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Archipelago

    China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Philippines and Malaysia

    15°00′N 115°00′E

    South China Sea Islands

    The South China Sea Islands consist of over 250 islands, atolls, cays, shoals, reefs, and seamounts in the South China Sea. The islands are mostly low and small and have few inhabitants. The islands and surrounding seas are subject to overlapping territorial claims by the countries bordering the South China Sea.

    personal picture taken from panuba bay
    personal picture taken from panuba bay

    Ferrazo at English Wikipedia / Public domain

    Chart

    105 landforms

    Overview

    The South China Sea Islands consist of over 250 islands, atolls, cays, shoals, reefs, and seamounts in the South China Sea. The islands are mostly low and small and have few inhabitants. The islands and surrounding seas are subject to overlapping territorial claims by the countries bordering the South China Sea. The South China Sea Islands constitute a distinct tropical moist broadleaf forest terrestrial ecoregion and the South China Sea Oceanic Islands marine ecoregion.

    From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Census, cataloged

    • Major islands10
    • Minor islands41
    • Islets28
    • Rocks & skerries26

    Major islands

    10
    • Subi Reef

      Subi Reef

      Area
      4.3 km²

      Subi Reef, also known as Xu Bi Reef (Vietnamese: Đá Xu Bi), Zamora Reef (Filipino: Bahura ng Zamora, lit. 'Reef of Zamora'), or Zhubi Reef (Chinese: 渚碧礁; pinyin: Zhǔbì Jiāo), is an atoll in the Spratly Islands of the South China Sea located 26 km (16 mi) southwest of Thitu Island.

    • Woody Island (SCS)

      Woody Island (SCS)

      Area
      3.3 km²
      High point
      13 m

      Woody Island, also called Yongxing Island (simplified Chinese: 永兴岛; traditional Chinese: 永興島; pinyin: Yǒngxīng Dǎo; lit. 'Rich Forest Island') by Vietnam (and formerly French: Île Boisée, lit. 81 sq mi). As of 2014, it has a population of almost 1,500, with roads, banks and an air strip.

    • Fiery Cross Reef

      Fiery Cross Reef

      Area
      2.8 km²

      Fiery Cross Reef, also known as "Northwest Investigator Reef", Mandarin Chinese: 永暑礁; pinyin: Yǒngshǔ Jiāo; Kagitingan Reef (Filipino: Bahura ng Kagitingan, lit.

    • Pratas Island

      Pratas Island

      Area
      1.3 km²
      High point
      8 m

      Pratas Island, also known as the Tungsha Islands or the Dongsha Islands (Chinese: 東沙群島; pinyin: Dōngshā Qúndǎo; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tang-soa Kûn-tó; lit. 'East Sand Islands'), is a coral island situated in the northern part of the South China Sea administered as part of Cijin District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

    • Triton Island

      Triton Island

      Area
      1.2 km²
      High point
      9 m

      Triton Island (Chinese: 中建岛; pinyin: Zhōngjiàn Dǎo; Vietnamese: đảo Tri Tôn) is the westernmost and southernmost of the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea. It is located on the southwest corner of Triton Reef and has an area of 7 hectares (17 acres) above sea-level.

    • Namyit Island

      Namyit Island

      Area
      0.71 km²
      High point
      6 m

      Namyit Island, also known as Vietnamese: Đảo Nam Yết; Binago Island (Filipino: Pulo ng Binago, lit. 'Island of Changed'); Mandarin Chinese: 鴻庥島/鸿庥岛; pinyin: Hóngxiū Dǎo, is the third-largest island on Tizard Bank in the northwest of the Spratly Islands in South China Sea.

    • Mischief Reef

      Area
      5.6 km²

      Mischief Reef, also known as Meiji Reef (Chinese: 美濟礁/美济礁; pinyin: Měijì Jiāo), Panganiban Reef (Filipino: Bahura ng Panganiban), or Vành Khăn Reef (Vietnamese: Đá Vành Khăn), is a low tide elevation (LTE) reef/atoll surrounding a large lagoon in the southeastern region of Dangerous Ground in the east of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.

