Union Banks

Map of Union Banks
Map of Union Banks
Vietnamese structure on Collins Reef (Đá Cô Lin)

Union Banks (Pagkakaisa Banks and Reefs) is a large drowned atoll in the center of Dangerous Ground in the Spratly Islands in South China Sea, 230 kilometres (120 nautical miles)[1] west of the Philippine coast, containing islands and reefs whose ownership remains disputed and controversial.[2] The closest atoll is Tizard Bank, 25 kilometres (13 nautical miles) due north of Union Banks. There are only two natural islands on the rim of the reef, Sin Cowe Island and Sin Cowe East Island.

The atoll is 55 kilometres (34 miles) long from Johnson South Reef in the southwest to Whitson Reef in the northeast, and up to 15 kilometres (9.3 miles) wide. Its total area measures 461 square kilometres (178 square miles). The central lagoon is up to 53 metres (174 feet) deep.[3]

Islands and reefs comprising Union Banks

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Map all coordinates using OpenStreetMap

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Union Banks consists of the following islands and reefs, clockwise starting in the southwest corner:[4][5]

Key: yellow = occupied by PRC; violet = occupied by Vietnam

Feature Location
Johnson South Reef (Chìguā Jiāo) (Mabini Reef) (Đá Gạc Ma) 09°43′9″N 114°16′57″E / 9.71917°N 114.28250°E / 9.71917; 114.28250
Collins Reef/Johnson North Reef (Guǐhǎn Jiāo) (Roxas Reef) (Đá Cô Lin) 09°46′14″N 114°15′27″E / 9.77056°N 114.25750°E / 9.77056; 114.25750
Đá Tam Trung 09°50′12″N 114°16′6″E / 9.83667°N 114.26833°E / 9.83667; 114.26833
Loveless Reef [zh] (Huá Jiāo) (Đá Nghĩa Hành) 09°51′13″N 114°16′47″E / 9.85361°N 114.27972°E / 9.85361; 114.27972*
Gent Reef [zh] (Jíyáng Jiāo) (Đá Sơn Hà) 09°52′45″N 114°18′21″E / 9.87917°N 114.30583°E / 9.87917; 114.30583
Sin Cowe Island/Sinh Ton Island (Jǐnghóng Dǎo) (Rurok Island) (Ching-hung Tao) (Đảo Sinh Tồn) 09°53′9″N 114°19′46″E / 9.88583°N 114.32944°E / 9.88583; 114.32944
Edmund Reef [zh] (Nánmén Jiāo) (Đá Bình Khê) 09°53′48″N 114°23′40″E / 9.89667°N 114.39444°E / 9.89667; 114.39444*
McKennan Reef [zh]/Kennan Reef (Xīmén Jiāo) (Đá Ken Nan) 09°54′12″N 114°27′56″E / 9.90333°N 114.46556°E / 9.90333; 114.46556
Đá Bia 09°53′42″N 114°29′40″E / 9.89500°N 114.49444°E / 9.89500; 114.49444
Hughes Reef (Dōngmén Jiāo) (Tung-men Chiao) (Đá Tư Nghĩa) 09°54′51″N 114°29′45″E / 9.91417°N 114.49583°E / 9.91417; 114.49583
Hallet Reef [zh] (Ānlè Jiāo) (Đá Bình Sơn) 09°55′55″N 114°31′25″E / 9.93194°N 114.52361°E / 9.93194; 114.52361*
Holiday Reef [zh] (Chángxiàn Jiāo) (Đá Bãi Khung) 09°57′55″N 114°33′53″E / 9.96528°N 114.56472°E / 9.96528; 114.56472
Empire Reef [zh] (Zhǔquán Jiāo) (Đá Đức Hòa) 09°58′44″N 114°35′23″E / 9.97889°N 114.58972°E / 9.97889; 114.58972*
Whitsun Reef/Whitson Reef (Niúè Jiāo) (Julian Felipe Reef) (Đá Ba Đầu) 10°00′10″N 114°39′58″E / 10.00278°N 114.66611°E / 10.00278; 114.66611
Ross Reef [zh] (Rǎnqīngdōng Jiāo) (Đá An Bình) 09°54′25″N 114°35′52″E / 9.90694°N 114.59778°E / 9.90694; 114.59778
Grierson Reef/Sin Cowe East Island (Rǎnqīng Shāzhōu) (Jan-ch'ing Chiao) (Đảo Sinh Tồn Đông) 09°54′8.2″N 114°33′50.7″E / 9.902278°N 114.564083°E / 9.902278; 114.564083
Bamford Reef [zh] (Lóngxiā Jiāo) (Đá Vị Khê) 09°53′25″N 114°32′7″E / 9.89028°N 114.53528°E / 9.89028; 114.53528
Tetley Reef [zh] (Biǎncān Jiāo) (Đá Ninh Hòa) 09°52′5″N 114°30′39″E / 9.86806°N 114.51083°E / 9.86806; 114.51083
[Unnamed reef] 09°51′5″N 114°29′29″E / 9.85139°N 114.49139°E / 9.85139; 114.49139
Jones Reef [zh] (Zhāngxī Jiāo) (Đá Văn Nguyên) 09°49′47″N 114°27′57″E / 9.82972°N 114.46583°E / 9.82972; 114.46583
Higgens Reef [zh]/Higgen Reef (Qūyuán Jiāo) (Đá Phúc Sĩ) 09°48′49″N 114°24′12″E / 9.81361°N 114.40333°E / 9.81361; 114.40333
Lansdowne Reef (Qióng Jiāo) (Pagkakaisa Reef) (Chi'ung Chiao) (Đá Len Đao) 09°46′43″N 114°22′14″E / 9.77861°N 114.37056°E / 9.77861; 114.37056

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "China expanding presence on Mabini reef". ABS CBN News / Kyodo News. 13 May 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  2. ^ Dato Mohammad, Brigadier General (1991). The Conflicting Claims in the South China Sea. PA, USA: U.S. Army War College.
  3. ^ Atoll Area, Depth and Rainfall, rock.geosociety.org
  4. ^ China Sea Pilot - Volume II - NP 31. Taunton: United Kingdom Hydrographic Office. 2012.
  5. ^ "Digital Gazetteer of Spratly Islands". www.southchinasea.org. Archived from the original on 2007-07-17. Retrieved 2008-02-08.
    - Version dated 19 August 2011 is available at: "Digital Gazetteer of Spratly Islands". www.southchinasea.org. 19 August 2011. Retrieved 5 June 2014. This list includes the names of all Spratly features known to be occupied and/or above water at low tide.
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