Whitsun Reef, also known as Whitson Reef, Whitsum Reef, and Julian Felipe Reef ( tl, Bahura ng

Julian Felipe Julian may refer to: People * Julian (emperor) (331–363), Roman emperor from 361 to 363 * Julian (Rome), referring to the Roman gens Julia, with imperial dynasty offshoots * Saint Julian (disambiguation), several Christian saints * Julian (giv ...

;

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 ...

; vi, Đá Ba Đầu), 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 processes— deposition of sand, wave erosion planing down rock out ...

at the northeast extreme limit of the

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

in the

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 o ...

of the

South China Sea The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by the shores of South China (hence the name), in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan and northwestern Phil ...

. It is the largest reef of the Union Banks.

Topography

The reef is V-shaped with an area of about . Until at least the 1990s, it was above the water only during low tide; at other times the reef could be detected by the pattern of breaking waves. At the end of the 20th century, small sand dunes had developed on the reef making a territorial claim possible (an

International Court of Justice The International Court of Justice (ICJ; french: Cour internationale de justice, links=no; ), sometimes known as the World Court, is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN). It settles disputes between states in accordanc ...

judgment in 2012 stated that “low-tide elevations cannot be appropriated"). The development of the dunes could have occurred naturally, but it was rumoured that the island was being built up by Vietnam and China.

Territorial disputes

As of 2016, the reef was unclaimed; reports to the contrary (Chinese control) were based on a confusion. However, due to the reef's strategic importance it was expected that the reef would be occupied "soon". On 21 March 2021, about 220 Chinese fishing ships were moored at the reef ostensibly taking shelter due to the sea conditions. 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 ...

considers the reef to be within its exclusive economic zone and

continental shelf A continental shelf is a portion of a continent that is submerged under an area of relatively shallow water, known as a shelf sea. Much of these shelves were exposed by drops in sea level during glacial periods. The shelf surrounding an island ...

and protested the Chinese presence. Vietnam, which also claims the reef, also protested against Chinese presence in the area.

References

External links

Our World Flashpoint: South China Sea
''BBC'', film documentary, July 2015.
Whitsun Reef (Union Reefs)
{{Spratly Islands topics Reefs of the Spratly Islands Union Banks Disputed reefs bcl:Bahurang Julian Felipe

Topography

Territorial disputes

See also

References

External links