Triton Island
People's Republic of China · Asia
About
Triton Island (pinyin: Zhōngjiàn Dǎo; Vietnamese: đảo Tri Tôn) is the westernmost and southernmost of the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea. It is located on the southwest corner of Triton Reef and has an area of 7 hectares (17 acres) above sea-level. The reef including the island measures about 120 hectares (300 acres) in area. The island is administered by the People's Republic of China, and is also claimed by the Republic of China (Taiwan) and Vietnam.
The island was historically known by the Chinese as Bànlù Zhì (lit. 'halfway tower'), and as Luó Dǎo (lit. 'snail island') to Chinese fishermen. Other Chinese sources have it named as, as it was the southernmost point claimed by China until after 1933. The current Chinese name commemorates the Republic of China Navy warship ROCS Chung-chien sent in 1946 to claim the Paracel Islands.
Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Photography via Wikimedia Commons.