Paracel Islands

Paracel Islands is the name for a number of uninhabited atolls and reefs in the South China Sea. They are about  from Hainan and about  from Vietnam. Currently, many countries claim these territories as their own, and most of the land remains uninhabited. However, a small number of people can be found living there, mostly marines from Vietnam and other nations. 

The islands are located in the South China Sea consisting of over 30 islets, sandbanks and reefs with about  of the ocean surface. The archipelago is approximately equidistant from the coastlines of Vietnam and China,  southeast of Hainan Island, and about one-third of the way from central Vietnam to the northern Philippines. Turtles live on the islands, and seabirds have left nests and guano deposits, but there are no permanent human residents except military personnel and fishermen.Paracel Islands Population - Demographics  

The islands are divided into two main groups. The Amphitrite group is in the northeast and the Crescent group is in the southwest, and they are located about  from one another. Subject to hot and humid climate, with abundant rainfall and frequent typhoons, the archipelago is surrounded by productive fishing grounds and potential oil and gas reserves.

Related pages
 Sansha

References

Category:Territorial disputes
Category:Territorial disputes of China
Category:Islands of Asia
Category:Pacific islands
Category:Uninhabited regions
Category:Archipelagos