CIA World Fact Book, 2004/Paracel Islands


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!| Background:
 * The Paracel Islands are surrounded by productive fishing grounds and by potential oil and gas reserves. In 1932, French Indochina annexed the islands and set up a weather station on Pattle Island; maintenance was continued by its successor, Vietnam. China has occupied the Paracel Islands since 1974, when its troops seized a South Vietnamese garrison occupying the western islands. The islands are claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam.
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!| Location: !| Geographic coordinates: !| Map references: !| Area: water: 0 sq km land: NA sq km !| Area - comparative: !| Land boundaries: !| Coastline: !| Maritime claims: !| Climate: !| Terrain: !| Elevation extremes: highest point: unnamed location on Rocky Island 14 m !| Natural resources: !| Land use: permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001) !| Irrigated land: !| Natural hazards: !| Environment - current issues: !| Geography - note:
 * Southeastern Asia, group of small islands and reefs in the South China Sea, about one-third of the way from central Vietnam to the northern Philippines
 * 16 30 N, 112 00 E
 * Southeast Asia
 * total: NA sq km
 * NA
 * 0 km
 * 518 km
 * NA
 * tropical
 * mostly low and flat
 * lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
 * none
 * arable land: 0%
 * 0 sq km (1998 est.)
 * typhoons
 * NA
 * composed of 130 small coral islands and reefs divided into the northeast Amphitrite Group and the western Crescent Group
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!| Population: note: there are scattered Chinese garrisons (July 2004 est.)
 * no indigenous inhabitants
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!| Country name: conventional short form: Paracel Islands
 * conventional long form: none
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!| Economy - overview:
 * China announced plans in 1997 to open the islands for tourism.
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!| Ports and harbors: !| Airports: !| Airports - with paved runways: 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.)
 * small Chinese port facilities on Woody Island and Duncan Island being expanded
 * 1 (2003 est.)
 * total: 1
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!| Military - note:
 * occupied by China
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