West York Island
| Disputed island | |
|---|---|
West York Island
|
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| Geography | |
 |
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| Location | South China Sea |
| Coordinates | 11°05′N 115°0′E / 11.083°N 115.000°ECoordinates: 11°05′N 115°0′E / 11.083°N 115.000°E |
| Archipelago | Spratly Islands |
| Administered by | |
| Philippines | |
| Municipality | Kalayaan, Palawan |
| Claimed by | |
| People's Republic of China | |
| Philippines | |
| Republic of China (Taiwan) | |
| Vietnam | |
West York Island is also known as Likas Island Tagalog: Likas, simplified Chinese: 西月岛; traditional Chinese: 西月島; pinyin: Xīyuè Dǎo, Vietnamese: đảo Bến Lạc) and several other names.
Having an area of 18.6 hectares, it is the third largest of the naturally occurringSpratly Islands and the second largest of Philippine-occupied naturally occurring Spratly Islands. It is 530 yards (485 m) wide, and 330 yards (302 m) long. Its highest elevation is 30 feet (9 m).
The island is administered by the Philippines as part of Kalayaan, Palawan; it is located 47 miles (76 km) northeast of Pagasa Island (Thitu Island), the location of the Philippine defined major town of Kalayaan.
Likas is the Tagalog rootword of kalikasan which means nature. Filipino soldiers are stationed on the island.
The island is also claimed by the People's Republic of China, the Republic of China (Taiwan) and Vietnam.
West York Island is covered with low vegetation and scrub. Outcrops are visible on the southern and eastern portion of the island during low tides. It is a sanctuary for giant sea turtles that lay their eggs on the island all year round. The high salinity of the ground water in the island retards the growth of introduced trees like coconuts, ipil-ipil, and other types. Only those plants indigenous to the area, (mostly beach types of plants), thrive and survive the hot and humid condition, especially during the dry season.
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Wikipedia