Pattle Island
People's Republic of China · Asia
About
Pattle Island (Simplified Chinese: 珊瑚岛; Pinyin: Shānhú dǎo; Sino-Vietnamese: San Hô đảo; Vietnamese: Đảo Hoàng Sa) is a coral island belonging to the Crescent Island group of the Paracel Islands. During the period of Vietnamese and French colonial occupation of the islands, Pattle Island was chosen as the main base. 100% of the island was near the mainland, near the center of the archipelago and near many other islands, so it was easier to control than Woody Island, the largest of the Paracels.
China, Taiwan and Vietnam all claim sovereignty over the Paracel Islands, including Pattle Island. China has had de facto control of the island and the rest of the archipelago since the Battle of the Paracel Islands in January 1974.
Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.