The Territory of the Spratly Islands (Nansha Islands) (A better world TL)

==Overview==
The Spratly Islands (Chinese: 南沙群岛 (Nansha Islands), Malay: Kepulauan Spratly, Tagalog: Kapuluan ng Kalayaan, Vietnamese: Quần đảo Trường Sa) are a disputed group of islands, islets and cays and more than 100 reefs, sometimes grouped in submerged old atolls, in the South China Sea. The archipelago lies off the coasts of the Philippines, Malaysia, and southern Vietnam. Named after the 19th-century British whaling captain Richard Spratly who sighted Spratly Island in 1843, the islands contain less than 2 km2 (490 acres) of naturally occurring land area spread over an area of more than 425,000 km2 (164,000 sq mi).  
The Spratlys are one of the major archipelagos in the South China Sea which complicate governance and economics in this part of Southeast Asia due to their location in strategic shipping lanes. The islands have no indigenous inhabitants, but offer rich fishing grounds and may contain significant oil and natural gas reserves, and as such are important to the claimants in their attempts to establish international boundaries. Some of the islands have civilian settlements, but of the approximately 45 islands, cays, reefs and shoals that are occupied, all contain structures that are occupied by military forces from Malaysia, Taiwan (ROC), China (PRC), the Philippines and Vietnam. Additionally, Brunei has claimed an exclusive economic zone in the southeastern part of the Spratlys, which includes the uninhabited Louisa Reef. 
===The islands' stats===
The Spratly Islands are a disputed group of islands, islets and cays and more than 100 reefs, sometimes grouped in submerged old atolls, in the South China Sea.
The main islands and cays, listed in descending order of naturally occurring area, are:
# 	Island name 	in Atoll 	Area(ha.)	Location 	Currently occupied by 	ReclaimedArea
1 	Itu Aba Island 	Tizard Bank 	46.00 	10°23′N 114°21′E	Taiwan (Taiping Island) 	~6ha
2 	Thitu Island 	Thitu Reefs 	37.20 	11°03′N 114°17′E	Philippines (Pagasa Island) 	
3 	West York Island 	West York Island 	18.60 	11°05′N 115°01′E	Philippines (Likas Island) 	
4 	Spratly Island 	Spratly Island 	13.00 	08°38′N 111°55′E	Vietnam (Trường Sa Island) 	
5 	Northeast Cay 	North Danger Reef	12.70 	11°28′N 114°21′E	Philippines (Parola Island) 	
6 	Southwest Cay 	North Danger Reef	12.00 	11°26′N 114°20′E	Vietnam (Song Tử Tây Island) 	~8ha
7 	Sin Cowe Island 	Union Banks 	08.00 	09°52′N 114°19′E	Vietnam (Sinh Tồn Island) 	~1ha
8 	Nanshan Island 	Nanshan Group 	07.93 	10°45′N 115°49′E	Philippines (Lawak Island) 	
9 	Sand Cay 	Tizard Bank 	07.00 	10°23′N 114°28′E	Vietnam (Son Ca Island) 	~2.1ha 
10	Loaita Island 	Loaita Bank 	06.45 	10°40′N 114°25′E	Philippines (Kota Island) 	
11	Swallow Reef 	Swallow Reef 	06.20 	07°22′N 113°50′E	Malaysia (Layang-Layang Reef)	
12	Namyit Island 	Tizard Bank 	05.30 	10°11′N 114°22′E	Vietnam (Nam Yet Island) 	
13	Amboyna Cay 	Amboyna Cay 	01.60 	07°51′N 112°55′E	Vietnam (An Bang Island) 	
14	Grierson Reef 	Union Banks 	01.60 	09°51′N 114°29′E	Vietnam 	
15	West London Reef 	London Reefs 	01.10 	 	Vietnam 	
16	Central London Reef	London Reefs 	00.88 	 	Vietnam 	
17	Flat Island 	Nanshan Group 	00.57 	10°49′N 115°49′E	Philippines (Patag Island) 	
18	Lankiam Cay 	Loaita Bank 	00.44 	10°43′N 114°32′E	Philippines (Panata Island) 	
The total area of archipelago's naturally occurring islands is 177 ha (440 acres) and 200 ha (490 acres) with reclaimed land.
