| Disputed islands Other names: "Pratas Islands" 東沙群島 (Dongsha Qundao) |
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| Pratas Islands from space, January 1986. | |
| Geography | |
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Pratas Islands (South China Sea)
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| Location | South China Sea |
| Total islands | 3 |
| Major islands | Pratas Island North Vereker Bank South Vereker Bank |
| Length | 2.8 kilometres (1.7 mi) |
| Width | 0.865 kilometres (0.537 mi) |
| Administered by | |
| Republic of China (Taiwan) | |
| City | Cijin, Kaohsiung |
| Claimed by | |
| People's Republic of China | |
| County-level city | Lufeng,[citation needed] Shanwei, Guangdong |
| Republic of China (Taiwan) | |
| City | Cijin, Kaohsiung |
| Demographics | |
| Population | none permanent |
The Pratas Islands or Dongsha Islands (simplified Chinese: 东沙群岛; traditional Chinese: 東沙群島; pinyin: Dōngshā Qúndǎo) consists of three islands forming from an atoll located in northeastern South China Sea, 340 km (211 mi) southeast of Hong Kong. The islands are governed by the Republic of China (Taiwan). The People's Republic of China claims sovereignty over these islands along with all other territories currently controlled by the Republic of China. It is the seventh national park of the Republic of China.
Dongsha Islands were found by Chinese people. The islands were recorded in the book "Guangzhou Ji" (廣州記) written by Pei Yuan (裴淵) in Jin Dynasty over 1000 years ago. Chinese fishermen fished in the sea around the Dongsha Islands by that time. A Japanese businessman named Nishizawa Yoshizi established a guano collecting station there in 1908-09, but after a diplomatic confrontation, Chinese sovereignty was re-established, and Nishizawa withdrew, after being compensated by the Guangdong provincial government, and after paying compensation for the destruction of a Chinese fishermen's shrine.[1] Japanese Naval personnel occupied Pratas Island during World War II. The Japanese Navy utilized Pratas Island as a weather station and listening outpost until May 29, 1945 when a landing party consisting of Australian Commandos and US naval personnel from the USS Bluegill SS242 raised the US flag and declared the Island as an United States territory and named it Bluegill Island. During the allied occupation a radio tower, weather station, fuel, ammo dump and several buildings were destroyed. No lives were lost during this raid as all of the Islands occupants fled just days prior to Bluegill's raid. [2] The Islands were later restored to the Republic of China's Guangdong Province.[3]
The islands have historically been uninhabited yet nations, including China and Japan, have claimed them to be their overseas territory. After World War II, the islands and the sea around them were mandated by United Nations.
In the Journal of Science April 1867 there is a nine page article entitled The Natural History of Pratas Island in the China Sea by Dr. Cuthbert Collingwood, Naturalist on board H.M.S. Serpent. It describes what was observed, especially bird life, during a visit of two days while the survey ship lay at anchor.
Today, the islands are administered by the Republic of China which calls them the Dong-Sha Islands (Traditional Chinese: 東沙群島; Mandarin Pinyin: Dōngshā Qúndǎo; lit. East Sand Islands) and assigns them the postal code 817.
Pratas is located 850 km southwest of Taipei and 340 km southeast of Hong Kong in the northern part of the South China Sea or the Pratas Terrace (). The island is 2.8 km (2 mi) long and 0.865 km (1 mi) wide.
The island is made up of coral atolls and reef flats. Only Pratas Island is above sea level, Northern Vereker and Southern Vereker atolls are under water. Brush, vines and bushes cover some of Pratas and rest is white sand.
Other flora and fauna on Pratas:
The island is shaped like a ring and consists of three major entities in the area:
There are also some seamount formations nearby, but not part of the main island:
As a disputed island group with no permanent inhabitants, they are visited only by military personnel or researchers.
A runway is located on the north end of Pratas Island with a small airport terminal at the eastern end. The airport is used by the ROC military. A main shack and subordinate shack are located on the southeast end of the island. Two piers on the southeast shore allow for small watercraft to land.
The other structures on the island include:
The Pratas Island Landmark is an obelisk erected after 1946
In 1954 the ROC Government stationed on Pratas erected a stone tablet on the southern side of the island, facing the ocean.[4]
The Pratas Da Wang temple is dedicated to 'Kuang Kang' and 'The South China Sea Goddess'- Mazu. It is said that the statue of Guan Gong came to Pratas Island on a canoe in 1948. The soldiers on Pratas Island built a temple to worship him in 1975. Today, the canoe is still kept in the temple. The joss sticks and candles are donated by the soldiers who had returned home, as was the golden sign hung in front of the statue. The temple is an important symbol for them, providing them with spiritual sustenance. There is an 'Ever Green' pavilion in front of the temple which was also built by the soldiers. It is the most verdant place on the island.[4]
In July 1991 the Kaohsiung City Government erected the Pratas Island Measuring Memorial Stone Tablet as a symbol of the fact that Pratas Island falls within the jurisdiction of Kaohsiung City.[4] Within Kaohsiung, the islands belong to Qijin District.
The Minister for Internal Affairs of the ROC erected the South China Sea Defense stone tablet to declare Republic of China sovereignty again in 1989.[4]
The ROC Government established this spot as the triangulation point for Pratas Island in December 1991. There are words on each side of the base of the triangulation point stone tablet. It reads 'The Pratas Triangulation Point' on the front, and 'Longitude: 116 degrees 43 minutes 42.5601 seconds east, Latitude: 20 degrees 42 minutes 6.2415 seconds north, Height: 2.4875 meters.' The words 'Defend the South China Sea,' written by the commander Lo Ben Li, were also engraved on the stone tablet. As web page about the island maintained by the National Tsing Hua University states, "In addition to making it more convenient to survey and draw navigational maps, and to construct and develop facilities on the island, the establishment of the triangulation point is also the basis of our sovereign rights."[4]
The library is located on one side of the main plaza, and is the center for soldiers to obtain spiritual nourishment. The library now contains more than two thousand books.[4]
The ROC area code for Pratas is 817, and the military post office is Office No. 67. The Ministry of Transportation and Communications issued the 'South China Sea Islands Map Stamps' in 1996, as a set of two stamps. The inscription 'South China Sea Defense' from the national stone tablet on Pratas Island was printed on the five-dollar stamp, and the 'Defend the South China Sea' inscription from the national stone tablet on Itu Aba Island (Taiping Island) was printed on the seventeen-dollar stamp. The background was the south China coastline, Taiwan and Hainan Island with the blue sky and sea. This is the first time that the ROC had issued stamps with the theme of the South China Sea.[4]
In 1987 the military and civilian residents built the 'Pratas Fishermen's Service Station' together. The station was built in traditional Chinese courtyard house style, and provides convenient services for fishermen and boats in the South China Sea, insuring the fishermen's safety and upholding ROC sovereignty. The services provided include lodging, medical rescue, entertainment and supply. The Pratas Fishermen's Service Station not only serves the fishermen, it also provides lodging for the scientists who come to conduct research on the island.[4]
Although there are no long term inhabitants on the island, Pratas is administered by the government of Kaohsiung City.
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