Namyit Island, also known as vi, Đảo Nam Yết; Binago Island ( tl, Pulo ng Binago, lit=Island of Changed); Mandarin , is the third-largest island on

Tizard Bank The Tizard Bank, is a partially sunken atoll and one of the significant maritime features of the north-western part of the Spratly Islands. It is claimed by the People's Republic of China, the Republic of China, and Vietnam, and various parts of it ...

in the northwest of 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 ...

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 Ph ...

. With an area of , it is the twelfth-largest naturally-occurring Spratly island, and the fifth-largest among the

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 ...

ese-administered islands. The island is also claimed by China (PRC), 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 ...

, and

Taiwan (ROC) Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northea ...

History in the 20th century

Although two

South Vietnam South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam ( vi, Việt Nam Cộng hòa), was a state in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975, the period when the southern portion of Vietnam was a member of the Western Bloc during part of th ...

ese warships (the HQ-04 ''Tuy Dong'' and HQ-05 ''Tay Ket'') stopped at Namyit Island in 1962, South Vietnamese troops did not set up a permanent garrison on the islet until August 1973. On 6 September 1973, the

Republic of Vietnam South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam ( vi, Việt Nam Cộng hòa), was a state in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975, the period when the southern portion of Vietnam was a member of the Western Bloc during part of t ...

's Ministry of the Interior signed Decree No. 420-BNV/HCĐP/26 merging some Spratly islands, including Namyit, into Phuoc Hai Commune, Dat Do District,

Phuoc Tuy Province Phước ( vi, Phước) is a common gender-neutral name originating from Vietnam. It means "blessing" or "lucky". Notable people with this name include: Given name *Lưu Hữu Phước Lưu Hữu Phước (12 September 1921 in Cần Thơ, Coch ...

. South Vietnam continued to administer the entity until 27 April 1975 when their troops were evicted by the

Vietnam People's Army 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 ...

Geography

to the south of Itu Aba Island, Namyit Island is a small oval-shaped

coral island A coral island is a type of island formed from coral detritus and associated organic material. It occurs in tropical and sub-tropical areas, typically as part of a coral reef which has grown to cover a far larger area under the sea. Ecosystem ...

which is long and wide. The

coral reef A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem characterized by reef-building corals. Reefs are formed of colonies of coral polyps held together by calcium carbonate. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, whose polyps cluster in groups. C ...

on which the island lies is to above the sea during low tide. There is a

heliport A heliport is a small airport suitable for use by helicopters and some other vertical lift aircraft. Designated heliports typically contain one or more touchdown and liftoff areas and may also have limited facilities such as fuel or hangars. I ...

at the end of island. Namyit Island Light is a white round tower with red bands standing in height.

Ecology

Namyit Island has no source of fresh water, and its

coral sand Corals are marine invertebrates within the class Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact colonies of many identical individual polyps. Coral species include the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secr ...

is not suitable for plants in general. The island is covered with small trees, bushes and grass and is inhabited by sea birds. The surrounding water is home to 492 species of

plankton Plankton are the diverse collection of organisms found in water (or air) that are unable to propel themselves against a current (or wind). The individual organisms constituting plankton are called plankters. In the ocean, they provide a crucia ...

, 86 species of seaweed, two species of

seagrass Seagrasses are the only flowering plants which grow in marine environments. There are about 60 species of fully marine seagrasses which belong to four families (Posidoniaceae, Zosteraceae, Hydrocharitaceae and Cymodoceaceae), all in the or ...

, 225 species of benthic organisms, 160 species of

coral Corals are marine invertebrates within the class Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact colonies of many identical individual polyps. Coral species include the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and ...

, 414 species of

reef fish Coral reef fish are fish which live amongst or in close relation to coral reefs. Coral reefs form complex ecosystems with tremendous biodiversity. Among the myriad inhabitants, the fish stand out as colourful and interesting to watch. Hundreds ...

and two species of

sea turtle Sea turtles (superfamily Chelonioidea), sometimes called marine turtles, are reptiles of the order Testudines and of the suborder Cryptodira. The seven existing species of sea turtles are the flatback, green, hawksbill, leatherback, loggerhe ...

References

External links

Maritime Transparency Initiative Island TrackerNamyit Island
Google Maps Islands of the Spratly Islands Tizard Bank {{vietnam-geo-stub

History in the 20th century

Geography

Ecology

See also

References

External links