1. PULAU LAYANG-LAYANG (SPRATLY ARCHIPELAGO) (2017)
Located in the South China Sea, Pulau Layang-Layang is one of the islands of the Spratly Archipelago. This island is, as all the islands of the archipelago, a disputed territory (though currently not occupied by China). Part of Sabah (Malaysia), lying 330 km northwest of Kota Kinabalu, it bears different names : Pulau Layang-Layang in Bahasa Malaysia, Swallow Reef in English, Danwan Jiao in Chinese, Đá Hoa Lau in Vietnamese … It is claimed by Malaysia, China, Vietnam, Taïwan and the Philippines. Currently, this is the only accessible island in the Spratly Archipelago (with permit).
Dominique LAURENT
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2. Pulau Layang-Layang is part of a deep sea atoll
Pulau Layang-Layang is part of a deep sea atoll. Its current area is about 3 km2 (about 1,5 km long, 0,2 / 0,3 km wide).
It was a mere reef whose surface was artificially expanded sevenfold.

3. On 21 June 1980, a claim plaque was erected on the reef by Malaysia’s Special Forces. The Swallow Reef airport was built by the Special Forces between 1991 & 1995 and expanded in 2003, most of it on reclaimed land.

4. A large painting on the runway : if any doubt, this is a ‘MALAYSIA’ territory !

5. Entrance of the Royal Malaysia Navy Base : Stesen Lima Base

6. Stesen Lima Jetty

7. Stesen Lima Base, theorically off-limits, is composed of 2 aircraft hangars, a radar station, an air traffic control tower, watchtowers, a jetty and several guns.

9. Military warship

10. Military warship

14. Stesen Lima Base living quarters

15. Most of the island has been reclaimed from the ocean and artificially increased sevenfold in size by use of concrete rubble ; except one small beach on the original emerged land, it is circled by a concrete sea wall and concrete boulders.

19. A ready to use coastal battery

25. The only beach

32. Pulau Layang-Layang is completely flat
Pulau Layang-Layang is completely flat. Aside the airstrip and the naval base, there is only a solitary small resort. Post office service started in …

33. Except a few coconut trees, there is only one tree (here) on the island near the only beach.

34. Vegetation consists mainly of grass and shrubs of beach gardenia & sea lettuce.

46. Beach morning glory (purple flower)

48. Pulau Layang-Layang from the lagoon

51. A reef in the lagoon

52. Bird island : a small islet covered with birds in the lagoon

55. Sooty terns

56. Sooty terns

58. Brown noddies

59. Sooty tern

60. Brown noddy

61. Brown noddy

62. Brown boobies

63. Brown booby

64. Disused fisheries
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