Part 695

Climate: tropical

Terrain: flat lowest point: South China Sea 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Southwest Cay 4 m

Natural resources: fish, guano, undetermined oil and natural gas potential

Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 0% other: 100%

Irrigated land: 0 sq km

Environment: current issues: NA natural hazards: typhoons; serious maritime hazard because of numerous reefs and shoals international agreements: NA

Geographic note: strategically located near several primary shipping lanes in the central South China Sea; includes numerous small islands, atolls, shoals, and coral reefs

People ------

Population: no indigenous inhabitants; note - there are scattered garrisons

Government ----------

Name of country: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Spratly Islands

Data code: PG

Economy -------

Economic overview: Economic activity is limited to commercial fishing. The proximity to nearby oil- and gas-producing sedimentary basins suggests the potential for oil and gas deposits, but the region is largely unexplored, and there are no reliable estimates of potential reserves; commercial exploitation has yet to be developed.

Industries: none

Transportation --------------

Ports: none

Airports: total: 4 with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 2 with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 1 (1995 est.)

Communications --------------

Telephone system: domestic: NA international: NA

Radio broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA

Radios: NA

Television broadcast stations: NA

Televisions: NA

Defense -------

Defense note: about 50 small islands or reefs are occupied by China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam

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@Sri Lanka ---------