Travel to China Famous Chinese Seas and Islands

Paracel Islands Wikipedia

Image:ParacelIslands.png|framed|Paracel Islands
Image:Spratly & Paracel Islands.gif|thumb|400px|Paracel Islands' location relative to the claimants

The Paracel Islands or Xisha Islands (Chinese language|Chinese: 西沙群島, in pinyin: Xi1sha1 Qun2dao3; Vietnamese language|Vietnamese: Ho?ng Sa) are a group of small islands and reefs in the South China Sea and part of the South China Sea Islands, about one-third of the way from central Vietnam to the northern Philippines.

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. The People's Republic of China has occupied the Paracel Islands since January 19, 1974, when its troops seized a South Vietnamese garrison occupying the western islands. The islands are claimed by the Republic of China (Taiwan) and Vietnam.

The islands have no indigenous inhabitants. The PRC announced plans in 1997 to open the islands for tourism. The small Chinese port facilities on Woody Island and Duncan Island are being expanded. There is one airport.

• Geographic coordinates: coor dm|16|30|N|112|00|E|

• Coastline: 518 km

• Climate: tropical

• Elevation extremes:

• *lowest point: South China Sea 0 m

• *highest point: unnamed location on Rocky Island 14 m

• Natural resources: none

• Natural hazards: typhoons

Category:Islands
Category:Disputed territories

de:Paracel-Inseln
ja:パラセル諸島
nl:Paraceleilanden
zh:西沙群岛
vi:Ho?ng Sa

Last Modified:   2005-04-13