Eldad Reef (); Én Đất Reef ();
Mandarin
Mandarin or The Mandarin may refer to:
Language
* Mandarin Chinese, branch of Chinese originally spoken in northern parts of the country
** Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Mandarin, the official language of China
** Taiwanese Mandarin, Stand ...
, is a
reef
A reef is a ridge or shoal of rock, coral, or similar relatively stable material lying beneath the surface of a natural body of water. Many reefs result from natural, abiotic component, abiotic (non-living) processes such as deposition (geol ...
on the northeastern part of the
Tizard Bank
The Tizard Bank, is a partially sunken atoll and one of the significant maritime features of the north-western part of the list of maritime features in the Spratly Islands, Spratly Islands. It is claimed by Vietnam, China, and Taiwan, and various ...
of the
Spratly Islands
The Spratly Islands (; zh, s=南沙群岛, t=南沙群島, p=Nánshā Qúndǎo; ; ) are a disputed archipelago in the South China Sea. Composed of islands, islets, cays, and more than 100 reefs, sometimes grouped in submerged old atoll ...
in the
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by South China, in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan island, Taiwan and northwestern Philippines (mainly Luz ...
. Eldad Reef is located about from
Taiping Island
Taiping Island, also known as Itu Aba, and various other names, is List of maritime features in the Spratly Islands#Features by area, the largest of the naturally occurring Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. The island is elliptical in shape ...
to the west, and about from the
Gaven Reefs to the southeast. There are sandbars formed on the reefs. It is currently under the administration of
Sansha,
Hainan
Hainan is an island provinces of China, province and the southernmost province of China. It consists of the eponymous Hainan Island and various smaller islands in the South China Sea under the province's administration. The name literally mean ...
, China. The government of Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines also claim sovereignty over the reef.
History
In 1935, the Land and Water Map Review Committee of the Republic of China announced the standard name as Irud Reef. In 1947, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of China announced the standard name as Anda Reef. In 1983, the China Geographical Names Committee also announced the standard name as Anda Reef. Chinese fishermen call it silver cake (or silver cake sand) and silver pot.
English-language books generally call it "Eldad Reef" (Eldad was the captain of the British ship ''Cacique'', and published his investigation of Eldad Reef in the ''China Sea Directory'' in 1868). When Japan invaded and occupied the reef, it was named East Reef; the Philippines named it ''Malvar Reef'', and Vietnam named it ''đá Én Đất''.
Geography
Eldad Reef is located at the northeast end of the
Tizard Bank
The Tizard Bank, is a partially sunken atoll and one of the significant maritime features of the north-western part of the list of maritime features in the Spratly Islands, Spratly Islands. It is claimed by Vietnam, China, and Taiwan, and various ...
in the
Spratly Islands
The Spratly Islands (; zh, s=南沙群岛, t=南沙群島, p=Nánshā Qúndǎo; ; ) are a disputed archipelago in the South China Sea. Composed of islands, islets, cays, and more than 100 reefs, sometimes grouped in submerged old atoll ...
. It is about from
Petley Reef to the northwest, from
Sand Cay to the west, and from
Taiping Island
Taiping Island, also known as Itu Aba, and various other names, is List of maritime features in the Spratly Islands#Features by area, the largest of the naturally occurring Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. The island is elliptical in shape ...
to the west. It is about from
Namyit Island to the southeast, and about from the
Gaven Reefs to the southeast.
Fishery resources
Eldad Reef has always been a natural fishing ground for Chinese fishermen, and it is the only place that Chinese fishermen must pass from Huangmashan (Taiping Island) to Triangle Reef and Mischief Reef. Fishermen have a saying of removing more silver cake from horseshoe snails. China’s fishery surveys in 1998 and 2002-2004 found that the waters near Eldad Reef are rich in fishery resources, and fishermen have gained abundant harvests from spear fishing, snorkeling and other net gear.
Legal status
Eldad Reef has rocks exposed at high tide. According to the law of the sea, it should be classified as a rock and enjoys 12 nautical miles of territorial sea and contiguous zone. Some scholars have discussed the possibility of setting a straight baseline for the Spratly Islands based on this.
[高之国，贾宇，张海文 ．国际海洋法问题研究 ．北京 ：海洋出版社 ，2011 ：138-139.]
See also
*
Spratly Islands dispute
References
{{South China Sea
Disputed reefs
Reefs of the Spratly Islands
Reefs of China
Tizard Bank