Location:
Southeastern Asia, group of small islands and reefs in the South China Sea, about one-third of the way from central Vietnam to the northern Philippines
Geographic coordinates:
16 30 N, 112 00 E
Map references:
Southeast Asia
Area:
total: 7.75 sq km
ca.
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
land: 7.75 sq km
ca.
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 0 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data):
244
Area - comparative:
land area is about 13 times the size of the National Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
518 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]
Climate:
tropical
Terrain:
mostly low and flat
Elevation:
lowest point:
South China Sea 0 m
highest point:
unnamed location on Rocky Island 14 m
Natural resources:
none
Land use:
agricultural land: 0%
(2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
arable land: 0%
(2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops: 0%
(2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - permanent crops country ranks ]
permanent pasture: 0%
(2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - permanent pasture country ranks ]
forest: 0%
(2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 100%
(2011 est.)
[see also: Land use country ranks ]
Irrigated land:
0 sq km
(2012)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]
Population distribution:
a population of over 1,000 Chinese resides on Woody Island, the largest of the Paracels; there are scattered Chinese garrisons on some other islands
Natural hazards:
typhoons
Environment - current issues:
China's use of dredged sand and coral to build artificial islands harms reef systems; ongoing human activities, including military operations, infrastructure construction, and tourism endangers local ecosystem including birds, fish, marine mammals, and marine reptiles
Geography - note:
composed of 130 small coral islands and reefs divided into the northeast Amphitrite Group and the western Crescent Group
