South China Sea

The South China Sea is a part of the Pacific Ocean bordered by Singapore and the Strait of Malacca in the southwest, to the Strait of Taiwan in the northeast, and connects to the Gulf of Thailand. Nations on its coasts include Brunei, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Phillipines, Singapore, and Vietnam.



Chinese Hainan Island is the largest land mass, but the Sea has in excess 200 small islands, rocks, and reefs, with the majority located in the Paracel and Spratly Islands chains. The small islands are important, however, for political and economic reasons, such as offshore petroleum resources.