The South China Sea is a marginal sea south of China. Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most common Standard Mandarin Romanization system in use Tagalog is one of the major languages used in the Philippines. The Malay language ( ISO 639-1 code MS is an Austronesian language spoken by the Malay people and people of other ethnic groups who reside in the Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal. Vietnamese ( tiếng Việt, or less commonly Việt ngữ) formerly known under French colonization as Annamese ( see Annam) A marginal sea is a part of an ocean partially enclosed by land such as Islands Archipelagos or Peninsulas Unlike mediterranean China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National It is a part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from Singapore to the Strait of Taiwan of around 3,500,000 km². The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions Singapore The Taiwan Strait or Formosa Strait is a 180-km-wide (11185-mile-wide Strait between Mainland China and Taiwan. It is one of the largest sea bodies after the five oceans. An ocean (from Greek, ''Okeanos'' (Oceanus) is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the Hydrosphere. The minute South China Sea Islands, collectively an archipelago, number in the hundreds. The South China Sea Islands (or Nanhai Islands, simplified: 南海诸岛 traditional: 南海諸島 Pinyin: Nánhǎi Zhūdǎo consist of over An archipelago (ɑrkəˈpɛləgoʊ is a chain or cluster of Islands The word archipelago literally means "chief Sea " from Italian The sea and its mostly uninhabited islands are subject to several competing claims of sovereignty by neighboring nations. Sovereignty is the exclusive Right to control a Government, a country, a people or oneself These competing claims are also reflected in the variety of names used for the islands and the sea.

Names for the sea

Sunset on the South China Sea off Mui Ne village on the south-east coast of Vietnam

South China Sea is the dominant term used in English for the sea, and the name in most European languages is equivalent, but it is sometimes called by different names in neighboring countries, often reflecting historical claims to hegemony over the sea. Mui Ne (Mũi Né is a coastal resort town in the Binh Thuan Province of southeastern Vietnam, located on an arm of the South China Sea Vietnam (ˌviːɛtˈnɑːm Việt Nam) officially English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States

The English name is a result of early European interest in the sea as a route from Europe and South Asia to the trading opportunities of China. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National In the sixteenth century Portuguese sailors called it the China Sea (Mare da China); later needs to differentiate it from nearby bodies of water lead to calling it the South China Sea. Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. ^[1]

In China, the traditional name for the sea is Southern Sea (南海; Nán Hǎi). China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National In contemporary Chinese publications, it is commonly called South China Sea (南中國海, Nán Zhōnggúo Hǎi), and this name is often used in English-language maps published by China.

In Vietnam, it is called the Eastern Sea (Biển Đông); this name is sometimes used by Vietnamese mapmakers in foreign-language publications. Vietnam (ˌviːɛtˈnɑːm Việt Nam) officially ^[1]

The part of the South China Sea within Philippine territorial waters is often given the name "Luzon Sea" (Dagat Luzon) in maps published in the country, after the major Philippine island of Luzon. Luzon is the largest and most economically and politically important Island in the Philippines and one of the three island groups in the country with Visayas However, the name "South China Sea" (Timog Dagat Tsina) is still the accepted name for the whole sea in the Philippines.

In Southeast Asia, it was once called the Champa Sea or Sea of Cham, after the maritime kingdom that flourished before the sixteenth century. The kingdom of Champa ( Chăm Pa in Vietnamese or Chiêm Thành in Hán Việt records was an Indianized kingdom and controlled what

