Spratly Islands

The Spratly Islands are a group of more than 750 reefs,[2] islets, atolls, cays and islands in the South China Sea. The archipelago lies off the coasts of the Philippines and Malaysia (Sabah), about one third of the way from there to southern Vietnam. They comprise less than four square kilometers of land area spread over more than 425,000 square kilometers of sea. The Spratlys are one of three archipelagos of the South China Sea which comprise more than 30,000 islands and reefs and which complicate governance and economics in that region of Southeast Asia. Such small and remote islands have little economic value in themselves, but are important in establishing international boundaries. There are no native islanders but there are rich fishing grounds and initial surveys indicate the islands may contain significant reserves of oil and natural gas.
About 45 islands are occupied by relatively small numbers of military forces from Vietnam, the People's Republic of China, the Republic of China (Taiwan), Malaysia and the Philippines. Brunei has also claimed an EEZ in the southeastern part of the Spratlys encompassing just one area of small islands above mean high water (on Louisa Reef.)

Geographic and economic overview
Coordinates: 8°38′N 111°55′E
Area (land): less than 5 km² note: includes 148 or so islets, coral reefs, and seamounts scattered over an area of nearly 410,000 km² of the central South China Sea
Coastline: 926 km
Political divisions:
Vietnam: Part of Khánh Hòa Province;
Brunei: Claims Louisa Reef itself, as well as an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) around that and neighboring reefs;[3]
Malaysia: Part of the state of Sabah;
Philippines: Part of Palawan province;
People's Republic of China: Part of the Paracels, Spratlys, and Zhongsha Islands Authority, Hainan province;
Republic of China: Part of Kaohsiung municipality
Climate: tropical
Terrain: flat
Elevation extremes: lowest point: South China Sea (0 m) highest point: unnamed location on