57 lines
4.5 KiB
Plaintext
57 lines
4.5 KiB
Plaintext
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SPRATLY ISLANDS
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GEOGRAPHY
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Total area: less than 5 km2; land area: less than 5 km2; includes
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100 or so islets, coral reefs, and sea mounts scattered over the
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South China Sea
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Comparative area: undetermined
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Land boundaries: none
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Coastline: 926 km
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Maritime claims: undetermined
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Disputes: China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam
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claim all or part of the Spratly Islands
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Climate: tropical
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Terrain: flat
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Natural resources: fish, guano; oil and natural gas potential
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Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures
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0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
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Environment: subject to typhoons; includes numerous small islands,
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atolls, shoals, and coral reefs
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Note: strategically located near several primary shipping
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lanes in the central South China Sea; serious navigational hazard
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PEOPLE
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Population: no permanent inhabitants; garrisons
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GOVERNMENT
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Long-form name: none
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ECONOMY
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Overview: Economic activity is limited to commercial fishing and
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phosphate mining. Geological surveys carried out several years ago
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suggest that substantial reserves of oil and natural gas may lie beneath
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the islands; commercial exploitation has yet to be developed.
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Industries: some guano mining
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COMMUNICATIONS
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Airports: 3 total, 2 usable; none with runways over 2,439 m;
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1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
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Ports: no natural harbors
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DEFENSE FORCES
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Note: approximately 50 small islands or reefs are occupied
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by China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam
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