Union Banks Explained

Union Banks (Pagkakaisa Banks and Reefs) is a large drowned atoll in the center of Dangerous Ground in the Spratly Islands in South China Sea, 230km (140miles)^[1] west of the Philippine coast, containing islands and reefs whose ownership remains disputed and controversial.^[2] The closest atoll is Tizard Bank, 25km (16miles) due north of Union Banks. There are only two natural islands on the rim of the reef, Sin Cowe Island and Sin Cowe East Island.

The atoll is 55km (34miles) long from Johnson South Reef in the southwest to Whitson Reef in the northeast, and up to 15km (09miles) wide. Its total area measures 461sqkm. The central lagoon is up to 53m (174feet) deep.^[3]

Islands and reefs comprising Union Banks

Union Banks consists of the following islands and reefs, clockwise starting in the southwest corner:^{[4] [5]}

Key:

yellow = occupied by PRC; violet = occupied by Vietnam

Feature	Location
Johnson South Reef (Chìguā Jiāo) (Mabini Reef) (Đá Gạc Ma)	9.7192°N 114.2825°W
Collins Reef/Johnson North Reef (Guǐhǎn Jiāo) (Roxas Reef) (Đá Cô Lin)
	9.8367°N 114.2683°W
(Huá Jiāo) (Đá Nghĩa Hành)
(Jíyáng Jiāo) (Đá Sơn Hà)	9.8792°N 114.3058°W
Sin Cowe Island/Sinh Ton Island (Jǐnghóng Dǎo) (Rurok Island) (Ching-hung Tao) (Đảo Sinh Tồn)	9.8858°N 114.3294°W
	-->
(Nánmén Jiāo) (Đá Bình Khê)
/Kennan Reef (Xīmén Jiāo) (Đá Ken Nan)	9.9033°N 114.4656°W
	9.895°N 114.4944°W
Hughes Reef (Dōngmén Jiāo) (Tung-men Chiao) (Đá Tư Nghĩa)	9.9142°N 114.4958°W
(Ānlè Jiāo) (Đá Bình Sơn)	9.9319°N 114.5236°W
(Chángxiàn Jiāo) (Đá Bãi Khung)	9.9653°N 114.5647°W
(Zhǔquán Jiāo) (Đá Đức Hòa)	9.9789°N 114.5897°W
Whitsun Reef/Whitson Reef (Niúè Jiāo) (Julian Felipe Reef) (Đá Ba Đầu)	10.0028°N 114.6661°W
(Rǎnqīngdōng Jiāo) (Đá An Bình)	9.9069°N 114.5978°W
Grierson Reef/Sin Cowe East Island (Rǎnqīng Shāzhōu) (Jan-ch'ing Chiao) (Đảo Sinh Tồn Đông)	9.9023°N 114.5641°W
(Lóngxiā Jiāo) (Đá Vị Khê)	9.8903°N 114.5353°W
(Biǎncān Jiāo) (Đá Ninh Hòa)	9.8681°N 114.5108°W
[Unnamed reef]	9.8514°N 114.4914°W
(Zhāngxī Jiāo) (Đá Văn Nguyên)	9.8297°N 114.4658°W
/Higgen Reef (Qūyuán Jiāo) (Đá Phúc Sĩ)	9.8136°N 114.4033°W
Lansdowne Reef (Qióng Jiāo) (Pagkakaisa Reef) (Chi'ung Chiao) (Đá Len Đao)	9.7786°N 114.3706°W
	9.6847°N 114.3508°W-->

See also

• List of maritime features in the Spratly Islands

Notes and References

1. News: China expanding presence on Mabini reef . 20 May 2014 . ABS CBN News / Kyodo News. 13 May 2014.
2. Book: Dato Mohammad, Brigadier General . The Conflicting Claims in the South China Sea . 1991 . U.S. Army War College . PA, USA.
3. ftp://rock.geosociety.org/pub/reposit/2001/2001075.pdf Atoll Area, Depth and Rainfall
4. Book: China Sea Pilot - Volume II - NP 31 . 2012 . United Kingdom Hydrographic Office . Taunton .
5. Web site: Digital Gazetteer of Spratly Islands . www.southchinasea.org . https://web.archive.org/web/20070717152713/http://www.southchinasea.org/macand/gazetteer.htm . 2007-07-17 . 2008-02-08 .
   - Version dated 19 August 2011 is available at: Web site: Digital Gazetteer of Spratly Islands . 19 August 2011 . www.southchinasea.org . 5 June 2014 . This list includes the names of all Spratly features known to be occupied and/or above water at low tide. .