Geography

The International Hydrographic Organization defines the sea as stretching in a southwest to northeast direction, whose southern border is 3 degrees South latitude between South Sumatra and Kalimantan (Karimata Strait), and whose northern border is the Strait of Taiwan from the northern tip of Taiwan to the Fujian coast of mainland China. The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO was originally established in 1921 as the International Hydrographic Bureau (IHB Sumatra (also spelled Sumatera) is the sixth largest island in the world (approximately 470000 km² and is the largest island entirely in Indonesia (two In most languages in the world the term Kalimantan refers to the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo, while for Indonesians the name "Kalimantan" The Karimata Strait is the wide Strait that connects the South China Sea to the Java Sea, between the Islands of Sumatra and Borneo The Taiwan Strait or Formosa Strait is a 180-km-wide (11185-mile-wide Strait between Mainland China and Taiwan. Taiwan ( Taiwanese: Tâi-oân/Tāi-oân (historically 大灣/台員/大員/台圓/大圓/台窩灣 is an Island in East Asia. This article is about the People's Republic of China province Mainland China, Continental China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term synonymous with the area that is under the jurisdiction The Gulf of Thailand covers the western portion of the South China Sea. The Gulf of Thailand (or Gulf of Siam) is a gulf that borders but is not part of the South China Sea ( Pacific Ocean)

The sea lies above a drowned continental shelf; during recent ice ages global sea level was hundreds of meters lower, and Borneo was part of the Asian mainland. The continental shelf is the extended perimeter of each Continent and associated Coastal plain, which is covered during interglacial periods such An ice age is a period of long-term reduction in the Temperature of the Earth 's surface and atmosphere resulting in an expansion of continental Ice sheets Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located at the centre of Maritime Southeast Asia.

States and territories with borders on the sea (clockwise from north) include: the mainland China, Macau, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Mainland China, Continental China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term synonymous with the area that is under the jurisdiction For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Macau topics. Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders Taiwan ( Taiwanese: Tâi-oân/Tāi-oân (historically 大灣/台員/大員/台圓/大圓/台窩灣 is an Island in East Asia. The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and Brunei Darussalam, (bruːˈnaɪ in English officially the State of Brunei Abode of Peace (Negara Brunei Darussalam Jawi: برني دارالسلام The Republic of Indonesia ( (Republik Indonesia is a Country in Southeast Asia. Singapore The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj The Kingdom of Cambodia ( formerly known as Kampuchea (, transliterated: Preăh Réachéanachâkr Kâmpŭchea) is a country in South East Vietnam (ˌviːɛtˈnɑːm Việt Nam) officially

Major rivers that flow into the South China Sea include the Pearl, Min, Jiulong, Red, Mekong, Rajang, Pahang, and Pasig Rivers. The Zhu Jiang, ( Chinese 珠江 Pinyin: Zhū Jiāng or Pearl River or less commonly the Canton River, is China 's third longest The Jiulong River or Jiulong Jiang ( is the largest river in southern Fujian, and the second largest in Fujian China. There are also other rivers named Red River. The Red River, also known as the Hong - Red Song Cai, Song Ca The Mekong is one of the world’s major Rivers It is the 11th-longest river in the world and 7th longest in Asia The Rajang River is a river in Sarawak, Malaysia. The river is located in northwest of Borneo and it originates in the Iran Mountains Pahang River or ( Sungai Pahang in Malay is a river in the state of Pahang, Malaysia on the Malay Peninsula. The Pasig River (called Ilog Pasig in Filipino) is a River in the Philippines and connects Laguna de Bay (via the Napindan Channel

Geology

The South China Sea opened after around 45 million years ago when the Dangerous Grounds were rifted away from southern China. The Eocene epoch (558 ± 02 - 339 ± 01 Ma) is a major division of the Geologic timescale and the second epoch of the Palaeogene period in Extension culminated in seafloor spreading around 30 million years ago, a process that propagated to the SW resulting in the V-shaped basin we see today. Seafloor spreading occurs at Mid-ocean ridges where new Oceanic crust is formed through volcanic activity and then gradually moves away from the ridge Extension ceased around 17 million years ago. Arguments have continued about the role of tectonic extrusion in forming the basin. Paul Tapponnier and colleagues have argued that as India collides with Asia it pushes Indochina to the SE. Paul Tapponnier was born on January 6 1947 in Annecy France He became an engineer from the prestigious Ecole Nationale Superieure des Mines de Paris in Indochina, or the Indochinese Peninsula, is a region in Southeast Asia. The relative shear between Indochina and China caused the South China Sea to open. This view is disputed by geologists who do not consider Indochina to have moved far relative to mainland Asia. Recent marine geophysical studies by Peter Clift has shown that the Red River Fault was active and causing basin formation at least by 37 million years ago in the NW South China Sea, consistent with extrusion playing a part in the formation of the sea. Peter Clift is a British marine geologist and geophysicist specializing in the geology of Asia and the western Pacific Since opening the South China Sea has been the repository of large sediment volumes delivered by the Mekong River, Red River and Pearl River. The Mekong is one of the world’s major Rivers It is the 11th-longest river in the world and 7th longest in Asia There are also other rivers named Red River. The Red River, also known as the Hong - Red Song Cai, Song Ca Several of these deltas are rich in oil and gas deposits.

