Macclesfield Bank:
South China Sea with Macclesfield Bank
Macclesfield Bank or Zhongsha Islands (Chinese 中沙群島 Pinyin: Zhongsha Qundao; Vietnamese: Quần đảo Trung Sa, literally Central Sand Islands) is an elongated sunken atoll of underwater reefs and shoals in South China Sea and part of the disputed South China Sea Islands, centered around 16°00′N 114°30′E / 16, 114.5 (South China Sea Islands center), east of the Paracel Islands. Its length exceeds 130 km southwest-northeast, with a maximal width of more than 70 km. With an area of 6448 km² within the outer rim of the reef[1], although completely submerged without any emergent cays or islets, it is one of the largest atolls of the world.
The broken coral reef rim of Macclesfield Bank, with a width of up to 8 km, has depths of 11.8 m at Pygmy Shoal on the northeast end of the bank and depths of 11.6 to 18 m elsewhere. Within the lagoon, Walker Shoal marks the least known depth of 9.2 meters. In general, the central lagoon is very deep, with depths up to 100 meters [2].
Macclesfield Bank is claimed by the People's Republic of China , Republic of China (Taiwan) and Philippines. It is located east of the Paracel Islands, distantly southwest of the Pratas Islands and north of the Spratly Islands.
There are no military stations there. It is a rich fishing ground and difficult to navigate due to the shallow submerged reefs.
The elongated atoll consists of:
English
Name |
Romanized
Name |
Chinese
Name |
Coordinates |
| Siamese Shoal |
Simen Ansha |
西門暗沙 |
15°58′N 114°03′E / 15.967, 114.05 (Siamese Shoal) |
| Bankok Shoal |
Bengu Ansha |
本固暗沙 |
16°00′N 114°06′E / 16, 114.1 (Bankok Shoal) |
| Magpie Shoal |
Meibin Ansha |
美濱暗沙 |
16°03′N 114°13′E / 16.05, 114.217 (Magpie Shoal) |
| Carpenter Shoal |
Luban Ansha |
魯班暗沙 |
16°04′N 114°18′E / 16.067, 114.3 (Carpenter Shoal) |
| Oliver Shoal |
Lifu Ansha |
立夫暗沙 |
15°57′N 115°24′E / 15.95, 115.4 (Oliver Shoal) |
| Pigmy (Pygmy) Shoal |
Biwei Ansha |
比微暗沙 |
16°13′N 114°44′E / 16.217, 114.733 (Pigmy Shoal) |
| Engeria (Egeria) Bank |
Yinji Ansha |
隱磯灘 |
16°03′N 114°56′E / 16.05, 114.933 (Engeria Bank) |
| Howard Shoal |
Wuyong Ansha |
武勇暗沙 |
15°52′N 114°47′E / 15.867, 114.783 (Howard Shoal) |
| Learmonth Shoal |
Jimeng Ansha |
濟猛暗沙 |
15°42′N 114°41′E / 15.7, 114.683 (Learmonth Shoal) |
| Plover Shoal |
Haijiu Ansha |
海鳩暗沙 |
15°36′N 114°28′E / 15.6, 114.467 (Plover Shoal) |
| Addington Patch |
Anding Lianjiao |
安定連礁 |
15°37′N 114°24′E / 15.617, 114.4 (Addington Patch) |
| Smith Shoal |
Meisi Ansha |
美溪暗沙 |
15°27′N 114°12′E / 15.45, 114.2 (Smith Shoal) |
| Bassett Shoal |
Bude Ansha |
布德暗沙 |
15°27′N 114°10′E / 15.45, 114.167 (Bassett Shoal) |
| Balfour Shoal |
Pofu Ansha |
波洑暗沙 or
伏洑暗沙 |
15°27′N 114°00′E / 15.45, 114 (Balfour Shoal) |
| Parry Shoal |
Paipo Ansha |
排波暗沙 |
15°29′N 113°51′E / 15.483, 113.85 (Parry Shoal) |
| Cawston Shoal |
Guodian Ansha |
果淀暗沙 |
15°32′N 113°46′E / 15.533, 113.767 (Cawston Shoal) |
| Penguin Bank |
Paihong Ansha |
排洪灘 |
15°38′N 113°43′E / 15.633, 113.717 (Penguin Bank) |
| Tanered Shoal |
Taojing Ansha |
濤靜暗沙 |
15°41′N 113°54′E / 15.683, 113.9 (Tanered Shoal) |
| Combe Shoal |
Kongpai Ansha |
控湃暗沙 |
15°48′N 113°54′E / 15.8, 113.9 (Combe Shoal) |
| Cathy (Cathay) Shoal |
Huaxia Ansha |
華夏暗沙 |
15°54′N 113°58′E / 15.9, 113.967 (Cathy Shoal) |
| Hardy Patches |
Shitanglian Lianjiao |
石塘連礁 |
16°02′N 114°46′E / 16.033, 114.767 (Hardy Patches) |
| Hand Shoal |
Zhizhang Ansha |
指掌暗沙 |
16°00′N 114°39′E / 16, 114.65 (Hand Shoal) |
| Margesson Shoal |
Nanfei Ansha |
南扉暗沙 |
15°55′N 114°38′E / 15.917, 114.633 (Margesson Shoal) |
| Walker Shoal |
Manbu Ansha |
漫步暗沙 |
15°55′N 114°29′E / 15.917, 114.483 (Walker Shoal) |
| Phillip's Shoal |
Lexi Ansha |
樂西暗沙 |
15°52′N 114°25′E / 15.867, 114.417 (Phillip's Shoal) |
| Payne Shoal |
Pingnan Ansha |
屏南暗沙 |
15°52′N 114°34′E / 15.867, 114.567 (Payne Shoal) |
The Chinese term for the Macclesfield Bank has a wider meaning than the geographic feature or atoll; it includes some geographically separate features:
To the east, near the Philippines are
- Scarborough Shoal (Panatag Shoal), (Nanyan Dao, Huangyan Dao), 南巖島, 黃岩島, 15°11′N 117°46′E / 15.183, 117.767 (Scarborough Shoal)), is occupied by the Philippines
- Truro Shoal (Sianfa Ansha, Shianfa Ansha, 特魯暗沙, 16°20′N 116°44′E / 16.333, 116.733 (Truro Shoal))
Far to the north is
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
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Countries and other territories in Southeast Asia |
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Disputed territories
Islands in the Naf River (Bangladesh, Burma) · Macclesfield Bank (PRC, ROC) · Paracel Islands (PRC, ROC, Vietnam) · Pratas Islands (PRC, ROC) · Sabah (Malaysia, Philippines) · Scarborough Shoal (Philippines, PRC, ROC) · Spratly Islands (Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines, PRC, ROC, Vietnam) · Active separatist or autonomist movements
Aceh · Maluku Islands · West Papua · Chinland · Sulawesi · Nagaland · Wa State · Zogam · Bangsamoro · Patani
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