Loaita Cay

Loaita Cay
Disputed island
Loaita Cay
Loaita Cay is located in Spratly Islands
Loaita Cay
Loaita Cay
Other names
Melchora Aquino Island (Philippine English)
Pulo ng Melchora Aquino (Filipino)
Đảo Loại Ta Tây (Vietnamese)
南鑰沙洲 / 南钥沙洲 Nányào Shāzhōu (Chinese)
Geography
LocationSouth China Sea
Coordinates10°43′43″N 114°21′09″E / 10.72861°N 114.35250°E / 10.72861; 114.35250 (Loaita Cay)
ArchipelagoSpratly Islands
Administration
RegionIV-B - MIMAROPA
ProvincePalawan
Municipality Kalayaan
Claimed by

Loaita Cay, also known as Melchora Aquino Island (Filipino: Pulo ng Melchora Aquino; Vietnamese: Đảo Loại Ta Tây; Mandarin Chinese: 南鑰沙洲/南钥沙洲; pinyin: Nányào Shāzhōu), is an island in the Spratly Islands.[2] It has an area of 0.53 hectares (1.3 acres) and it's located about 5 nautical miles (9.3 km; 5.8 mi) northwest of Philippine-occupied Loaita (Kota) Island,[3] just west of the north of Dangerous Ground.[4]

The island is administered by the Philippines as part of Kalayaan, Palawan, and is the seventh largest of the Philippine-occupied islands. It is also claimed by the People's Republic of China, the Republic of China (Taiwan), and Vietnam.

  1. ^ "Peace in the South China Sea, National Territory Secure Forever: Position Paper on ROC South Clina Sea Policy" (PDF). ROC Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 2016. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
  2. ^ Loaita Cay on Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative.
  3. ^ Sailing Directions (Enroute), Pub. 161: South China Sea and the Gulf of Thailand (PDF). Sailing Directions. United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. 2017. p. 13.
  4. ^ NGA Chart 93044 shows the area NW of Dangerous Ground.