North Danger Reef

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North Danger ReefDisputed atoll

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′N 114°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

China

Philippines

Taiwan

Vietnam

Nautical chart (1911)

North Danger Reef (Vietnamese: Cụm Song Tử) is one of the seven major reefs / banks / etc. in the Spratly Islands area of the South China Sea. It is the most North Western of the features of the Spratly Islands, located to the NW of Dangerous 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]

## History

[edit]

Fishermen from Champa were likely the first people to discover the reef. However, later on, the Vietnamese 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 at Phu 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, Emperor Minh Mang of Nguyễn 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 the Spratly and Paracel Islands for Vietnam during Nguyễn dynasty era.

When Vietnam was a French colony under French Indochina, the French Government continued to manage North Danger Reef along with the Paracel and Spratly Islands.

In 1935, China announced its claims and named the North Danger Reef. It is called: "Gemini" (Chinese: 双子群礁).

Territorial monument of the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) on Southwest Cay, Spratly Islands, defining the cay as part of Vietnamese territory (to Phước Tuy Province). Used since 22 August 1956 until 1975, when replaced by another one from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (successor)..

In 1954, the French government officially returned North Danger Reef with the entire Spratly and Paracel Islands to the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam).

In 1958, the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) Navy built milestones of sovereignty on Southwest Cay and Northeast Cay.

In 1970, the Philippine Navy occupied Southwest Cay.

In 1975, the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) Navy recaptured Southwest Cay through foul play via sending Vietnamese prostitutes for an occasion, despite being allies in the Vietnam War, to lure Philippine Navy soldiers to temporarily leave the island for Northeast Cay while in a storm. When the weather cleared, the returning soldiers were surprised to find that there was now a company of South Vietnamese soldiers on the island.

At present, Vietnamese troops are managing Southwest Cay. And the Philippines occupies Northeast Cay.

## Features of North Danger Reef

[edit]

Map all coordinates using OpenStreetMap

Download coordinates as:

* KML
* GPX (all coordinates)
* GPX (primary coordinates)
* GPX (secondary coordinates)

Landsat 7 image (2000)

Commencing in the NE and travelling anti-clockwise to the SW:

* North Reef (11°28′N 114°23′E﻿ / ﻿11.467°N 114.383°E﻿ / 11.467; 114.383)
* North Pass
* Northeast Cay (11°27′N 114°21′E﻿ / ﻿11.450°N 114.350°E﻿ / 11.450; 114.350) - light on NE side
* Shira Islet
* Middle Pass
* Southwest Cay (11°26′N 114°20′E﻿ / ﻿11.433°N 114.333°E﻿ / 11.433; 114.333) - marked by a light
* West Pass - N
* Jenkins Patches
* West Pass - S
* South Reef (11°23.3′N 114°17.9′E﻿ / ﻿11.3883°N 114.2983°E﻿ / 11.3883; 114.2983) - SW of the Reef
* South Pass

Continuing anti-clockwise to the East and NE:

* Sabine Patches
* Farquharson Patches
* East Pass
* Day Shoal \- NE of reef
* Iroquois Ridge \- central N of reef

## See also

[edit]

* List of maritime features in the Spratly Islands

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Sailing Directions (Enroute), Pub. 161: South China Sea and the Gulf of Thailand (PDF). Sailing Directions. United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. 2017. p. 12.

* NGA Chart 93044 shows the area NW of Dangerous Ground
* NGA Chart 93042 shows the detail of North Danger Reef

* 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

* v
* t
* e

South China Sea

Pratas Island|

* Pratas Island
* North Vereker Bank
* South Vereker Bank

Paracel Islands|

| Amphitrite Group|

* Rocky Island
* Tree Island
* West Sand
* Woody Island
* Qilian Yu

|

Crescent Group|

* Money Island
* Robert Island
* Yagong Island

Other features|

* Bombay Reef
* Triton Island

Northeastern SCS|

* Zhongsha Islands
* Macclesfield Bank
* Walker Shoal
* Scarborough Shoal

Spratly Islands|

* List of maritime features in the Spratly Islands
* Great Wall of Sand
* Royal Malaysian Navy Offshore Bases
* Vietnamese DK1 rigs
* List of airports in the Spratly Islands

| Dangerous
Ground|

| NW|

* North Danger Reef
* Northeast Cay
* Southwest Cay
* Thitu Reefs
* Thitu Island
* Subi Reef
* Loaita Bank
* Lankiam Cay
* Loaita Cay
* Loaita Island
* Tizard Bank
* Gaven Reefs
* Namyit Island
* Sand Cay
* Taiping Island
* Zhongzhou Reef
* NNW
* Irving Reef
* West York Island
* WNW
* Western Reef

|

NE|

* Flat Island
* Nanshan Island
* Reed Tablemount
* Third Thomas Shoal

SE|

* Commodore Reef
* First Thomas Shoal
* Mischief Reef
* Sabina Shoal
* Second Thomas Shoal

SW|

* Union Banks
* Collins Reef
* Hughes Reef
* Johnson South Reef
* Sin Cowe Island
* Ardasier Reef
* Cornwallis South Reef
* Dallas Reef
* Erica Reef
* Investigator Shoal
* Mariveles Reef

West|

* London Reefs
* Central London Reef
* Cuarteron Reef
* East London Reef
* West London Reef
* Bombay Castle
* Fiery Cross Reef
* Ladd Reef
* Spratly Island

East|

* Royal Captain Shoal
* Half Moon Shoal

South|

* Amboyna Cay
* Louisa Reef
* Swallow Reef

Southeastern SCS|

* Palawan Passage

Southern SCS|

* James Shoal
* Luconia Shoals

Tudjuh Archipelago|

* Natuna Islands
* Anambas Islands
* Badas Islands
* Tambelan Archipelago

History|

* Territorial disputes
* History of the Spratly Islands
* Nine-dash line
* Spratly Islands dispute
* Philippines and the Spratly Islands
* Battle of Leyte Gulf (1944)
* Battle of the Paracel Islands (1974)
* Southwest Cay incident (1975)
* Johnson South Reef skirmish (1988)
* Scarborough Shoal standoff (2012)
* Designation of the West Philippine Sea (2012)
* Hai Yang Shi You 981 standoff (2014)

Transport|

* Ships
* Coconut Princess
* Airports
* Pratas Is
* Paracel Islands Airports
* Woody Is
* Spratly Islands Airports
* Itu Aba
* Spratly Is
* Swallow Reef
* Thitu Is

* Oceans portal

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