Everything about Macclesfield Bank totally explained
Macclesfield Bank or
Zhongsha Islands (
Chinese 中沙群島
Pinyin: Zhongsha Qundao;
Vietnamese:
Quần đảo Trung Sa, literally
Central Sand Islands) is an elongated sunken
atoll of underwater reefs and shoals in
South China Sea and part of the disputed
South China Sea Islands, centered around, east of the
Paracel Islands. Its length exceeds 130 km southwest-northeast, with a maximal width of more than 70 km. With an area of 6448 km² within the outer rim of the reef
(External Link
), although completely submerged without any emergent cays or islets, it's one of the largest atolls of the world.
The broken coral reef rim of Macclesfield Bank, with a width of up to 8 km, has depths of 11.8 m at Pygmy Shoal on the northeast end of the bank and depths of 11.6 to 18 m elsewhere. Within the lagoon, Walker Shoal marks the least known depth of 9.2 meters. In general, the central lagoon is very deep, with depths up to 100 meters
(External Link
).
Macclesfield Bank is claimed by the
People's Republic of China and
Republic of China (
Taiwan). It is located east of the
Paracel Islands, distantly southwest of the
Pratas Islands and north of the
Spratly Islands.
There are no military stations there. It is a rich fishing ground and difficult to navigate due to the shallow submerged reefs.
The elongated atoll consists of:
| EnglishName |
a href=http://Romanization_of_Chinese.totallyexplained.com title="Romanization of Chinese - Totally Explained">RomanizedName |
a href=http://Chinese_language.totallyexplained.com title="Chinese language - Totally Explained">ChineseName |
a href=http://Geographic_coordinate_system.totallyexplained.com title="Geographic coordinate system - Totally Explained">Coordinates |
| Siamese Shoal |
Simen Ansha |
西門暗沙 |
|
| Bankok Shoal |
Bengu Ansha |
本固暗沙 |
|
| Magpie Shoal |
Meibin Ansha |
美濱暗沙 |
|
| Carpenter Shoal |
Luban Ansha |
魯班暗沙 |
|
| Oliver Shoal |
Lifu Ansha |
立夫暗沙 |
|
| Pigmy (Pygmy) Shoal |
Biwei Ansha |
比微暗沙 |
|
| Engeria (Egeria) Bank |
Yinji Ansha |
隱磯灘 |
|
| Howard Shoal |
Wuyong Ansha |
武勇暗沙 |
|
| Learmonth Shoal |
Jimeng Ansha |
濟猛暗沙 |
|
| Plover Shoal |
Haijiou Ansha |
海鳩暗沙 |
|
| Addington Patch |
Anding Lianjiau |
安定連礁 |
|
| Smith Shoal |
Meisi Ansha |
美溪暗沙 |
|
| Bassett Shoal |
Bude Ansha |
布德暗沙 |
|
| Balfour Shoal |
Pofu Ansha |
波洑暗沙 or伏洑暗沙 |
|
| Parry Shoal |
Paipo Ansha |
排波暗沙 |
|
| Cawston Shoal |
Guodian Ansha |
果淀暗沙 |
|
| Penguin Bank |
Paihong Ansha |
排洪灘 |
|
| Tanered Shoal |
Taojing Ansha |
濤靜暗沙 |
|
| Combe Shoal |
Kongpai Ansha |
控湃暗沙 |
|
| Cathy (Cathay) Shoal |
Huasia Ansha |
華夏暗沙 |
|
| Hardy Patches |
Shihtanglian Lianjiau |
石塘連礁 |
|
| Hand Shoal |
Jhihjhang Ansha |
指掌暗沙 |
|
| Margesson Shoal |
Nanfei Ansha |
南扉暗沙 |
|
| Walker Shoal |
Manbu Ansha |
漫步暗沙 |
|
| Phillip's Shoal |
Lesi Ansha |
樂西暗沙 |
|
| Payne Shoal |
Pingnan Ansha |
屏南暗沙 |
|
The Chinese term for the Macclesfield Bank has a wider meaning than the geographic feature or atoll; it includes some geographically separate features:
To the east, near the
Philippines are
- Scarborough Shoal (Panatag Shoal), (Nanyan Dao, Huangyan Dao), 南巖島, 黃岩島, ), is occupied by the Philippines
- Truro Shoal (Sianfa Ansha, Shianfa Ansha, 特魯暗沙, )
Far to the north is
Helen Shoal (Itung Ansha, Yitong Ansha, 一統暗沙, ) is only a few kilometers south of Hong Kong
Further Information
Get more info on 'Macclesfield Bank'.
|
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