Islands and seamounts

Main articles: South China Sea Islands and list of islands in the South China Sea

Within the sea, there are over 200 identified islands and reefs, most of them within the Spratly Islands. The South China Sea Islands (or Nanhai Islands, simplified: 南海诸岛 traditional: 南海諸島 Pinyin: Nánhǎi Zhūdǎo consist of over Islands in the South China Sea includes the South China Sea Islands (Spratly Islands Pratas Islands Paracel Islands and Macclesfield Bank islands on the China coast on the The Spratly Islands are a group of more than 100 reefs islets and islands occupying in total less than five square kilometres and spread over more than 400000 square kilometres The Spratly Islands spread over an 810 by 900 km area covering some 175 identified insular features, the largest being Taiping Island (Itu Aba) at just over 1. 3 km long and with its highest elevation at 3. 8 metres.

The largest singular feature in the area of the Spratly Islands is a 100 km wide seamount called Reed Tablemount, also known as Reed Bank, in the northeast of the group, separated from Palawan Island of the Philippines by the Palawan Trench. A seamount is a Mountain rising from the Ocean Seafloor that does not reach to the water's surface ( Sea level) and thus is not an Island Palawan is an Island province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region. The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP Now completely submerged, with a depth of 20 m, it was an island until it sunk about 7,000 years ago due to the increasing sea level after the last ice age. An ice age is a period of long-term reduction in the Temperature of the Earth 's surface and atmosphere resulting in an expansion of continental Ice sheets With an area of 8,866 km², it is one of the largest submerged atoll structures of the world. An atoll (pronounced /ˈætʌl/ is an island of Coral that encircles a Lagoon partially or completely

Resources

It is an extremely significant body of water in a geopolitical sense. It is the second most used sea lane in the world, while in terms of world annual merchant fleet tonnage, over 50% passes through the Strait of Malacca, the Sunda Strait, and the Lombok Strait. A sea lane is regularly used Route for Ocean -going vessels. In the time of sailing ships they were not only determined by the distribution of land masses The Strait of Malacca is a narrow 805 km (500 mile stretch of water between Peninsular Malaysia (West Malaysia) and the Indonesian island of Sumatra The Sunda Strait ( Indonesian: Selat Sunda) is the Strait between the Indonesian Islands of Java and the island of Sumatra The Lombok Strait is a Strait connecting the Java Sea to the Indian Ocean, located between the Islands of Bali and Lombok Over 1. 6 million m³ (10 million barrels) of crude oil a day are shipped through the Strait of Malacca, where there are regular reports of piracy, but much less frequently than before the mid-20th century. Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit Piracy is Robbery committed at sea or sometimes on shore without a commission from a sovereign Nation (as distinct from Privateering

The region has proven oil reserves of around 1. Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit 2 km³ (7. 7 billion barrels), with an estimate of 4. 5 km³ (28 billion barrels) in total. Natural gas reserves are estimated to total around 7,500 km³ (266 trillion cubic feet). Natural gas is a Gaseous Fossil fuel consisting primarily of Methane but including significant quantities of Ethane, Propane,

According to studies made by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Philippines, this body of water holds one third of the all world's marine biodiversity, thereby making it a very important area for the ecosystem.

