Pratas Island

"Dongsha" redirects here. For other uses, see Dongsha (disambiguation).
Pratas Island
Disputed island
Native name:
東沙島
Pratas Atoll from space, January 1986.
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Location of Pratas Island, Taiping Island
Legend： Pratas Island Taiping Island Kaohsiung
Other namesTungsha Island
Dongsha Island
Geography
LocationSouth China Sea
Coordinates20°42′08″N 116°43′39″E / 20.70222°N 116.72750°E / 20.70222; 116.72750
Total islands1[1]: 13 [2][3][4][5][6]
Area174 ha (430 acres) (land), 64 ha (158.15 acres) (lagoon)[7][1]: 5 
Length2.8 km (1.74 mi)
Width0.865 km (0.5375 mi)
Administration
Municipality
District		Kaohsiung
Cijin[1]: 23 [8] (Qijin)
Claimed by
 China[9][10][11]: 10 
Province
Prefecture-level city
District		Guangdong
Shanwei (Swabue)

Chengqu[12][13]

Pratas Island,[11][14]: 5 [15][16][17] also known as the Tungsha Islands[18][19][20][21][22][23] or the Dongsha Islands (Chinese: 東沙群島; pinyin: Dōngshā Qúndǎo; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tang-soa Kûn-tó; lit. 'East Sand Islands'[11]), is a coral island situated in the northern part of the South China Sea[1][2][3][6] administered as part of Cijin District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.[24][25][26] It is located about 170 nautical miles (310 km; 200 mi) southeast of Hong Kong.[7][27] It has an area of about 240 hectares (590 acres), including 64 hectares (160 acres) of lagoon, and is the largest of the South China Sea Islands.[28] It is the location of the Dongsha Airport.

There are three undersea features in the waters associated with Pratas Island: Pratas Atoll, North Vereker Bank and South Vereker Bank.[1]: 8, 9 [29][30][31] The atoll is circular, and the crescent-shaped Pratas Island occupies its western part. Below the ocean's surface[32] to the northwest (21°N 116°E / 21°N 116°E / 21; 116) of Pratas Island, North Vereker Bank rises to 11 metres (36 ft) below sea level and South Vereker Bank to 58 metres (190 ft) below sea level.[14]: 6 

There are numerous oil wells to the west of the banks.[33] In 2007, the Dongsha Atoll National Park was established on the island. The People's Republic of China claims the island,[26] atoll and banks as part of Guangdong Province.

  1. ^ a b c d e Lung Tsun-Ni 龍村倪 (1998). 東沙群島-東沙島紀事集錦 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Taipei: 臺灣綜合研究院. ISBN 957-98189-0-8. Archived from the original on 30 January 2009. p.13: "東沙島為東沙群島唯一島嶼" (Translation: Pratas Island is the only island in the Pratas Islands)
  2. ^ a b Danny Lee (17 October 2020). "Hong Kong blocks Taiwan from reaching disputed Pratas Islands, saying airspace around disputed territory is closed 'until further notice'". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 1 November 2020. The Pratas Islands, known as the Dongsha Islands in Chinese and located within Hong Kong airspace, comprise one island, two coral reefs and two banks.
  3. ^ a b "Limits in the Seas - No. 127 Taiwan's Maritime Claims" (PDF). United States Department of State. November 15, 2005. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 July 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2012. The Pratas Reef lies 230 miles to the southwest of the southern tip of Taiwan.26 It consists of an island in the mouth of a semicircular shoal open to the west. The segments D1-D4 close the mouth by connecting the headlands of the shoal with the island.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference unitednations was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference ourisland was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ a b Dieter Heinzig [in German] (1976). Disputed Islands in the South China Sea (PDF). Harrassowitz. pp. 14, 19, 32, 56. ISBN 3-447-01804-6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 January 2017. p.14: "Strictly speaking, only one of the four controversial archipelagos may truly be referred to as a group of islands: the Paracels. The Pratas consist of one island and two sands."
  7. ^ a b Pratas Islands Archived 2012-08-06 at the Wayback Machine, vm.nthu.edu.tw
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference nationalparkdistances was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference 1992law was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference ocac was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference INR was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference sws was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference chengqu was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ a b South China Sea and the Gulf of Thailand (PDF). Sailing Directions (Enroute) (17 ed.). Springfield, Virginia. 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 November 2020. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  15. ^ Cite error: The named reference thediplomat was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  16. ^ "China to conduct major military drill simulating seizure of Taiwan-held island". Japan Times. 14 May 2020. Archived from the original on 14 May 2020. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  17. ^ Pratas Island (Approved - N) at GEOnet Names Server, United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
  18. ^ Cite error: The named reference mofa2015 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  19. ^ Cite error: The named reference edmonds was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  20. ^ Cite error: The named reference A-píⁿ was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  21. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  22. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  23. ^ Cite error: The named reference districtcourt was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  24. ^ 東沙島地方志資源調查委託辦理計畫 成果報告 (PDF). Marine National Park Headquarters 海洋國家公園管理處 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). December 2008. p. 26. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 July 2020. Retrieved 9 July 2020. 民國35年（1946年）{...}9月，海軍負責接收東沙島，並設立東沙管理處；東沙氣象台由海軍負責管理。{...}民國43年(1954年){...}秋季,國防部長蔣經國至島上視察.
  25. ^ Republic of China (2nd ed.). China Art Printing Works Yu Tai Industrial Corp., Ltd. 1985. p. 5 – via Internet Archive.
  26. ^ a b "Amid disputes, Taiwan highlighting South China Seas claims". AP News. March 23, 2016. Archived from the original on 27 May 2023."Taiwan also has complete control of the Pratas Islands, which it calls Dongsha, centered on an atoll in the northern section of the South China Sea about 340 kilometers (211 miles) southeast of Hong Kong. Taiwan has designated the area a marine national park, but still operates a small airport there, maintains a garrison and operates a fishing boat aid station. China also claims Pratas, but has made no moves to dislodge the Taiwanese presence."
  27. ^ Pratas Island Airfield, Federation of American Scientists, www.fas.org
  28. ^ Note that Woody Island in the Paracel Islands has a land area of 210 ha, which is greater than Pratas Island's 240-64=176 ha. Also, the PRC's land reclamation activities during 2014 & 2015 have created an "island" of ~230 ha at Fiery Cross Reef.
  29. ^ Chih-Wei Chang; Chao-Sheng Huang; Shao-I Wang. "Species composition and sizes of fish in the lagoon of Dongsha Island (Pratas Island), Dongsha Atoll of the South China Sea" (PDF). National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium. p. 26. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 November 2020 – via Internet Archive.
  30. ^ 南海诸岛 (in Chinese (China)). 中国科学院地理科学与资源研究所. 2007-03-26. Archived from the original on 2014-07-14. Retrieved 2011-10-13.
  31. ^ Cite error: The named reference cihai was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  32. ^ Cite error: The named reference GNISverekerbanks was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  33. ^ Nautical Chart 93006, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, via www.oceangrafix.com