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Flat Island

Disputed island
Flat Island
Flat Island
Other names	Patag Island (Philippine English) Pulo ng Patag (Filipino) Đảo Bình Nguyên (Vietnamese) 費信島 / 费信岛 Fèixìn Dǎo (Chinese)
Geography
Location	South China Sea
Coordinates	10°49′00″N 115°49′20″E / 10.81667°N 115.82222°E / 10.81667; 115.82222 (Flat Island)
Archipelago	Spratly Islands
Administration
Philippines
Region	IV-B - MIMAROPA
Province	Palawan
Municipality	Kalayaan
Claimed by
China
Philippines
Taiwan
Vietnam
Additional information

Flat Island, also known as Patag Island (Filipino: Pulo ng Patag; Mandarin Chinese: 費信島/费信岛; pinyin: Fèixìn Dǎo; Vietnamese: Đảo Bình Nguyên), is the second smallest of the natural Spratly Islands. It has an area of 0.57 hectares (5,700 m), and is about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) north of Philippine-occupied Nanshan Island, both of which are located on the expansive but otherwise submerged Flat Island Bank in the northeast part of the of Dangerous Ground area in the South China Sea.

It is the sixth largest of the Philippine-occupied Spratly islands and is administered by the Philippines as part of Kalayaan, Palawan. The island is also claimed by the People's Republic of China, the Republic of China (Taiwan), and Vietnam.

Environment

The island is a low, flat, sandy cay, 240 by 90 metres (790 by 300 ft), and is subject to erosion. It changes its shape seasonally. The sand build up depends largely on the direction of prevailing winds and waves; it has taken an elongated shape for some years, the shape of a crescent moon for a few years, and the shape of a letter "S". Like Lankiam Cay, it is barren of any vegetation. No underground water source has been found in the area.

Philippine occupation

Presently, the island serves as a military observation outpost and is guarded by Philippine soldiers stationed at nearby Lawak Island. The soldiers regularly visit the island, and it is kept under observation from a tall structure on Lawak Island.

In August 2011, the Philippine Navy Seabees (Naval Combat Engineer Brigade) finished construction of a second star shell-like structure which is intended to shelter and protect troops.

The Philippine Coast Guard constructed 5 lighthouses in the area, and this includes one on Flat Island.

See also

• Spratly Islands Dispute
• Policies, activities and history of the Philippines in Spratly Islands

References

1. Jaime Laude (31 July 2011). "Navy Seabees constructing 'starshell' on Patag Island". Philippine Star.
2. Nepomuceno, Priam (21 April 2021). "WPS security assured with more assets". www.pna.gov.ph. PNA. Retrieved 30 May 2021.

External links

• Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative Island Tracker
• Google Map of Flat Island
• Photo of Flat Island showing two structures with Lawak Island in the background

v t e Spratly Islands
Confrontations	Southwest Cay incident (1975) East Sea Campaign (1975) Johnson South Reef Skirmish (1988)
Regions	Dangerous Ground Loaita Bank London Reefs North Danger Reef Reed Tablemount Tizard Bank Union Banks
Occupied features	Brunei Louisa Reef China Cuarteron Reef Fiery Cross Reef Gaven Reefs Hughes Reef Johnson South Reef Mischief Reef Subi Reef Malaysia Ardasier Reef Dallas Reef Erica Reef Investigator Shoal Mariveles Reef Swallow Reef Philippines Commodore Reef Flat Island Irving Reef Lankiam Cay Loaita Cay Loaita Island Nanshan Island Northeast Cay Second Thomas Shoal Thitu Island West York Island Taiwan Taiping Island Zhongzhou Reef Vietnam Alison Reef Amboyna Cay Barque Canada Reef Bombay Castle Central London Reef Collins Reef Cornwallis South Reef Discovery Great Reef East London Reef Grierson Reef Ladd Reef Lansdowne Reef Namyit Island Pearson Reef Petley Reef Sand Cay Sin Cowe Island South Reef Southwest Cay Spratly Island Tennent Reef West London Reef
Unoccupied features	First Thomas Shoal Half Moon Shoal Luconia Shoals Northeast Investigator Shoal Royal Captain Shoal Sabina Shoal Third Thomas Shoal Western Reef Whitsun Reef
Related articles	Spratly Islands dispute Free Territory of Freedomland "Great Wall of Sand" List of airports in the Spratly Islands List of maritime features in the Spratly Islands Philippines and the Spratly Islands Republic of Morac-Songhrati-Meads Territorial disputes in the South China Sea Nine-dash line

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