Pratas Reef
- ISS004-E-10210
- 21 April 2002
- 02:16 UTC
Pratas Reef is located in the northern reaches of the South China Sea, situated just off the edge of the southeast Asian continental slope. The reef lies 280 km southeast from the outer islands of Hong Kong, 413 km southwest from Taiwan, and 450 km northwest from the northwestern tip of Luzon in the Philippines (see panoramic image).
Situated to the north are the deep submarine banks of South Vereker Bank and North Vereker Bank — the three components sometimes being referred to as the Pratas Islands or Tungsha Atolls. The reef, occupying a strategic position, is claimed by Taiwan and China and is commonly referred to by a number of different names, including Tungsha Tao and Dongsha Qundao.
Pratas Reef forms a ring-shaped, largely sunken atoll structure, measuring up to 23 km across and covering an area of around 100 km². Although, for the most part submerged, the northern, southern and eastern sides of the atoll can become exposed at low tide. On the western rim of Pratas Reef is situated Pratas Island — the only significant landmass on the reef. With an area of 1.74 km², the low, sandy and scrub-covered island measures 2.8 km in length and 860 m in width.
