The South China Se The Sea Lies A String Of 14 Islands And...

Somewhere off the coast of Southeast Asia in the South China sea lies a string of 14 islands and reefs. These reefs and islands are the center of an international dispute of sorts. Six surrounding countries lay claim to at least a few of the islands, but China claims them all. Including the sea surrounding them. All the Spratly Islands are claimed by China, Taiwan and Vietnam, while parts of them are claimed by Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines. But according to China, their territorial rights to the islands and sea date back over 2,000 years from ancestors who discovered, named and explored the South China sea (The World Factbook: Spratly Islands) (Livingstone). Largely unexplored, the islands include approximately 100 inlets, coral reefs and sea mounts for a total of less than 5 km of land scattered over 158,000 square miles and are located in the midst of international shipping lanes. (The World Factbook: Spratly Islands) The natural resources seem to be part of the struggle for control of the Spratlys. There are differing opinions on the amount of oil and natural gas the islands hold. â€Å"China’s claim is the islands and the surrounding sea are home to 125 billion gallons of oil and 500 trillion cubic feet of natural gas but the United States disagrees. The U.S. Geological Survey disputes the numbers, instead estimating that the region holds 5 to 22 billion barrels of oil and 70 to 290 trillion cubic feet of gas – a sizable difference† (DeLuca). However, based onShow MoreRelatedOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pagesâ€Å"nuclear politics,† which encompasses both state initiatives and popular dissent, in former but diminished national great powers such as France and Great Britain and in emerging and aspiring high-tech states of very different sorts in Israel, India, and China. Equally impressive in terms of the global range of questions they include, Hecht and Edwards look at the impact of the nuclear nations’ quest for viable, stable sources of uranium and sites for testing nuclear devices in locales as disparate as