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Paracel Islands
The Paracel Islands, also known as the Xisha Islands (simplified Chinese: 西沙群岛; traditional Chinese: 西沙群島; pinyin: xīshā qúndǎo; lit. 'West Sand Archipelago') and the Hoàng Sa Archipelago (Vietnamese: Quần đảo Hoàng Sa; Chữ Hán: 羣島黃沙, lit. 'Yellow Sand Archipelago'), is a disputed archipelago in the South China Sea and currently controlled by the People's Republic of China.
The word paracel is of Portuguese origin, meaning placer (a submerged bank or reef), and appears on 16th-century Portuguese maps. The archipelago includes about 130 small coral islands and reefs, most grouped into the northeastern Amphitrite Group or the western Crescent Group. They are distributed over a maritime area of around 15,000 square kilometers (5,800 sq mi), with a land area of approximately 7.75 square kilometers (2.99 sq mi). The archipelago is located about 220 miles (350 km) southeast of Hainan Island, equidistant from the coastlines of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and Vietnam, and approximately one-third of the way between central Vietnam and the northern Philippines. A feature of the Paracel Islands is Dragon Hole, the second deepest blue hole (underwater sinkhole) in the world. Sea turtles and seabirds are native to the islands, which have a hot and humid climate, abundant rainfall and may experience annual typhoons. The archipelago is surrounded by productive fishing grounds and a seabed potentially containing unexplored oil and gas reserves.
The climate is different from nearby continental land masses with the lower[clarification needed] air mass temperatures being 1 to 2 °C (1.8 to 3.6 °F) cooler than land at the same latitude, and with higher relative humidity due to the maritime air mass. The air mass over the Paracel Islands has about a 5 °C (9.0 °F) variation in annual temperature compared to the 2.2 °C (4.0 °F) observed over the Spratly Islands.
The Amphitrite group was named after the French frigate Amphitrite, which observed the islands while carrying a Jesuit mission to Canton in 1698–1700.
Lying in the northeast of the Paracel Islands at 16°53′N 112°17′E / 16.883°N 112.283°E, the group consists of low, narrow islands with sand cays and enclosed shallow lagoons connected by reefs of rock. It is about 37 km (23 mi) northwest of Lincoln Island. The group approximately forms an ellipse with a north–south axis of 22 km (14 mi).
The northern section of the group comprises West Sand, Tree Island, and the Qilian Yu (七连屿, "seven sisters") sub-group: North Island, Middle Island, South Island, North Sand, Middle Sand, South Sand, and two small sands (New West Sand and New East Sand). The center of the group consists of Woody Island and Rocky Island, approximately 5 km (3 mi) south of the southern tip of the eastern extremity of the northern section. The southwest corner of the group is occupied by the Iltis Bank.
The largest island of the Paracels, Woody Island (which has an area of 213 ha (530 acres)), has over 1,000 residents[failed verification] including fishermen and their families, military personnel, and civilian administrators.
Lying about 70 km (43 mi) southwest of the Amphitrite group, at 16°30′N 111°42′E / 16.5°N 111.7°E, the Crescent group consists of islands and reefs that form a crescent-like structure from west to east, enclosing a deep central lagoon. The group measures 31 by 15 km (19 by 9 mi) east-west and north–south. All of the islands in the group support vegetation except on their small cays.
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Paracel Islands
The Paracel Islands, also known as the Xisha Islands (simplified Chinese: 西沙群岛; traditional Chinese: 西沙群島; pinyin: xīshā qúndǎo; lit. 'West Sand Archipelago') and the Hoàng Sa Archipelago (Vietnamese: Quần đảo Hoàng Sa; Chữ Hán: 羣島黃沙, lit. 'Yellow Sand Archipelago'), is a disputed archipelago in the South China Sea and currently controlled by the People's Republic of China.
The word paracel is of Portuguese origin, meaning placer (a submerged bank or reef), and appears on 16th-century Portuguese maps. The archipelago includes about 130 small coral islands and reefs, most grouped into the northeastern Amphitrite Group or the western Crescent Group. They are distributed over a maritime area of around 15,000 square kilometers (5,800 sq mi), with a land area of approximately 7.75 square kilometers (2.99 sq mi). The archipelago is located about 220 miles (350 km) southeast of Hainan Island, equidistant from the coastlines of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and Vietnam, and approximately one-third of the way between central Vietnam and the northern Philippines. A feature of the Paracel Islands is Dragon Hole, the second deepest blue hole (underwater sinkhole) in the world. Sea turtles and seabirds are native to the islands, which have a hot and humid climate, abundant rainfall and may experience annual typhoons. The archipelago is surrounded by productive fishing grounds and a seabed potentially containing unexplored oil and gas reserves.
The climate is different from nearby continental land masses with the lower[clarification needed] air mass temperatures being 1 to 2 °C (1.8 to 3.6 °F) cooler than land at the same latitude, and with higher relative humidity due to the maritime air mass. The air mass over the Paracel Islands has about a 5 °C (9.0 °F) variation in annual temperature compared to the 2.2 °C (4.0 °F) observed over the Spratly Islands.
The Amphitrite group was named after the French frigate Amphitrite, which observed the islands while carrying a Jesuit mission to Canton in 1698–1700.
Lying in the northeast of the Paracel Islands at 16°53′N 112°17′E / 16.883°N 112.283°E, the group consists of low, narrow islands with sand cays and enclosed shallow lagoons connected by reefs of rock. It is about 37 km (23 mi) northwest of Lincoln Island. The group approximately forms an ellipse with a north–south axis of 22 km (14 mi).
The northern section of the group comprises West Sand, Tree Island, and the Qilian Yu (七连屿, "seven sisters") sub-group: North Island, Middle Island, South Island, North Sand, Middle Sand, South Sand, and two small sands (New West Sand and New East Sand). The center of the group consists of Woody Island and Rocky Island, approximately 5 km (3 mi) south of the southern tip of the eastern extremity of the northern section. The southwest corner of the group is occupied by the Iltis Bank.
The largest island of the Paracels, Woody Island (which has an area of 213 ha (530 acres)), has over 1,000 residents[failed verification] including fishermen and their families, military personnel, and civilian administrators.
Lying about 70 km (43 mi) southwest of the Amphitrite group, at 16°30′N 111°42′E / 16.5°N 111.7°E, the Crescent group consists of islands and reefs that form a crescent-like structure from west to east, enclosing a deep central lagoon. The group measures 31 by 15 km (19 by 9 mi) east-west and north–south. All of the islands in the group support vegetation except on their small cays.