Scarborough Shoal

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Scarborough Shoal or Scarborough Reef (also Panatag Shoal or Panatag Reef [Philippine Name], Huangyan Dao [黃岩島] or Nanyan Dao [南巖島]), 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 in the South China Sea (Luzon Sea). As with most of the landforms in the sea, the sovereignty of the area is disputed.

1 Geography
2 Sovereignty dispute
3 Sources and references
4 External links

Scarborough Shoal is located at 15°7′N 117°51′E Coordinates: 15°7′N 117°51′E.

The shoal forms a triangle shaped chain of reefs and islands 55 kilometers around with an of area 150 square kilometers and 130 km² lagoon within that has a depth of 10-20 meters. Several of the islands 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 which were constructed by the Philippine Navy in 1965; who raised the Philippine flag there.

An image of the Scarborough Reef and the Philippine Flag along with the Filipino soldiers and foreign visitors [1]

to ensure image reliability, click on the link: [2]

The shoal is a protrusion in a 3,500m deep abyssal plain. The nearest landmass is Palauig, Zambales, on Luzon Island in the Philippines, 221km (137 miles) away. It is about 198km (123 mi) west of Subic Bay.

The Philippines, the People's Republic of China, and Republic of China (Taiwan) all claim Scarborough Shoal but, as of 2007, the area is occupied by the Philippine Navy with international fishing tolerated in the area. Thick layers of guano lies on the rocks in the area. Tourism bloomed in the area with diving excursions (1998) and amateur radio expeditions (1994, 1995 and 1997) were tolerated in the area; guarded by the Philippine Navy. The Philippine Navy has always been vigilant in the Scarborough Reef; (a Philippine-claimed EEZ) (see UNCLOS) for any suspicious or possible economic activity acted by the other claimants.

The Philippines base their claim on its proximity, its being in the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone, and the principle of terra nullius, which holds that it was previously unclaimed by a sovereign state.

The Chinese and 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.