West York Island

West York Island
Disputed island
West York Island
West York Island is located in Spratly Islands
West York Island
West York Island
Other names
Likas Island (Philippine English)
Pulo ng Likas (Filipino)
đảo Bến Lạc (Vietnamese)
西月島 / 西月岛 Xīyuè Dǎo (Chinese)
Geography
LocationSouth China Sea
Coordinates11°05′N 115°0′E / 11.083°N 115.000°E / 11.083; 115.000 (West York Island)
ArchipelagoSpratly Islands
Administration
RegionIV-B - MIMAROPA
ProvincePalawan
Municipality Kalayaan
Claimed by
Additional information
Map

West York Island,[1] also known as Likas Island (Filipino: Pulo ng Likas, lit.'Island of Naturality';[2] Mandarin Chinese: 西月島/西月岛; pinyin: Xīyuè Dǎo; Vietnamese: đảo Bến Lạc), and several other names. With an area of 18.6 hectares (46 acres), it is the third largest of the naturally occurring Spratly Islands,[3][4] and the second largest (after Thitu Island) of the Philippine-occupied islands. It is 530 yards (485 m) wide, 330 yards (302 m) long, and its highest elevation is 30 feet (9 m).

The island is administered by the Philippines as part of Kalayaan, Palawan; it is located 47 miles (76 km) northeast of Pagasa Island (Thitu Island), the location of the Philippine defined major town of Kalayaan. Filipino soldiers are stationed on the island.

The island is also claimed by the People's Republic of China, the Republic of China (Taiwan) and Vietnam.

  1. ^ Dzurek, Daniel J. (1996). The Spratly Islands Dispute: Who's on First?. IBRU. ISBN 978-1-897643-23-5.
  2. ^ Elleman, Bruce; Kotkin, Stephen; Schofield, Clive (2015-05-18). Beijing's Power and China's Borders: Twenty Neighbors in Asia. M.E. Sharpe. ISBN 978-0-7656-2766-7.
  3. ^ Hanson, Arthur J. (1981). Environmental Considerations in Foreign-donor-supported Projects: Some Experiences in Indonesia. East-West Center. ISBN 978-0-86638-023-2.
  4. ^ Buchholz, Hanns Jürgen (1987). Law of the Sea Zones in the Pacific Ocean. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. ISBN 978-9971-988-73-9.