South China Sea Islands facts for kids

South China Sea

South China Sea Islands are 250+ small islands, atolls, cays, shoals, reefs, and sandbars in the South China Sea. Most of these small islands are uninhabited.

There are minerals, natural gas, and oil deposits on the islands or under the seafloor near the islands.

List

The islands in the South China Sea include

• Spratly Islands -- disputed by the People's Republic of China (PRC), the Republic of China (ROC), Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and the Philippines
• Paracel Islands -- disputed by the PRC, the ROC and Vietnam
• Pratas Islands -- disputed by the PRC and the ROC
• Macclesfield Bank -- disputed by the PRC, the ROC, the Philippines and Vietnam.
• Scarborough Shoal -- disputed by the PRC and the ROC

Images for kids

• 

  A monument of South Vietnam on Southwest Cay, Spratly Islands, claiming the cay as part of Vietnamese territory (to Phước Tuy Province). Used since 22 August 1956 until 1975, when replaced by another one from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (previously North Vietnam, later as the successor state after the Fall of Saigon).

• 

  Map of South China Sea Islands, made by Territory Department of Ministry of the Interior, Republic of China in 1947, after its sovereignty transfer from the Japanese occupation.

See also

In Spanish: Islas del mar de la China Meridional para niños