Triton Island
Triton Island (Chinese: 中建岛; pinyin: Zhōngjiàn Dǎo; Vietnamese: đảo Tri Tôn) is the westernmost and southernmost of the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea. It is located on the southwest corner of Triton Reef and has an area of 7 hectares (17 acres) above sea-level. The reef including the island measures about 120 hectares (300 acres) in area. The island is administered by the People's Republic of China, and is also claimed by the Republic of China (Taiwan) and Vietnam.
| Disputed island | |
|---|---|
Triton Island from the west | |
Triton Island | |
| Other names | Chinese: 中建岛; pinyin: Zhōngjiàn Dǎo; Vietnamese: đảo Tri Tôn |
| Geography | |
| Location | South China Sea |
| Coordinates | 15°47′2″N 111°11′52″E |
| Archipelago | Paracel Islands |
| Area | 7 ha (17 acres) |
| Length | 0.33 km (0.205 mi) |
| Width | 0.28 km (0.174 mi) |
| Administration | |
People's Republic of China | |
| Claimed by | |
People's Republic of China | |
Republic of China (Taiwan) | |
Vietnam | |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 0 |
The island was historically known by the Chinese as Bànlù Zhì (Chinese: 半路峙; lit. 'halfway tower'), and as Luó Dǎo (Chinese: 螺岛; lit. 'snail island') to Chinese fishermen. Other Chinese sources have it named as 南建岛, as it was the southernmost point claimed by China until after 1933. The current Chinese name commemorates the Republic of China Navy warship ROCS Chung-chien (中建號) sent in 1946 to claim the Paracel Islands.