2,230 (2024 est.)
Paracel Islands
Key facts and a structured country profile. 🧾 Change log 📐 True Size
Locator 🗺️ Map
8 sq km ca.
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
🧭 Background
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
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
16 30 N, 112 00 E
Southeast Asia
8 sq km ca.
7.75 sq km ca.
0 sq km
Land area is about 13 times the size of the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
0 km
518 km
Tropical
Mostly low and flat
Unnamed location on Rocky Island 14 m
South China Sea 0 m
None
100% (2018 est.)
0 sq km (2022)
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
Typhoons
Composed of 130 small coral islands and reefs divided into the northeast Amphitrite Group and the western Crescent Group
👥 People and Society⬆️ Top
2,230 (2024 est.)
0.75% (2021 est.)
-0.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)
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⬆️ Top
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
Tropical
100% (2018 est.)
🏛️ Government⬆️ Top
None
Paracel Islands
🚚 Transportation⬆️ Top
2 (2025)
7 (2025)
🛡️ Military and Security⬆️ Top
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 aircraft hangers, naval facilities, surveillance radars, and defenses such as surface-to-air missiles and anti-ship cruise missiles (2025)
Source: Factbook JSON archive.