Paracel Islands

The Paracel Islands are an archipelago of roughly 130 small coral islands and reefs in the South China Sea, controlled by China though claimed in whole or in part by other countries in the region. The islands lie about 220 miles from Hainan Island and cover some 15,000 square kilometers of maritime area, though the exposed land itself totals only about 7.75 square kilometers. The group includes Dragon Hole, one of the deepest known blue holes in the world, and supports productive fishing grounds. The name Paracel comes from a Portuguese word for a submerged sandbank or shoal. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/