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Scarborough Shoal, Scarborough Reef, or Panatag Shoal[1] (Philippine name: Panatag Shoal; Chinese name: 黃岩島 Huangyan Dao), more correctly described as a group of islands and reefs in an atoll shape than a shoal, is located between the Macclesfield Bank and Luzon, Philippines in the South China Sea. As with most of the landforms in this sea, the sovereignty of the area is disputed. Most references exclude this atoll from inclusion in the Spratly Islands, of which the closest is 350 km to the southwest.
[edit] GeographyThe shoal forms a triangle shaped chain of reefs and islands (but mostly rocks) 55 kilometres (34 mi) around with an of area 150 square kilometers. It has a lagoon with area of 130 km² and depth of about 15 metres (49 ft). Several of the islands including "South Rock" are 1/2m to 3m high and many of the reefs are just below water at high tide. Near the mouth of the lagoon are the ruins of an iron tower, 8.3m high. The shoal is a protrusion in a 3,500m deep abyssal plain. The nearest landmass is Palauig, Zambales, on Luzon Island in the Philippines, 137 miles (220 km) away. It is about 123 miles (198 km) west of Subic Bay. [edit] Economy & TourismFishermen from different countries operate in the area. A number of Chinese fishermen have been arrested by Philippine officials in this area with charges of illegal methods of fishing that destroy the marine habitat of the reef and catching of endangered marine species. Thick layers of guano lie on the rocks in the area. Several Chinese diving excursions (1998) and amateur radio DXpeditions (1994, 1995, 1997 and 2007) were done within Scarborough Shoal. [edit] Sovereignty disputeThe Philippines, the People's Republic of China, and the Republic of China (Taiwan) all claim Scarborough Shoal. The Philippine Navy has long been vigilant in the Scarborough Shoal for any suspicious or possible economic activity acted by the other claimants. The Philippines base their claim on its proximity and the principle of terra nullius, which holds that it was previously unclaimed by a sovereign state, which is also applied by the Philippines in its claims to the Spratly Islands. On the other hand, the Chinese and the Taiwanese bases for claims are that the shoal was first mapped in the Yuan Dynasty as early as 1279 and was historically used by Chinese fishermen. The Chinese side states that the territorial claim by the Philippine government is new. Treaties about the territory of the Philippines and Philippine constitution in 1935 and maritime claims in 1961 state that the westernmost line of the Philippine territory is 118 East longitude, and the shoal is situated on the western side of the line. Also, some maps published before 1990 did not include the shoal as the territory of the Philippines. [edit] Timeline
[edit] See also[edit] Sources and references
[edit] External links
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