    • 羚羊岛

      Area
      5.5 km²
      High point
      4 m

    • Lincoln Island

      Area
      1.8 km²
      High point
      14 m

    • Pearson Reef

      Area
      0.62 km²
      High point
      7 m

      Pearson Reef (Filipino: Bahura ng Hizon, Chinese: 毕生礁; pinyin: Bìshēng jiāo), called Phan Vinh Island (Vietnamese: đảo Phan Vinh) in Vietnam, is an atoll of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. The atoll has been occupied by Vietnam since 1978.

    Minor islands

    41

    • Chenhang Island

      Area
      0.61 km²
      High point
      11 m

    • Taiping Island

      Area
      0.52 km²
      High point
      17 m

    • Money Island

      Area
      0.44 km²
      High point
      10 m

    • Pag-asa Island

      Area
      0.44 km²
      High point
      14 m

    • Spratly Island

      Area
      0.4 km²
      High point
      6 m

    • North Island

      Area
      0.34 km²
      High point
      12 m

    • Robert Island

      Area
      0.34 km²
      High point
      13 m

    • Pattle Island

      Area
      0.34 km²
      High point
      13 m

    • Swallow Reef

      Area
      0.31 km²
      High point
      11 m

    • Tree Island

      Area
      0.29 km²
      High point
      9 m

    • Drummond Island

      Area
      0.22 km²
      High point
      11 m

    • West York Island

      Area
      0.2 km²
      High point
      4 m

    • Southwest Cay

      Area
      0.19 km²
      High point
      8 m

    • Northeast Cay

      Area
      0.17 km²
      High point
      4 m

    • 金银东岛

      Area
      0.16 km²

    • Sin Cowe East Island

      Area
      0.13 km²
      High point
      3 m

    • Middle Island

      Area
      0.12 km²
      High point
      11 m

    • South Island

      Area
      0.12 km²
      High point
      12 m

    • Palm Island

      Area
      0.12 km²
      High point
      9 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      —

      size unknown

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      —

      size unknown

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      —

      size unknown

    • Alison Reef

      Area
      —

      size unknown

    • Amy Douglas Bank

      Area
      —

      size unknown

    • Bombay Reef

      Area
      —

      size unknown

    • Bombay Shoal

      Area
      —

      size unknown

    • Dongdao Reefs

      Area
      —

      size unknown

    • Erica Reef

      Area
      —

      size unknown

    • Investigator Northeast Shoal

      Area
      —

      size unknown

    • Investigator Shoal

      Area
      —

      size unknown

    • Jackson Atoll

      Area
      —

      size unknown

    • Loai-ta Bank and Reefs

      Area
      —

      size unknown

    • North Danger Reefs

      Area
      —

      size unknown

    • Rifleman Bank

      Area
      —

      size unknown

    • Rocky Island, South China Sea

      Area
      —

      size unknown

    • Sabina Shoal

      Area
      —

      size unknown

    • Thitu Island and Reefs

      Area
      —

      size unknown

    • Tizard Bank

      Area
      —

      size unknown

    • Union Banks

      Area
      —

      size unknown

    • Xuande Atoll

      Area
      —

      size unknown

    • Yongle Atoll

      Area
      —

      size unknown

    Islets

    28

    Rocks & skerries

    26

    Figures

    Comparative heights

    Sea level5 m10 m15 m20 m17 mTaiping14 mLincoln14 mPag-asa13 mWoody Island (SCS)13 mRobert13 mPattle12 mNorth12 mSouth11 mChenhang11 mSwallow Reef11 mDrummond11 mMiddle10 mMoney9 mTriton
    High points by island, metres above sea level.

