Paracel Islands

The Paracel Islands, also known as the Xisha Islands or Hoàng Sa Archipelago, are a disputed archipelago in the South China Sea with a de facto administration by the People's Republic of China. The islands include about 130 small coral islands and reefs, distributed over a maritime area of around 15,000 square kilometers, with a land area of approximately 7.75 square kilometers. The archipelago is located about 220 miles southeast of Hainan Island and is surrounded by productive fishing grounds and potential, but unexplored, oil and gas reserves. The ownership of the islands remains contested between the People's Republic of China, Vietnam, and Taiwan, with the PRC having de facto control since the 1974 Battle of the Paracel Islands.learn more on wikipedia