Spratly Island (proper)
Encyclopedia
Spratly Island or Truong Sa Island is one of the islands of Spratly Islands
in South China Sea
. It is controlled by Vietnam since 1974, and is also claimed by the People's Republic of China
, the Republic of China (Taiwan)
and the Philippines
. During the occupation of the island by the Imperial Japanese Navy
at the time of the Pacific War
, the island was known in Japanese as .
The island has a variety of vegetation and is upgraded to township. The island has more than 1000 citizens and soldiers. It is the administrative island for all nearby islands, and has a 610 metres (667 yd) landing strip and a small jetty. With an area of 13 hectares, it is the fourth largest Spratly island and the largest among Vietnamese-occupied Spratly islands. Covered with bushes and grass
, the island is home to some birds and has guano
deposits. A 5.5 m-high obelisk
is present at the southern tip. The fringing reef
is above water at low tide.
Spratly Islands
The Spratly Islands are a group of more than 750 reefs, islets, atolls, cays and islands in the South China Sea. The archipelago lies off the coasts of the Philippines and Malaysia , about one third of the way from there to southern Vietnam. They comprise less than four square kilometers of land...
in South China Sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
. It is controlled by Vietnam since 1974, and is also claimed by the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, the Republic of China (Taiwan)
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
and the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. During the occupation of the island by the Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
at the time of the Pacific War
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
, the island was known in Japanese as .
The island has a variety of vegetation and is upgraded to township. The island has more than 1000 citizens and soldiers. It is the administrative island for all nearby islands, and has a 610 metres (667 yd) landing strip and a small jetty. With an area of 13 hectares, it is the fourth largest Spratly island and the largest among Vietnamese-occupied Spratly islands. Covered with bushes and grass
Grass
Grasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns ...
, the island is home to some birds and has guano
Guano
Guano is the excrement of seabirds, cave dwelling bats, and seals. Guano manure is an effective fertilizer due to its high levels of phosphorus and nitrogen and also its lack of odor. It was an important source of nitrates for gunpowder...
deposits. A 5.5 m-high obelisk
Obelisk
An obelisk is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top, and is said to resemble a petrified ray of the sun-disk. A pair of obelisks usually stood in front of a pylon...
is present at the southern tip. The fringing reef
Fringing reef
A fringing reef is one of the three main types of coral reefs recognized by most coral reef scientists. It is distinguished from the other two main types in that it has either an entirely shallow backreef zone or none at all...
is above water at low tide.