Flat Island, also known as Patag Island ( fil, Pulo ng Patag;
Mandarin ; vi, Đảo Bình Nguyên), is the second smallest of the natural
Spratly Islands
The Spratly Islands ( fil, Kapuluan ng Kalayaan; zh, c=南沙群島/南沙群岛, s=, t=, p=Nánshā Qúndǎo; Malay, id, Kepulauan Spratly; vi, Quần đảo Trường Sa) are a disputed archipelago in the South China Sea. Composed ...
. It has an area of , and is about north of Philippine-occupied
Nanshan Island
Nanshan Island, also known as Lawak Island ( fil, Pulo ng Lawak, lit=Island of Vastness; Mandarin ; vi, Đảo Vĩnh Viễn), is the eighth largest natural island of the Spratly Islands, and the fourth largest of the Philippine-occupied island ...
, both of which are located on the expansive but otherwise submerged Flat Island Bank in the NE of
Dangerous Ground.
It is the sixth largest of the Philippine-occupied Spratly islands and is administered by the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
as part of
Kalayaan, Palawan
Kalayaan, officially the Municipality of Kalayaan ( tgl, Bayan ng Kalayaan), is a 6th class municipality in the South China Sea under the jurisdiction of the province of Palawan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population ...
. The island is also
claimed by the
People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
, the
Republic of China (Taiwan), and
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
.
Environment
The island is a low, flat, sandy
cay
A cay ( ), also spelled caye or key, is a small, low-elevation, sandy island on the surface of a coral reef. Cays occur in tropical environments throughout the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans, including in the Caribbean and on the Great ...
, , and is subject to
erosion
Erosion is the action of surface processes (such as water flow or wind) that removes soil, rock, or dissolved material from one location on the Earth's crust, and then transports it to another location where it is deposited. Erosion is dis ...
. It changes its shape seasonally. The sand build up depends largely on the direction of prevailing winds and waves; it has taken an elongated shape for some years, the shape of a crescent moon for a few years, and the shape of a letter "S". Like
Lankiam Cay
Lankiam Cay, also known as Panata Island ( fil, Pulo ng Panata, lit=Island of Oath; Mandarin ; vi, đá An Nhơn), is the smallest of the naturally occurring Spratly Islands. It has an area of (4,400 sq. m), and is located about east-northeas ...
, it is barren of any vegetation. No underground water source has been found in the area.
Philippine Occupation
Presently, the island serves as a military observation outpost and is guarded by Philippine soldiers stationed at nearby Lawak Island. The soldiers regularly visit the island, and it is kept under observation from a tall structure on Lawak Island.
In August 2011, the Philippine Navy Seabees (Naval Combat Engineer Brigade) finished construction of a second star shell-like structure which is intended to shelter and protect troops.
The
Philippine Coast Guard
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) ( fil, Tanod Baybayin ng Pilipinas) is recognized as the third armed uniformed service of the country attached to the Philippines' Department of Transportation, tasked primarily with enforcing laws within P ...
constructed 5 lighthouses in the area, and this includes one on Flat Island.
See also
*
Spratly Islands Dispute
*
References
External links
Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative Island TrackerGoogle Map of Flat IslandPhoto of Flat Island
showing two structures with Lawak Island in the background
Islands of the Spratly Islands
Kalayaan, Palawan
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