]! ^! The Paracel Islands are surrounded by productive fishing grounds and by potential oil and gas reserves. In 1932, French Indochina annexed the islands and set up a weather station on Pattle Island; maintenance was continued by its successor, Vietnam. China has occupied the Paracel Islands since 1974, when its troops seized a South Vietnamese garrison occupying the western islands. The islands are claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam. 
]" ^" Southeastern Asia, group of small islands and reefs in the South China Sea, about one-third of the way from central Vietnam to the northern Philippines ^# 16 30 N, 112 00 E ^$ Southeast Asia ^% `! NA sq km `" NA sq km `# 0 sq km ^& NA ^' 0 km ^( 518 km ^) NA ^* tropical ^+ mostly low and flat ^, `% South China Sea 0 m `& unnamed location on Rocky Island 14 m ^- none ^. `' 0% `( 0% `) 100% (2001) ^/ 0 sq km (1998 est.) ^0 typhoons ^1 NA ^2 composed of 130 small coral islands and reefs divided into the northeast Amphitrite Group and the western Crescent Group 
]# ^3 no indigenous inhabitants note: there are scattered Chinese garrisons 
]$ ^F `4 none `5 Paracel Islands 
]% ^Y China announced plans in 1997 to open the islands for tourism. 
]' _C small Chinese port facilities on Woody Island and Duncan Island being expanded _D 1 (2004 est.) _E `! 1 `^ 1 (2004 est.) 
]( _G occupied by China 
]) _H occupied by China, also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam 