Nanshan Island

Nanshan Island

Disputed island
Nanshan Island in the south & Flat Island in the north.
Geography
Location	South China Sea
Coordinates	10°44′N 115°48′E / 10.733°N 115.800°E / 10.733; 115.800 (Nanshan Island)Coordinates: 10°44′N 115°48′E / 10.733°N 115.800°E / 10.733; 115.800 (Nanshan Island)
Archipelago	Spratly Islands
Administered by
Philippines
Municipality	Kalayaan, Palawan
Claimed by
People's Republic of China
Philippines
Republic of China (Taiwan)
Vietnam

Part of a series on the
Spratly Islands
Spratly Islands military occupations map
Related articles
Spratly Islands dispute Dangerous Ground (South China Sea) Great wall of sand History of the Spratly Islands List of maritime features in the Spratly Islands Philippines and the Spratly Islands Republic of Morac-Songhrati-Meads Territorial disputes in the South China Sea
Confrontations
Southwest Cay incident (1975) Johnson South Reef skirmish (1988)
Military occupations
Occupied by China Cuarteron Reef · Huayang Reef Fiery Cross Reef · Yongshu Reef Gaven Reefs · Nanxun Reef and Xinan Reef Hughes Reef · Dongmen Reef Johnson South Reef · Chigua Reef Mischief Reef · Meiji Reef Subi Reef · Zhubi Reef Occupied by Malaysia Ardasier Reef · Ubi Reef Dallas Reef · Laya Reef Erica Reef · Siput Reef Investigator Shoal · Peninjau Shoal Louisa Reef · Semarang Barat Kecil Reef Mariveles Reef · Mantanani Reef Swallow Reef · Layang-Layang Island Occupied by the Philippines Thitu Island · Pagasa Island West York Island · Likas Island Northeast Cay · Parola Island Nanshan Island · Lawak Island Loaita Island · Kota Island Flat Island · Patag Island Lankiam Cay · Panata Island Irving Reef · Balagtas Reef Second Thomas Shoal · Ayungin Shoal Occupied by Taiwan Itu Aba Island · Taiping Island Zhongzhou Reef Occupied by Vietnam Spratly Island · Truong Sa Island Southwest Cay · Song Tu Tay Island Sin Cowe Island · Sinh Ton Island Sand Cay · Son Ca Island Namyit Island · Nam Yet Island Amboyna Cay · An Bang Island Collins Reef · Co Lin Reef Ladd Reef · Lat Reef

Nanshan Island (Tagalog: Lawak, literally "vastness"; Chinese: 马欢岛; pinyin: Mahuan Dao; Vietnamese: Đảo Vĩnh Viễn) is the eighth largest island of Spratly Islands and the fourth largest among Philippine-occupied Spratly islands. It has an area of 7.93 hectares. It is located 98.0 miles (157.7 km) east of Pag-asa (Thitu Island). This island is administered by the Philippines as part of Kalayaan, Palawan.

Environment

This island is a bird sanctuary. Its surroundings are highly phosphatized that superphosphate materials can be mined out on a small-scale basis. Near the fringes of the breakwaters (approx. 2 miles (3 km) from the island), intact hard coral reefs were observed to retain their natural environment and beautiful tropical fishes were seen colonizing these coral beds of varying colors. It is also covered with coconut trees, bushes and grass. It is 580 m long, on the edge of a submerged reef.

Philippine Occupation

A handful of Philippine soldiers and their families are stationed on the island, which has been inhabited since 1968 when Philippines occupied this island.^[1] There are only one to two structures in this island that serve as shelters for the soldiers. The soldiers are also the guard of nearby Flat Island which lies 6 miles (10 km) north-northeast of the island which is also occupied by the Philippines.

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

See also

• Spratly Islands
• Kalayaan, Palawan
• Policies, activities and history of the Philippines in Spratly Islands

References

External links

• Google map of Nanshan Island