Layang Layang
| Disputed island Other names: Tanwan Reef, 彈丸礁, 燕子島 (Chinese) Pulau Layang-Layang (Malay) Celerio; (Filipino) Đá Hoa Lau (Vietnamese) |
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Satellite image of Swallow Reef by NASA.
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| Geography | |
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| Location | South China Sea |
| Coordinates | 7°22′20″N 113°50′30″E / 7.37222°N 113.84167°ECoordinates: 7°22′20″N 113°50′30″E / 7.37222°N 113.84167°E |
| Archipelago | Spratly Islands |
| Area | 35 hectares (86 acres) |
| Administered by | |
| Malaysia | |
| State | Sabah |
| Claimed by | |
| People's Republic of China | |
| City | Sansha, Hainan |
| Republic of China (Taiwan) | |
| Municipality | Cijin, Kaohsiung |
| Vietnam | |
| District | Truong Sa, Khanh Hoa |
| Additional information | |
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Malaysian population: 70 Malaysian postal code: 88005 |
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Malaysian population: 70
Swallow Reef, known as Pulau Layang-Layang in Malaysia, 燕子島 in China, Celerio in the Philippines and Đá Hoa Lau in Vietnam, is an oceanic atoll of the Spratly Islands administered by Malaysia, which is situated approximately 300 kilometres (190 mi) northwest of Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. The reef had an original land area of approximately 6.2 hectares (15 acres), but with reclaimed land now covers 35 hectares (86 acres), measuring over 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) long and 200 m (656 ft) wide.
The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) has maintained a presence on the reef since 1983, but as with all of the Spratly Islands, the ownership is disputed, and it is also claimed by the People's Republic of China, the Republic of China (Taiwan) and Vietnam. The Philippines does not lay claim to Swallow Reef.
The island has gained recognition as a destination for scuba divers. Its air transport needs are served by the Layang-Layang Airport.
On 21 June 1980, a claim plaque was erected on the reef by Malaysia's PASKAL special forces.
In May 1983, eighteen PASKAL members built their first encampment, signifying the start of the Royal Malaysian Navy's presence. At the time, the only infrastructure available was a helipad for personnel transfer, and the special forces had to camp under the open skies on the bare reef. Naval Station "Lima" was constructed in April 1986, consisting of a small living-cum-operations centre.
In 1989, the government decided to develop the island into a tourist spot.
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Wikipedia