World · permanent entity record · XS
Spratly Islands
Thirty-second orientation
Spratly Islands at a glance
- Population
- total: no permanent inhabitants note: scattered garrisons are occupied by military personnel of several claimant states
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of 2026-01-19
- Area
- total : 5 sq km less than land: 5 sq km less than water: 0 sq km note: includes over 100 islets, coral reefs, and sea mounts scattered over an area of nearly 410,000 sq km (158,000 sq mi) in the central South China Sea
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of 2026-01-19
Claims are attributed · classifications are dated
Claims and contested status
Maintained classification
Dependency or area of special sovereignty
Undetermined
U.S. Department of State, Dependencies and Areas of Special Sovereignty · as of 2026-03-31A claim’s appearance records that the cited source reports it. It does not constitute an Almanac ruling on sovereignty.
Maintained profile
- Classification
- Dependency or area of special sovereignty
- U.S. Department of State, Dependencies and Areas of Special Sovereignty · Federal classification and wording follow the current State Department register.
- Sovereignty or administration
- Undetermined
- U.S. Department of State, Dependencies and Areas of Special Sovereignty ·
Preserved public-domain record · not maintained current data
Final CIA World Factbook profile
This is the preserved historical baseline from the Factbook’s final public snapshot. It is presented as the CIA stated it, not as a current Standard American Almanac finding. Current, independently maintained facts appear above when available.
CIA World Factbook historical record · final public snapshot · profile updated · pinned source record · commit d81154954b8b
Introduction1 fields
- Background
- The Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or reefs surrounded by rich fishing grounds -- and potentially by gas and oil deposits. China, Taiwan, and Vietnam all claim the islands in their entirety, while portions are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines. Around 70 disputed islets and reefs in the Spratly Islands are occupied by China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Since 1985, Brunei has claimed a continental shelf that overlaps a southern reef but has not made any formal claim to the reef. Brunei claims an exclusive economic zone over this area.
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
Geography14 fields
- Location
- Southeastern Asia, group of reefs and islands in the South China Sea, about two-thirds of the way from southern Vietnam to the southern Philippines
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Area
- total : 5 sq km less than land: 5 sq km less than water: 0 sq km note: includes over 100 islets, coral reefs, and sea mounts scattered over an area of nearly 410,000 sq km (158,000 sq mi) in the central South China Sea
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Area - comparative
- land area is about seven times the size of the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Terrain
- small, flat islands, islets, cays, and reefs
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Elevation
- highest point: unnamed location on Southwest Cay 6 m lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Natural resources
- fish, guano, undetermined oil and natural gas potential
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Natural hazards
- typhoons; numerous reefs and shoals pose a serious maritime hazard
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Geography - note
- strategically located near several primary shipping lanes in the central South China Sea; includes numerous small islands, atolls, shoals, and coral reefs
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
People and Society1 fields
- Population
- total: no permanent inhabitants note: scattered garrisons are occupied by military personnel of several claimant states
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
Environment3 fields
- Environmental issues
- harm to reefs from China's use of dredged sand and coral to build artificial islands; illegal fishing practices
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
Government1 fields
- Country name
- conventional long form: none conventional short form: Spratly Islands etymology: named after British whaling captain Richard SPRATLY, who sighted the islands in 1843
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
Military and Security1 fields
- Military - note
- around 70 disputed islets and reefs in the Spratly Islands are occupied by China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam China: occupies seven outposts (Fiery Cross, Mischief, Subi, Cuarteron, Gavin, Hughes, and Johnson reefs); the outposts on Fiery Cross, Mischief, and Subi include air bases with helipads and aircraft hangers, naval port facilities, surveillance radars, air defense and anti-ship missile sites, and other military infrastructure such as communications, barracks, maintenance facilities, and ammunition and fuel bunkers Malaysia: occupies five outposts in the southern portion of the archipelago, closest to the Malaysian state of Sabah (Ardasier Reef, Eric Reef, Mariveles Reef, Shallow Reef, and Investigator Shoal); all the outposts have helicopter landing pads, while Shallow Reef also has an airstrip Philippines: occupies nine features (Commodore Reef, Second Thomas Shoal, Flat Island, Loaita Cay, Loaita Island, Nanshan Island, Northeast Cay, Thitu Island, and West York Island); Thitu Island has an airstrip and a coast guard station Taiwan: maintains a coast guard outpost with an airstrip on Itu Aba Island Vietnam: occupies about 50 outposts, plus some 14 platforms known as “economic, scientific, and technological service stations” (Dịch vụ-Khoa) that sit on underwater banks to the southeast that Vietnam does not consider part of the disputed island chain, although China and Taiwan disagree; Spratly Islands outposts are on Alison Reef, Amboyna Cay, Barque Canada Reef, Central Reef, Collins Reef, Cornwallis South Reef, Discovery Great Reef, East Reef, Grierson Reef, Ladd Reef, Landsdowne Reef, Namyit Island, Pearson Reef, Petley Reef, Sand Cay, Sin Cowe Island, South Reef, Southwest Cay, Spratly Island, Tennent Reef, West Reef; the underwater banks with stations include Vanguard, Rifleman, Prince of Wales, Prince Consort, Grainger, and Alexandra; in recent years, Vietnam has continued to make improvements to its outposts, including defensive positions and infrastructure (2025)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
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