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| Paracel Islands (Vietnam) Pictures |
The islands are located in the East Sea consisting of over 30 islets,sandbanks and reefs with about 15,000 km² of the ocean surface. Thearchipelago is approximately equidistant from the coastlines of Vietnam and China, 180 nautical miles southeast of Hainan Island, and about one-third of the way from central Vietnam to the northern Philippines.Turtles live on the islands, and seabirds have left nests and guano deposits, but there are no permanent human residents except military personnel and fishermen.
The islands are divided into two main groups. The Amphitrite group is in the northeast and the Crescent group is in the southwest, and they are located about 70 km (43 mi) from one another. Subject to hot and humid climate, with abundant rainfall and frequent typhoons, the archipelago is surrounded by productive fishing grounds and potential oil and gas reserves.
Paracel Islands belong to Vietnam. China and South Vietnam each occupied part of the Paracel Islands before 1974 when a brief conflict occurred; China took over and has controlled all of the Paracel Islands since then.
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