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  North Danger Reef | |
| Other names | Vietnamese: Cụm Song Tử Chinese: 双子群礁,pinyin: Shuāngzǐ Qúnjiāo |
| Geography | |
| Location | South China Sea |
| Coordinates | 11°25′N114°21′E / 11.417°N 114.350°E /11.417; 114.350 |
| Archipelago | Spratly Islands |
| Total islands | 2 |
| Major islands | Northeast Cay,Southwest Cay |
| Claimed by | |
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North Danger Reef (Vietnamese: Cụm Song Tử) is one of theseven major reefs / banks / etc. in theSpratly Islands area of theSouth China Sea. It is the most North Western of the features of the Spratly Islands, located to the NW ofDangerous Ground.
The reef is a large (8.5 nautical miles) approximately circular atoll with a central lagoon (~20m deep). The surrounding reef is shallow.[1]
Fishermen fromChampa were likely the first people to discover the reef. However, later on, theVietnamese would show interest for the reef.
From the 15th century onward, Vietnamese kings began to pay attention to the islands in the South China sea.
In 1776,Le Quy Don wrote atPhu Bien Tap Luc about these islands, as well as the establishment and operation of the Paracel fleet (Vietnamese:Hải Đội Hoàng Sa) and the Northern fleet (Vietnamese: Hải Đội Bắc Hải) of Vietnam.
In 1838, EmperorMinh Mang ofNguyễn dynasty Vietnam ordered the measurement and illustration of a map for the area. It was called the "Dai Nam Nhat Thong Toan Do", in which it claimed theSpratly andParacel Islands forVietnam duringNguyễn dynasty era.
When Vietnam was a French colony underFrench Indochina, the French Government continued to manage North Danger Reef along with theParacel andSpratly Islands.
In 1935, China announced its claims and named the North Danger Reef. It is called: "Gemini" (Chinese: 双子群礁).
In 1954, the French government officially returned North Danger Reef with the entire Spratly and Paracel Islands tothe Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam).
In 1958, theRepublic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) Navy built milestones of sovereignty onSouthwest Cay andNortheast Cay.
In 1970, thePhilippine Navy occupiedSouthwest Cay.
In 1975, theRepublic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) Navy recapturedSouthwest Cay through foul play via sending Vietnamese prostitutes for an occasion, despite being allies in theVietnam War, to lurePhilippine Navy soldiers to temporarily leave the island forNortheast Cay while in a storm. When the weather cleared, the returning soldiers were surprised to find that there was now a company ofSouth Vietnamese soldiers on the island.
At present,Vietnamese troops are managingSouthwest Cay. And thePhilippines occupiesNortheast Cay.
Download coordinates as:
Commencing in the NE and travelling anti-clockwise to the SW:
Continuing anti-clockwise to the East and NE:
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| Paracel Islands |
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| Spratly Islands |
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| Southern SCS | |||||||||||||||||
| Tudjuh Archipelago | |||||||||||||||||
| History |
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| Transport |
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