| Disputed reefs and shoals | |
|---|---|
 Macclesfield Bank | |
 | |
| Other names | Middle Sand Islands[1] |
| Geography | |
| Location | South China Sea |
| Coordinates | 16°00′N 114°30′E / 16.000°N 114.500°E |
| Total islands | 0 |
| Major islands | None |
| Area | 6,448 km2 (2,490 sq mi) total, 0 km2 land surface/islets |
| Length | 130 km (81 mi) |
| Width | 70 km (43 mi) |
| Highest elevation | −9.2 m (-30.2 ft) |
| Highest point | Unnamed point below sea level |
| Administration | |
| Prefecture-level city Province | Sansha[2] Hainan |
| Claimed by | |
| Municipality | Kaohsiung |
| Demographics | |
| Population | None |
Macclesfield Bank is an elongated sunken atoll of underwater reefs and shoals in the South China Sea. It lies east of the Paracel Islands, southwest of Pratas Island and north of the Spratly Islands. It is about 130 km (81 mi) long from southwest to northeast, and about 70 km (43 mi) wide at its broadest part. [3] With an ocean area of 6,448 km2 (2,490 sq mi) it is one of the largest atolls in the world.[4] The Macclesfield Bank is part of what China calls the Zhongsha Islands, which includes a number of geographically separate submarine features, and also refers to a county-level administrative division.
- ^ Jones, Gareth Wyn (2002). "Provinces". In Boland-Crewe, Tara; Lea, David (eds.). The Territories of the People's Republic of China. London: Europa Publications. p. 101. ISBN 978-0-203-40311-2.
- ^ Ministry of Civil Affairs of the People's Republic of China (21 June 2012). 民政部关于国务院批准设立地级三沙市的公告 [Ministry of Civil Affairs Announcement about the State Council Approval of the Establishment of the Prefecture-level City of Sansha] (in Chinese (China)). Archived from the original on 25 June 2012. Retrieved 21 June 2012.
- ^ Sailing Directions (Enroute), Pub. 161: South China Sea and the Gulf of Thailand (PDF). Sailing Directions. United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. 2020. p. 6.
- ^ Tordesillas, Ellen (2014-09-08). "Justice Carpio: China's 9-dashed line- grand theft of Global Commons". VERA Files. Retrieved 2023-12-11.