Sin Cowe Island , also known as Sinh Ton Island (); Rurok Island ();

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 an island 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 ...

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 ...

. With an area of , it is the seventh largest Spratly island and the third largest of those occupied by Vietnam. It has a fringing reef which is above water at low tide. This island has been controlled by Vietnam since 1974, first by

South Vietnam South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam (RVN; , VNCH), was a country in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975. It first garnered Diplomatic recognition, international recognition in 1949 as the State of Vietnam within the ...

's ARVN Navy, followed by the Navy of the

Socialist Republic of Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

after 1975. The island is also claimed by China, the Philippines and

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

. It is part of the

Union Banks Union Banks (Pagkakaisa Banks and Reefs) is a large drowned atoll in the center of Dangerous Ground (South China Sea), Dangerous Ground in the Spratly Islands in South China Sea, west of the Philippine coast, containing islands and reefs whose o ...

Topography and Structures

Sin Cowe island is garrisoned by Vietnamese soldiers. The structures on it include a two-storied government building, anti aircraft guns, artillery and a Vietnamese Sovereignty marker. There is also a civilian population with a school, children's playground, medical station and wind turbines for electricity generation.

References

External links

Maritime Transparency Initiative Island Tracker
{{island-stub Islands of the Spratly Islands Union Banks Disputed islands

Topography and Structures

See also

References

External links