Territorial claims

Competing territorial claims over the South China Sea and its resources are numerous. Because the 1982 United Nations Law of the Sea allows for a country's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) to extend 200 nm (370. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea ( UNCLOS) also called the Law of the Sea Convention or the Law of the Sea treaty is the international agreement that resulted Under the law of the sea, an Exclusive Economic Zone ( EEZ) is a seazone over which a State has special rights over the exploration and use of marine 6 km) beyond territorial waters, all the nations surrounding the sea can lay claim to great portions of it. The People's Republic of China (PRC) has stated its claim to almost the entire body. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Areas with potential problems include:

• Indonesia and the PRC over waters NE of the Natuna Islands.
• The Philippines and the PRC over the Malampaya and Camago gas fields.
• The Philippines and the PRC over Scarborough Shoal. Scarborough Shoal or Panatag Shoal ( Philippine name Panatag Shoal Chinese name 黃岩島 Huangyan Dao more correctly described as a group of islands
• Vietnam and the PRC over waters west of the Spratly Islands. The Spratly Islands are a group of more than 100 reefs islets and islands occupying in total less than five square kilometres and spread over more than 400000 square kilometres Some or all of the islands themselves are also disputed between Vietnam, the PRC, the ROC, Brunei, Malaysia, and the Philippines.
• The Paracel Islands are disputed between the PRC/ROC and Vietnam. The Paracel Islands are a group of small Islands and Reefs in the South China Sea administered by the People's Republic of China
• Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam over areas in the Gulf of Thailand. The Gulf of Thailand (or Gulf of Siam) is a gulf that borders but is not part of the South China Sea ( Pacific Ocean)
• Singapore and Malaysia along the Strait of Johore and the Strait of Singapore.

The PRC and Vietnam have both been vigorous in prosecuting their claims. The Paracel Islands was seized by China in 1974 and 18 soldiers were killed. The Spratly Islands have been the site of a naval clash, in which over seventy Vietnamese sailors were killed just south of Chigua Reef in March 1988. The Spratly Islands are a group of more than 100 reefs islets and islands occupying in total less than five square kilometres and spread over more than 400000 square kilometres Disputing claimants regularly report clashes between naval vessels.

ASEAN in general, and Malaysia in particular, has been keen to ensure that the territorial disputes within the South China Sea do not escalate into armed conflict. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, commonly referred to as ASEAN, ˈɑːsiːɑːn AH-see-ahn in English (the Official language As such, Joint Development Authorities have been setup in areas of overlapping claims to jointly develop the area and dividing the profits equally without settling the issue of sovereignty over the area. This is true, particularly in the Gulf of Thailand.

The overlapping claims over Pedra Branca or Pulau Batu Putih by both Singapore and Malaysia has been brought to the International Court of Justice and the public portion of the case was heard over November 6-23, 2007, a decision is expected in 2008. Pedra Branca (formerly referred to by Malaysia as Pulau Batu Puteh and now as Batu Puteh is an outlying island of Singapore. Pedra Branca (formerly referred to by Malaysia as Pulau Batu Puteh and now as Batu Puteh is an outlying island of Singapore. See also International Commission of Jurists The International Court of Justice (known colloquially as the World Court or ICJ; Cour

See also

• List of islands in the South China Sea
• South China Sea Islands
• East China Sea

References

Further reading

• UNEP (2007). Review of the Legal Aspects of Environmental Management in the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand. UNEP/GEF/SCS Technical Publication No. 9.
• Zou, Keyan (2005). Law of the sea in East Asia: issues and prospects. London/New York: RoutledgeCurzon. ISBN 0-415-35074-3

External links

• The South China Sea on Google Earth - featured on Google Earth's Official Blog
• South China Sea Virtual Library - online resource for students, scholars and policy-makers interested in South China Sea regional development, environment, and security issues.
• Energy Information Administration - The South China Sea
• Tropical Research and Conservation Centre - The South China Sea
• Weekly Piracy Report
• Reversing Environmental Degradation Trends in the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand
• UNEP/GEF South China Sea Knowledge Documents