The South China Sea

            The South China Sea

The South China Sea is a vast open ocean space bordered by several countries. It is an arm of the Western Pacific Ocean and forms the China Sea along with the East China Sea. The southern coast of China and Taiwan form its northern boundary while the continental and peninsular edges of Southeast Asia border it to the west. The eastern and southern borders comprise various groups of archipelagic islands, namely Indonesia, Borneo, and the Philippines. Space is almost entirely enclosed mostly by the countries that lay claim to the South China Sea Islands. These countries are (Brunei Darussalam (Brunei), the People’s Republic of China (China), Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Viet Nam. Indonesia and Singapore also form part of this border, although they do not lay any claims to the possession of the islands. The South China Sea has a bay that extends to Thailand, along which two more countries lie: Thailand and Cambodia.

There are two suggestions concerning the actual extension of the South China Sea. Both ideas agree that the northern limit is the Strait of Taiwan. However, the southern boundary is subject to debate as there are two proposed limits: the 3° South parallel of latitude and the 1° North parallel of latitude. By considering the farthest proposed southern border, the South China Sea occupies a surface area of about three million square kilometers. This surface area is inclusive of the Gulf of Thailand. The coastal geography of the South Sea China has some unique characteristics that make it complicated. These features are the small islands, islets, rocks, and reefs.

One of the most noticeable features of the sea is the deep basin in the shape of a rhombus, located in the eastern part. From the basin, there arise reef-studded shoals to the south and northwest. To the east side of the basin, there is the Palawan trough, formed by the continental shelf that extends close to the Philippine islands of Luzon and Palawan.

The South China Sea hosts two archipelagic countries, namely Indonesia and the Philippines. Each of these countries has clearly defined archipelagic boundaries, which embody the outmost reefs and rocks of the Natuna group of islands. A vital feature of the South China Sea’s geography is the presence of numerous small islands, islets, rocks, cays, shoals, and drying reefs. The islands fall into various groups. To the northwest side, there are two large islands, namely Hainan and Taiwan. These islands, together with the Gulf of Tonkin and the Taiwan Strait, form a sizeable superficial self whose breadth is approximately 240 kilometers.

This shelf extends to the south, where it becomes narrow and joins one of the most extensive shelves in the world, the Sunda Shelf. At the bottom of the Sunda Shelf, there are deposits of volcanic ash, probably from the eruptions in the East Indies. The South China Sea has channels that connect it to other water bodies. The Luzon Strait connects the South China Sea to the Pacific Ocean. Another channel worth mention is the Taiwan Strait, which also forms the northmost border of the South China Sea. The sea is connected to the Indian Ocean by the Strait of Malacca. On the eastern and southern sides, there are numerous shallow channels along the Philippine Island and between Borneo and Sumatra, respectively.

The Paracel Islands is a group of approximately 130 islands. The location of this group is to the northeast. The occupants are mainly Chinese, but the Vietnamese have also laid claim to the islands. The Pratas Islands comprise three islands. These islands are made up of coral atolls and reef flats. Taiwan occupies this group of islands whose location is to the northeast of the South China Sea. The exact number of islands forming the Natuna Islands is unknown. They lie to the southwest of the South China Sea and fall under the undisputed jurisdiction of Indonesia.

To the northeast lies the Scarborough Reef. It contains a narrow belt of coral, and many people describe it as ‘step-to on all sides.’ At high tide, the reef goes underwater. However, it is transcended by a rock that is three meters high. This rock is often referred to as the tallest rock. Another classification of these features is the Macclesfield Bank. China usually associates this feature with the Scarborough Reef. The Macclesfield Bank is entirely located below water, with none of its features visible from the surface. It lies at an approximate depth of 9.1 meters below the surface of the water. As a result, the feature has earned the definition: below-water atoll.

The final group of islands is the Spratly Islands. This group comprises of more than just islands. It also contains other insular features that make it unique from the rest. Based on this diversity, it earned the description of ‘labyrinth of detached shoals.’ For many years, people ignored these islands as they considered them obstacles to smooth navigation at sea.

These islands lie on a shallow continental shelf with a mean depth of 200 meters. However, there are several exceptions to this finding. Some areas are incredibly shallow that they hinder navigation, often resulting in accidents. In the Spratlys, the depth of the sea bed keeps changing considerably from time to time. The Palawan Trough, located close to the Philippines, is over 5000 meters deep. The islands are composed of coral reefs that differ in age and how they were formed. On the floor of the sea, one can find Paleozoic and Mesozoic granite. Also, there exists metamorphic rocks and abysses formed during the Cenozoic era as the Himalayas were forming.

One of the reasons the islands became noticeable is the availability of resources that were put into various uses. Some of the resources present are minerals, natural gas, and oil deposits found on the islands and below the seafloor close to the islands. Also, the sea is full of aquatic life in the form of fish animals and vegetation. These life forms provided food for inhabitants of all the nations, without the emergence of any disputes.