- Chinese (Pinyin):
- Nansha Qundao or
- (Wade-Giles transliteration):
- Nan-sha Châun-tao
- Malay:
- Kepulauan Spratly
- Pilipino:
- Pangkat Islang Kalayaan
- Vietnamese:
- Quan Dao Truong Sa
- On the Web:
- Oxford Public International Law - Spratly Islands (Nov. 04, 2026)
Spratly Islands
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What are the Spratly Islands?
The Spratly Islands are a vast group of reefs, shoals, atolls, and small islets in the South China Sea. They lie in the Pacific Ocean, roughly midway between Vietnam and the Philippines, north of insular Malaysia.
Several countries in the region claim the islands wholly or in part. Before 1970, their strategic location was the main point of interest. They are now considerably more desirable for their potential resources. By the late 20th century, Vietnam, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, and the Philippines had conflicting claims to the Spratlys. The United States does not recognize any country's claims, insisting the Spratlys are in international waters.
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Where are the Spratly Islands located?
The Spratly Islands are a large group of reefs, shoals, atolls, and small islets in the South China Sea of the Pacific Ocean. They lie north of insular Malaysia, approximately midway between Vietnam and the Philippines. The islands are claimed either wholly or in part by several countries in the region. They are spread over a vast ocean area of about 158,000 square miles (409,000 square km).
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What types of geographic features make up the Spratly Islands, like reefs, shoals, atolls, and islets?
The Spratly Islands are a collection of diverse geographic features in the South China Sea, including reefs, shoals, atolls, and small islets. These features are spread across a vast oceanic area measuring approximately 158,000 square miles (409,000 square km). Many of these formations are submerged.
An atoll is a coral reef that encircles a lagoon. Atolls feature reef ribbons that may not always be circular, but their configuration is generally a closed shape that can span dozens of kilometers, enclosing a lagoon that can be approximately 50 meters (160 feet) deep or more.
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Why are the Spratly Islands important to different countries?
The Spratly Islands are a collection of reefs, shoals, atolls, and islets in the South China Sea, claimed by several countries due to their strategic location and potential resources.
Before 1970, their significance was mainly strategic. However, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in the 1980s, which established exclusive economic zones (EEZ), made the Spratlys more desirable for their resources. The South China Sea is rich in marine life and contains large oil and natural gas reserves.
Vietnam, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, and the Philippines have conflicting claims, with most maintaining garrisons on various islands. Although Brunei doesn't claim territory, its EEZ contains a Spratly reef. The United States does not recognize any claims, asserting they are in international waters.
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What countries claim ownership of parts of the Spratly Islands?
The Spratly Islands are claimed, either wholly or in part, by several countries in the region. These claims are often overlapping and conflicting.
Claimants to the Spratly Islands:
* China asserts its claim to almost the entire South China Sea, including the Spratly Islands.
* Taiwan declared itself the rightful owner of the Spratly Islands in 1951.
* Vietnam claims ownership and controls the plurality of the islands' reefs.
* Malaysia claims some features of the Spratly Islands.
* The Philippines cites proximity as the basis for its claim.
* Brunei has declared an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) that contains a reef in the Spratly Islands, though it does not claim any territory.3 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How does the dispute over the Spratly Islands affect the South China Sea region?
The dispute over the Spratly Islands, a collection of reefs, shoals, atolls, and islets in the South China Sea, involves conflicting claims from several countries, including China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei. These disputes have led to increased tensions in the region, especially as China has asserted its claims by establishing a presence, building artificial land, and engaging in maritime confrontations.
These actions have resulted in diplomatic standoffs, with other claimants like Vietnam and the Philippines undertaking military build-ups and seeking international support. The United States has also become involved by conducting naval drills with the Philippines and advocating for the adherence to international law, further intensifying the situation.
5 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Spratly Islands, large group of reefs, shoals, atolls, and small islets in the South China Sea of the Pacific Ocean. They are located north of insular Malaysia and are roughly midway between Vietnam and the Philippines, and they are claimedâwholly or in partâby several countries in the region.
The Spratlys are spread out over a vast area of ocean measuring some 158,000 square miles (409,000 square km). A great number of them are submerged. Of the 12 main naturally occurring islets, the largest is the 90-acre (36-hectare) Itu Aba. Another, called Spratly Island or Storm Island, measures 900 by 1,500 feet (275 by 450 metres). Turtles and seabirds are the only wildlife. There is no permanent human habitation.
Before 1970 the main significance attached to the islands was their strategic location. France held them between 1933 and 1939. During World War II Japan occupied the archipelago and developed it as a submarine base. After the war the Chinese Nationalist government established a garrison on Itu Aba, which the Nationalists maintained after their exile to Taiwan in 1949. When Japan renounced its claim to the islands in 1951, Taiwan, mainland China, and Vietnam all declared themselves the rightful owners, and the Philippines added a claim based on proximity in 1955.
In the 1970s South Vietnam occupied three of the Spratly Islands (including Spratly Island itself) to forestall a Chinese occupation. Troops from Taiwan remained on Itu Aba. The Philippines then moved forces onto seven of the remaining islets and built an airstrip (1976) on Pagasa Island. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which came into effect in the early 1980s, established the concept of exclusive economic zones (EEZ) that extended 200 nautical miles (370 km) from a countryâs coast. The Spratlys subsequently became considerably more desirable for their potential resources.
By the late 20th century, Vietnam, China, Taiwan, Malaysia (with its occupation of Turumbu Layang-Layang reef [June 1983]), and the Philippines all had conflicting claims to the Spratlys, supported (except, initially, in the case of China) by garrisons on various islands. Although Brunei did not claim any territory in the Spratlys, it did declare an EEZ that contained a Spratly reef. The United States, which has been the dominant presence in the Pacific region for most of the period since the early 20th century, has not recognized the claims of any country on the Spratlys, insisting instead that the Spratlys are in international waters.
China has asserted that its claim to the Spratlys dates back centuries. The Chinese government has stated that almost the entire South China Sea, including the Spratlys and other island groups, is within its sphere of influence. Those claims have been strongly disputed by the Philippines and Vietnam in particular. China first established a presence in the Spratlys in 1988, when its military forcibly removed a Vietnamese garrison from Johnson South Reef. In early 2014 China began intensively building up artificial land on certain reefs and atolls. That activity and Chinaâs stronger statements on its claimed territorial integrity in the Spratlys exacerbated tensions with the United States, which dispatched a U.S. warship through the region in October 2015.