The following table contains the 15 largest "natural" features, (i.e. not including reclaimed land),  plus the features with significant amounts of reclaimed land:
# 	Feature 	in Atoll 	"Natural" Area 	Location 	Currently occupied by 	Reclaimed Area[2]
1 	Itu Aba Island 	Tizard Bank 	46.00 hectares (113.7 acres)	10°23′N114°21′E	ROC (Taiping Island) 	~0,008 acres (3.2 ha) 
2 	Thitu Island 	Thitu Reefs 	37.20 hectares (91.9 acres) 	11°03′N114°17′E	Philippines (Pagasa Island) 	
3 	West York Island 	West York Island 	18.60 hectares (46.0 acres) 	11°05′N115°01′E	Philippines (Likas Island) 	
4 	Spratly Island 	Spratly Island 	13.00 hectares (32.1 acres) 	08°38′N111°55′E	Vietnam (Trường Sa Island) 	~0,037 acres (15 ha) 
5 	Northeast Cay 	North Danger Reef 	12.70 hectares (31.4 acres) 	11°28′N114°21′E	Philippines (Parola Island) 	
6 	Southwest Cay 	North Danger Reef 	12.00 hectares (29.7 acres) 	11°26′N114°20′E	Vietnam (Song Tử Tây Island) 	~0,007 acres (2.8 ha) 
7 	Sin Cowe Island 	Union Banks 	08.00 hectares (19.8 acres) 	09°52′N114°19′E	Vietnam (Sinh Tồn Island) 	~0,026 acres (11 ha) 
8 	Nanshan Island 	Loaita Bank 	07.93 hectares (19.6 acres) 	10°45′N115°49′E	Philippines (Lawak Island) 	
9 	Sand Cay 	Tizard Bank 	07.00 hectares (17.3 acres) 	10°23′N114°28′E	Vietnam (Son Ca Island) 	~0,009 acres (3.6 ha) 
10	Loaita Island 	Loaita Bank 	06.45 hectares (15.9 acres) 	10°40′N114°25′E	Philippines (Kota Island) 	
11	Swallow Reef 	Swallow Reef 	06.20 hectares (15.3 acres) 	07°22′N113°50′E	Malaysia (Layang-Layang Reef)	~0,095 acres (38 ha)
12	Namyit Island 	Tizard Bank 	05.30 hectares (13.1 acres) 	10°11′N114°22′E	Vietnam (Nam Yet Island) 	
13	Amboyna Cay 	Amboyna Cay 	01.60 hectares (4.0 acres) 	07°51′N112°55′E	Vietnam (An Bang Island) 	
 	Grierson Reef 	Union Banks 	01.60 hectares (4.0 acres) 	09°51′N114°29′E	Vietnam 	~0,003 acres (1.2 ha)  
 	West (London) Reef 	London Reefs 	01.10 hectares (2.7 acres) 	 	Vietnam 	~0,070 acres (28 ha)
 	Central (London) Reef	London Reefs 	00.88 hectares (2.2 acres) 	 	Vietnam 	~0,004 acres (1.6 ha) 
14	Flat Island 	Loaita Bank 	00.57 hectares (1.4 acres) 	10°49′N115°49′E	Philippines (Patag Island) 	
15	Lankiam Cay 	Loaita Bank 	00.44 hectares (1.1 acres) 	10°43′N114°32′E	Philippines (Panata Island) 	
 	Mischief Reef 	Mischief Reef 	00.00 	09°56′N115°32′E	PRC 	~1,379 acres (558 ha) 
 	Subi Reef 	Thitu Reefs 	00.00 	10°55′N114°04′E	PRC 	~0,976 acres (395 ha) 
 	Fiery Cross Reef 	Fiery Cross Reef 	00.00 	09°36′N111°57′E	PRC 	~0,677 acres (274 ha) 
 	Cuarteron Reef 	London Reefs 	00.00 	08°52′N112°50′E	PRC 	~0,056 acres (23 ha) 
 	Gaven Reefs 	Tizard Bank 	00.00 	10°13′N114°13′E	PRC 	~0,034 acres (14 ha) 
 	Johnson South Reef 	Union Banks 	00.00 	09°43′N114°17′E	PRC 	~0,027 acres (11 ha) 
 	Hughes Reef 	Union Banks 	00.00 	 	PRC 	~0,019 acres (7.7 ha) 
 	Pearson Reef 	SW Dangerous Ground	00.00 	 	Vietnam 	~0,006 acres (2.4 ha) 
 	Cornwallis South Reef	SW Dangerous Ground	00.00 	08°43′N114°11′E	Vietnam 	~0,002 acres (0.81 ha) 
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==History==
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==Ownership ==
They are currently part of Kouang-Tchéou-Wan and Shamian Island (A better world TL). A French patrol boat based in Kouang-Tchéou-Wan has regularly patrolled the islands since 1987.  Near by nations despute the French claime and have made incursions in to it.
==Geology==
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==Wildlife and fish==
==Environmental issues==
Plastic litter, junk and fishing nets had started choking the coastlines of some of the islands since 2012.
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==Economy==
==Ownership==
Category:The Spratly Islands (Nansha Islands)
Category:Islands
Category:Colonies
Category:Disputed territories
Category:East Asia
Category:Indo-China
Category:South East Asia
Category:A better world (TL)