    Islands by area

    0.000010.00010.0010.010.1110Mischief Reef: 5.6 km²Mischief Reef羚羊岛: 5.5 km²羚羊岛Subi Reef: 4.3 km²Subi ReefWoody Island (SCS): 3.3 km²Woody Island (SCS)Fiery Cross Reef: 2.8 km²Fiery Cross ReefLincoln: 1.8 km²LincolnPratas: 1.3 km²PratasTriton: 1.2 km²TritonNamyit: 0.71 km²NamyitPearson Reef: 0.62 km²Pearson ReefChenhang: 0.61 km²ChenhangTaiping: 0.52 km²TaipingMoney: 0.44 km²MoneyPag-asa: 0.44 km²Pag-asaSpratly: 0.4 km²SpratlyNorth: 0.34 km²NorthRobert: 0.34 km²RobertPattle: 0.34 km²PattleSwallow Reef: 0.31 km²Swallow ReefTree: 0.29 km²TreeDrummond: 0.22 km²DrummondWest York: 0.2 km²West YorkSouthwest Cay: 0.19 km²Southwest CayNortheast Cay: 0.17 km²Northeast Cay金银东岛: 0.16 km²金银东岛Sin Cowe East: 0.13 km²Sin Cowe EastMiddle: 0.12 km²MiddleSouth: 0.12 km²SouthPalm: 0.12 km²PalmPassu Keah: 0.08 km²Passu KeahSin Cowe: 0.08 km²Sin CoweNanshan: 0.08 km²NanshanLoaita: 0.08 km²LoaitaUnnamed island: 0.06 km²Unnamed island南沙洲: 0.05 km²南沙洲Quanfu: 0.05 km²QuanfuAmboyna Cay: 0.05 km²Amboyna CayMiddle Sand: 0.03 km²Middle SandObservation Bank: 0.02 km²Observation BankYagong: 0.01 km²Yagong
    km², log scale. 24 without a known area.
    Mischief Reef5.6 km²
    羚羊岛5.5 km²
    Subi Reef4.3 km²
    Woody Island (SCS)3.3 km²
    Fiery Cross Reef2.8 km²
    Lincoln Island1.8 km²
    Pratas Island1.3 km²
    Triton Island1.2 km²
    Namyit Island0.71 km²
    Pearson Reef0.62 km²
    Chenhang Island0.61 km²
    Taiping Island0.52 km²
    Money Island0.44 km²
    Pag-asa Island0.44 km²
    Spratly Island0.4 km²
    North Island0.34 km²
    Robert Island0.34 km²
    Pattle Island0.34 km²
    Swallow Reef0.31 km²
    Tree Island0.29 km²
    Drummond Island0.22 km²
    West York Island0.2 km²
    Southwest Cay0.19 km²
    Northeast Cay0.17 km²
    金银东岛0.16 km²
    Sin Cowe East Island0.13 km²
    Middle Island0.12 km²
    South Island0.12 km²
    Palm Island0.12 km²
    Passu Keah0.08 km²
    Sin Cowe Island0.08 km²
    Nanshan Island0.08 km²
    Loaita Island0.08 km²
    Unnamed island0.06 km²
    南沙洲0.05 km²
    Quanfu Island0.05 km²
    Amboyna Cay0.05 km²
    Middle Sand0.03 km²
    Observation Bank0.02 km²
    Yagong Island0.01 km²
    Flat Island0.01 km²
    North Sand0.01 km²
    金银东岛0.01 km²
    老粗峙仔岛0.9 ha
    Unnamed island0.4 ha
    Unnamed island0.4 ha
    筐仔北岛0.4 ha
    Unnamed island0.4 ha
    金银东岛0.3 ha
    Stone Islet0.3 ha
    Yinyuzai0.3 ha
    全富仔0.3 ha
    Unnamed island0.2 ha
    Unnamed island0.2 ha
    Unnamed island0.2 ha
    银屿东岛0.2 ha
    Unnamed island0.2 ha
    金银东岛0.1 ha
    广金北一岛0.1 ha
    金银东岛0.1 ha
    Xixin Shazhou0.1 ha
    Unnamed island<0.1 ha
    柏礁<0.1 ha
    Lankiam Cay<0.1 ha
    Unnamed island<0.1 ha
    金银东岛<0.1 ha
    浪花礁<0.1 ha
    银屿仔西岛<0.1 ha
    Unnamed island<0.1 ha
    Barque Canada Reef<0.1 ha
    Unnamed island<0.1 ha
    Loaita Nan<0.1 ha
    广金西岛<0.1 ha
    Dongxin Shazhou<0.1 ha
    Sanzhizai<0.1 ha
    尾峙仔岛<0.1 ha
    Unnamed island<0.1 ha
    Unnamed island<0.1 ha
    广金北二岛<0.1 ha
    North Reef<0.1 ha
    North Reef<0.1 ha

    Groups within

    3

    Sources

    Facts

    • Geometry, areas and high points: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Copernicus GLO-30, via Talus.
    • Wikidata
    • Wikipedia

    Photographs