       || 06.45 || {{coord|10|40|N|114|25|E}} || Philippines (Kota Island)     ||
|-
| 11 || [[Swallow Reef]]     ||Swallow Reef      || 06.20 || {{coord|07|22|N|113|50|E}} || Malaysia (Layang-Layang Reef) ||
|-
| 12 || [[Namyit Island]]    ||Tizard Bank       || 05.30 || {{coord|10|11|N|114|22|E}} || Vietnam (Nam Yết Island)      ||
|-
| 13 || [[Amboyna Cay]]      ||Amboyna Cay       || 01.60 || {{coord|07|51|N|112|55|E}} || Vietnam (An Bang Island)      ||
|-
| 14 || [[Grierson Reef]]        ||Union Banks       || 01.60 || {{coord|09|51|N|114|29|E}} || Vietnam (Sinh Tồn Đông Island)                     ||
|-
| 15 || West London Reef     ||[[London Reefs]]  || 01.10 || {{coord|08|52|N|112|15|E}}                           || Vietnam (Đá Tây A Island)                    ||
|-
| 16 || Central London Reef  ||[[London Reefs]]  || 00.88 || {{coord|08|56|N|112|21|E}}                           || Vietnam (Trường Sa Đông Island)                      ||
|-
| 17 || [[Flat Island (Spratly)|Flat Island]] 
|                              Nanshan Group     || 00.57 || {{coord|10|49|N|115|49|E}} || Philippines (Patag Island)    ||
|-
| 18 || [[Lankiam Cay]]      ||Loaita Bank       || 00.44 || {{coord|10|43|N|114|32|E}} || Philippines (Panata Island)   ||
|}

The total area of the archipelago's naturally occurring islands is {{Convert|177|ha|acre|abbr=on}} and {{Convert|200|ha|acre|abbr=on}} with reclaimed land.

Due to confusion, the Spratly Islands at times were also referred to as the [[Paracel Islands|Paracels]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The History of the Kingdom of Colonia St John |url=http://www.colonia.asia/history%20-%20the%20history%20of%20the%20kingdom%20of%20colonia%20st%20john.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120724135604/http://www.colonia.asia/history%20-%20the%20history%20of%20the%20kingdom%20of%20colonia%20st%20john.htm |archive-date=24 July 2012 |website=Kingdom of Colonia St John Information Services}}</ref>