South China Sea
Manila Bay's ocean
The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, bordered by China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei.
It contains vital shipping lanes carrying a significant portion of global trade.
The sea is the site of ongoing territorial disputes, with China claiming most of it despite competing claims from neighboring nations: tensions in the South China Sea.
Sovereign coastal sea zone
- ASEANSoutheast Asian intergovernmental body
- disputedArgued over, unresolved
- sovereigntySupreme independent authority
- PhilippinesSoutheast Asian archipelago nation
Vietnam · Malaysia · Brunei · Taiwan · arbitration · freedom of navigation · militarization · artificial islands
Calcium carbonate marine structures
- sea turtlesOcean-dwelling shelled reptiles
- whale sharksBiggest fish species
- reef sharksTropical coastal cartilaginous fish
- clownfishStriped reef fish, anemone symbiont
dugong · mangroves · seagrass · phytoplankton · zooplankton · tropical fish · dolphins · marine sanctuary
Designated ocean travel paths
- cargoTransported goods
- tankersShips transporting fluids
- freightGoods being transported
- chokepointNarrow passage limiting movement
transshipment · containerization · supply chain · commerce · globalization · Singapore · Hong Kong · logistics
Navigable routes for ships
- lighthouseCoastal beacon tower
- buoyTethered nautical signal
- radarRadio-wave object detection
- sonarUnderwater detection by echoes
waypoint · bearing · pilotage · maritime traffic · anchorage · sea lanes · routing · hazards
Western Pacific hurricane
- monsoonSeasonal tropical wind pattern
- tropical stormOrganized oceanic wind system
- cycloneRotating low-pressure storm system
- wet seasonProlonged rainy period
humidity · warm currents · El Niño · La Niña · storm surge · flooding · seasonal winds · tropical climate
territorial waters
Sovereign coastal sea zone
- ASEANSoutheast Asian intergovernmental body
- disputedArgued over, unresolved
- sovereigntySupreme independent authority
Philippines · Vietnam · Malaysia · Brunei · Taiwan · arbitration · freedom of navigation · militarization · artificial islands · standoff
coral reefs
Calcium carbonate marine structures
- sea turtlesOcean-dwelling shelled reptiles
- whale sharksBiggest fish species
- reef sharksTropical coastal cartilaginous fish
clownfish · dugong · mangroves · seagrass · phytoplankton · zooplankton · tropical fish · dolphins · marine sanctuary · endangered species
shipping lanes
Designated ocean travel paths
chokepoint · transshipment · containerization · supply chain · commerce · globalization · Singapore · Hong Kong · logistics · import
shipping channels
Navigable routes for ships
- lighthouseCoastal beacon tower
- buoyTethered nautical signal
- radarRadio-wave object detection
sonar · waypoint · bearing · pilotage · maritime traffic · anchorage · sea lanes · routing · hazards · shoals
typhoon
Western Pacific hurricane
- monsoonSeasonal tropical wind pattern
- tropical stormOrganized oceanic wind system
- cycloneRotating low-pressure storm system
wet season · humidity · warm currents · El Niño · La Niña · storm surge · flooding · seasonal winds · tropical climate · squall
- Asian SeasSea of Japan, Yellow Sea, Bay of Bengal, Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin
- China SeasYellow Sea, Taiwan Strait, Gulf of Tonkin
- Philippine Waters
- AsiaIndia, Japan, Thailand, Korea, Vietnam
- East AsiaJapan, North Korea, Korea, Taiwan, Mongolia
- Eurasian GeographyHimalayas, Tibetan Plateau, Gobi Desert, Ganges River, Yangtze River
South China SeaEast China Sea
Northwestern Pacific marginal body
South China SeaBaltic Sea
Northern European inland sea
Mediterranean Sea · Caribbean Sea · Gulf of Mexico · Tasman Sea · Adriatic Sea