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East and Southeast Asia / PF

Paracel Islands

Last updated: October 29, 2026

Paracel Islands: CIA World Factbook map from 2021; original boundary notes preserved.
ⓘCIA World Factbook map, February 2021 media edition. Identity reviewed; current boundaries have not been audited. visual contact sheet or original identity check; does not verify current boundaries Boundaries, place names and designations may be dated or disputed; original annotations retained. SHA-256: fadf6921484156b5f74e9a8960607d01c1beaf2265df9bd65dd0571e0eb685bb. Provenance and inspection record.

Introduction

Background:1

The Paracel Islands are surrounded by productive fishing grounds and potential oil and gas reserves. In 1932, French Indochina annexed the islands and set up a weather station on Pattle Island. China has occupied all the Paracel Islands since 1974, when its troops seized a South Vietnamese garrison occupying the western islands. China has built a military installation on Woody Island with an airfield and artificial harbor, and it has scattered garrisons on some of the other islands. Taiwan and Vietnam also claim the Paracel Islands.

Geography

Location:2

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:3

16 30 N, 112 00 E

Map references:4

Southeast Asia

Area:5

total:8 sq km ca.
land:7.75 sq km ca.
water:0 sq km

Area - comparative:6

land area is about 13 times the size of the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Land boundaries:7

total:0 km

Coastline:8

518 km

Climate:9

tropical

Terrain:10

mostly low and flat

Elevation:11

highest point:unnamed location on Rocky Island 14 m
lowest point:South China Sea 0 m

Natural resources:12

none

Land use:13

other:100% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land:14

0 sq km (2022)

Population distribution:15

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:16

typhoons

Geography - note:17

composed of 130 small coral islands and reefs divided into the northeast Amphitrite Group and the western Crescent Group

People and Society

Population:18

total:2,230 (2024 est.)

Population growth rate:19

0.75% (2021 est.)

Net migration rate:20

-0.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Population distribution:21

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

Environment

Environmental issues:22

harm to reef systems from China's use of dredged sand and coral to build artificial islands; damage to ecosystem from human activities, including military operations, infrastructure construction, and tourism

Climate:23

tropical

Land use:24

other:100% (2018 est.)

Government

Country name:25

conventional long form:none
conventional short form:Paracel Islands

Transportation

Airports:26

2 (2025)

Heliports:27

7 (2025)

Military and Security

Military - note:28

occupied by China, which is assessed to maintain 20 outposts or bases in the Paracels (Antelope, Bombay, and North reefs; Drummond, Duncan, Lincoln, Middle, Money, North, Pattle, Quanfu, Robert, South, Tree, Triton, Woody, and Yagong islands; South Sand and West Sand; Observation Bank); Woody Island is the main military base and includes an airstrip with fighter aircraft hangers, naval facilities, surveillance radars, and defenses such as surface-to-air missiles and anti-ship cruise missiles; combat aircraft have deployed to the island (2025)

Historical observations

Notes & sources

  1. Background. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-08-20 08:46:02 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  2. Location. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-08-20 08:46:02 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  3. Geographic coordinates. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-08-20 08:46:02 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  4. Map references. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-08-20 08:46:02 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  5. Area. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-08-20 08:46:02 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  6. Area - comparative. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-08-20 08:46:02 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  7. Land boundaries. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-08-20 08:46:02 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  8. Coastline. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-08-20 08:46:02 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  9. Climate. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-08-20 08:46:02 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  10. Terrain. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-08-20 08:46:02 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  11. Elevation. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-08-20 08:46:02 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  12. Natural resources. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-08-20 08:46:02 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  13. Land use. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-08-20 08:46:02 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  14. Irrigated land. Reference edition; observation: 2022. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-08-20 08:46:02 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  15. Population distribution. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-08-20 08:46:02 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  16. Natural hazards. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-08-20 08:46:02 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  17. Geography - note. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-08-20 08:46:02 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  18. Population. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-08-20 08:46:02 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  19. Population growth rate. Reference edition; observation: 2021. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-08-20 08:46:02 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  20. Net migration rate. Reference edition; observation: 2021. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-08-20 08:46:02 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  21. Population distribution. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-08-20 08:46:02 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  22. Environmental issues. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-08-20 08:46:02 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  23. Climate. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-08-20 08:46:02 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  24. Land use. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-08-20 08:46:02 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  25. Country name. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-08-20 08:46:02 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  26. Airports. Reference edition; observation: 2025. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-08-20 08:46:02 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  27. Heliports. Reference edition; observation: 2025. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-08-20 08:46:02 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
  28. Military - note. Reference edition; observation: 2025. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-08-20 08:46:02 -0400 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition last checked 2026-10-29 (retrieval only). ↩
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