South China Sea

South China Sea:

A Vietnamese cargo ship carrying 62 sank during stormy weather in the contested South China Sea.

• South China Sea is an arm of the western Pacific Ocean that borders the Southeast Asian mainland.
• It is bordered by China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, and Vietnam.
• It is connected by the Taiwan Strait with the East China Sea and by the Luzon Strait with the Philippine Sea (both marginal seas of the Pacific Ocean).
• The South China Sea and the East China Sea together form the China Sea.
• The two major archipelagos are known as the Paracel Islands, controlled by China, and the Spratly Islands.
• Weather in the sea is tropical and largely controlled by monsoons.
• It is a significant trade route for crude oil from the Persian Gulf and Africa through the Strait of Malacca to Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan.
• Major Ports: Hong Kong, Singapore, and Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan.