What is so special about the Spratly Islands?
The Spratlys are spread out over a vast area of ocean measuring some 158,000 square miles (409,000 square km). A great number of them are submerged. Another, called Spratly Island or Storm Island, measures 900 by 1,500 feet (275 by 450 metres). Turtles and seabirds are the only wildlife.
Why is it called Spratly Islands?
Named after the 19th-century British whaling captain Richard Spratly who sighted Spratly Island in 1843, the islands contain less than 2 km2 (490 acres) of naturally occurring land area, which is spread over an area of more than 425,000 km2 (164,000 sq mi).
Why does Philippines claim Spratly Islands?
Answer: the Spratly Islands, located off the coast of the Philippines and Malaysia. This region has been claimed by both of these nations as well as China, Vietnam, Brunei and Taiwan. This is due to the islands’ rich marine ecosystem, gas and oil deposits, and ideal location for military strategies.
What city in China is sinking?
Shanghai, China Shanghai is, believe it or not, one of the world’s fastest sinking cities. According to sources like EcoWatch, the city is sinking at a rate of around 1 cm per year. The main cause of the subsidence is groundwater extraction.
Where are the Spratly Islands located in the world?
The South China Sea, where the Spratly Islands are found, borders many states and is very tellingly also known as the West Philippine Sea and the East Sea in Vietnam [2]. There is some confusion as to the number of islands, reefs, rocks and atolls that the Spratly Islands consist of.
Who was the original owner of the Spratly Islands?
When the Spratly Islands and Paracels were surveyed by Germany in 1883, China issued protests against them. The 1887 Chinese-Vietnamese Boundary convention signed between France and China after the Sino-French War said that China was the owner of the Spratly and Paracel islands.
What was the solution to the Spratly Islands dispute?
Much of the scholarship on the Spratly Islands dispute, explains the dispute in realist terms, but suggests solutions of a liberal or liberal institutionalist character. Liberalism focuses on the possibility of abolishing war and conflict through trade and diplomatic ties and through intergovernmental organizations.
How does the shape of the Spratly Islands change?
In some cays in the Spratly Islands, the sand and pebble sediments form the beaches and spits around the island. Under the influence of the dominant wind direction, which changes seasonally, these sediments move around the island to change the shape and size of the island.