Paracel Islands

The Paracel Islands (s and Reef s 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.

HISTORY

Before 1932, Paracel Islands was placed in the Map of China by the Qing Dynasty and Republic Of China , as well as in Vietnamese maps as Vietnamese territory by the Nguyen Dynasty .

In 1932, French Indochina annexed the islands and set up a weather station on Pattle Island.

1939, Empire Of Japan invaded and occupied it.

1946, on the basis of Cairo Declaration and Potsdam Declaration , the Republic Of China took control of these islands.

In 1951, at the San Francisco Conference on the Peace Treaty With Japan ,which does not formally state which nations are sovereign over these islands, the Vietnamese representative declared that both the Paracel and Spratly Islands are Vietnamese territory, and was met with no challenge or reservation from the 51 nations at the conference.

After the French left in 1956, South Vietnam replaced the French in maintaining sovereignty over the islands.

The People's Republic Of China (PRC) has occupied the Paracel Islands since January 19 , 1974 , when its troops seized a South Vietnam ese garrison occupying the western islands in the Battle Of Hoang Sa 1974 .

The islands are also claimed by the Republic Of China (Taiwan) and Socialist Republic Of Vietnam . Along with the Spratly Islands , the Paracel Islands are considered part of the Hainan Province by the PRC . It is currently governed by the PRC.

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:

Coastline: 518 km

Elevation extremes:

---lowest point: South China Sea 0 m

---highest point: unnamed location on Rocky Island 14 m

Natural resources: none

Natural hazards: Typhoons

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Paracel Islands