Sand Cay 10°22′30″N 114°28′48″E, also known as Bailan Island (Tagalog: Pulo ng Bailan); Son Ca Island (Vietnamese: Đảo Sơn Ca); Mandarin Chinese: 敦謙沙洲/敦谦沙洲; pinyin: Dūnqiān Shāzhōu, is a cay on the north edge of the Tizard Bank of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. With an area of 7 hectares (17 acres), it is the ninth largest, and the fourth largest former Vietnamese-administered, of the Spratly Islands. The island has been occupied by Vietnam since 1974, (first by South Vietnam, then by the Socialist Republic of Vietnam after 1975). It is also claimed by China (PRC), the Philippines, Vietnam, and Taiwan (ROC).

Sand Cay

Disputed island Other names: Đảo Sơn Ca (Vietnamese) Bailan Island (Philippine English) Pulo ng Bailan (Filipino) 敦謙沙洲 / 敦谦沙洲 Dūnqiān Shāzhōu (Chinese)
Sand Cay
Sand Cay
Geography
Location	South China Sea
Coordinates	10.375°N 114.480°E / 10.375; 114.480
Archipelago	Spratly Islands
Administered by
Vietnam
District	Trường Sa District
Commune	Sinh Tồn Commune
Claimed by
China
Philippines
Taiwan

From right to left: Sand Cay, Zhongzhou/Ban Than Reef and Itu Aba Island

Sovereignty

The island has been occupied by Vietnam since 1974, (first by South Vietnam, then by the Socialist Republic of Vietnam after 1975). However, no Vietnamese stations have been built. By the later half of the 20th century, no nation had complete sovereignty on the islands.

Geography

Part of the Tizard Bank,[1] Sand Cay lies 6.2 nautical miles (11.5 km; 7.1 mi) east of Itu Aba Island, which is occupied by Taiwan. It is 450 metres (1,480 ft) long, 102 metres (335 ft) wide, and has an elevation of 3.5 metres (11 ft) to 3.8 metres (12 ft) at low tide.[2] There is a 41 metres (135 ft) high light house on the islet.[3] Sand Cay is commonly confused with Sandy Cay which is a sandy shoal (coral reef) near Thitu Island.

Ecology

Sand Cay has no source of natural fresh water, but the islet's coral sand is covered with a thin layer of fertile humus mixing with guano. The vegetation mainly composes of Barringtonia asiatica, Ipomoea pes-caprae and Casuarinaceae's species as well as some kinds of grass.[2] In recent years, islanders have cultivated fruit trees such as pomelo, jackfruit, dragonfruit, sugar-apple and guava.[4] Sand Cay is usually visited by seabirds, and its surrounding water is rich with fish, sea snails and sea cucumbers.[2]

See also

• Great wall of sand
• List of maritime features in the Spratly Islands
• Spratly Islands dispute
• Truong Sa District

References

External links

• Maritime Transparency Initiative Island Tracker

На других языках

[es] Cayo Sand

[fr] Sand Cay