Cornwallis South Reef
Cornwallis South Reef is a coral atoll reef in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. It covers an area of about 10 km by 5 km, and is entirely submerged at high tide.[1]
Disputed island Other names: Đá Núi Le Nanhua Reef (南华礁) | |
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Satellite image | |
Geography | |
Location | South China Sea |
Coordinates | 8.7191081°N 114.1819513°E |
Archipelago | Spratly Islands |
Administered by | |
Vietnam | |
Claimed by | |
Vietnam | |
People's Republic of China |
Territorial claims
The reef is controlled by Vietnam, but is claimed by China as part of its claim to the entire Spratly Islands. In 2009, Vietnam, in a submission to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, accepted that its continental shelf did not include Cornwallis and therefore they have no entitlement to exploit it.[1]
Development
The reef has been subjected to a small amount of development by Vietnam. Structures have been built at three points on the reef, in 2014/15 two access channels were dredged to allow ships enter the lagoon, and in 2015 small-scale land reclamation was started beside the new access channels.[1] Much of the reclamation work was washed away by Typhoon Melor in December 2015.[2]
References
- "Washed Away". Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative. 2016. Retrieved 2016-05-24.
- Zou Luxiao (2016-02-02). "Typhoon Blows Away Illegal Island Made by Vietnam in South China Sea". People's Daily. Retrieved 2016-05-24.