Truong Sa District
| Truong Sa District Huyện Trường Sa |
|
|---|---|
| — District — | |
 |
|
| Coordinates: 8°38′30″N 111°55′55″E / 8.64167°N 111.93194°E | |
| Country |  Vietnam |
| Region | South Central Coast |
| Province | Khanh Hoa |
| Government | |
| • Chairman of People's Committee | Nguyễn Đức Thắng |
| • Chairman of People's Council | Nguyễn Văn Thắng |
| Area | |
| • District | 192 sq mi (496 km2) |
| Population (2009) | |
| • District | 195 |
| • Metro | 82 |
| Time zone | UTC + 7 (UTC+7) |
| Area code(s) | 58 |
Truong Sa is an island district of Khanh Hoa in the South Central Coast region of Vietnam.[1] It was established on the basis of the Spratly Islands, which is also claimed wholly or in part by the Republic of China (Taiwan), the People's Republic of China, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei. According to the 2009 census, the district has a population of 195 people.[2]
Geography
Main article: Spratly Islands
Truong Sa District was established on the basis of small coral islands/cays, reefs and banks of the Spratly Islands which is 248 nautical miles away from Cam Ranh. As the islands contains a large number of scattered geographic entities, it is imaginatively divided into eight clusters including Song Tu, Thi Tu, Loai Ta, Nam Yet, Sinh Ton, Truong Sa, Tham Hiem and Binh Nguyen by Vietnam.[3]
Administrative history in the 20th century
- By the early 1930s, France claimed Spratly Islands. On 21 December 1933, Cochinchina's governor Jean-Félix Krautheimer signed Decree No. 4702-CP annexing the Spratly Island (proper), Amboyna Cay, Itu Aba Island, Northeast Cay, Southwest Cay, Thitu Island, Loaita Island and subsidiary islands into Ba Ria Province.[4]
- On 22 October 1956, Republic of Vietnam's President Ngo Dinh Diem signed Decree No. 143-NV renaming provinces of South Vietnam. According to this decree, Ba Ria - Vung Tau was renamed to Phuoc Tuy Province under which Spratly Islands was administered.[3]
- On 6 September 1973, Republic of Vietnam's Ministry of the Interior signed Decree No. 420-BNV/HCĐP/26 merging Spratly Island, Amboyna Cay, Itu Aba Island, Northeast Cay, Southwest Cay, Loaita Island, Thitu Island, Namyit Island, Sin Cowe Island and the surrounding islands into Phuoc Hai Commune, Dat Do District, Phuoc Tuy Province.[5]
- On 9 December 1982, the Council of Ministers of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam issued Decision No. 193/HĐBT establishing Truong Sa District as an administrative unit of Dong Nai Province.[6] On December 28, 1982, The Seventh National Assembly decided to incorporate Truong Sa District into Phu Khanh Province.[7]
- On 1 July 1989, the National Assembly split Phu Khanh Province into Phu Yen Province and Khanh Hoa Province. Truong Sa District has been under the direct administration of Khanh Hoa since then.
Administration
According to Decree No. 65/2007/NĐ-CP of 11 April 2007 issued by the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Truong Sa District has three administrative units including one commune-level town (Truong Sa) and two rural communes (Song Tu Tay and Sinh Ton).
- Truong Sa Town was established on the basis of Truong Sa Island (Spratly Island) and surrounding islands, reefs and banks.
- Song Tu Tay Commune was established on the basis of Song Tu Tay Island (Southwest Cay) and surrounding islands, reefs and banks.
- Sinh Ton Commune was established on the basis of Sinh Ton Island (Sin Cowe Island) and surrounding islands, reefs and banks.
In reality, Truong Sa District is effectively administering only 21 islets and reefs of the Spratly Islands:
| Cluster | Coral islands/cays | Reefs | Map |
|---|---|---|---|
| Song Tu | Southwest Cay (đảo Song Tử Tây) | South Reef (đá Nam) |
 |
| Thi Tu | - | - | |
| Loai Ta | - | - | |
| Nam Yet | Namyit Island (đảo Nam Yết), Sand Cay (đảo Sơn Ca) | Discovery Great Reef (đá Lớn), Petley Reef (đá Núi Thị) | |
| Sinh Ton | Sin Cowe Island (đảo Sinh Tồn), Grierson Reef (đảo Sinh Tồn Đông)[Notes 1] | Collins Reef/Johnson North Reef (đá Cô Lin), Lansdowne Reef (đá Len Đao) | |
| Truong Sa | Spratly Island (đảo Trường Sa), Pearson Reef (đảo Phan Vinh),[Notes 2] Central London Reef (đảo Trường Sa Đông)[Notes 3] | East London Reef (đá Đông), Ladd Reef (đá Lát), Cornwallis South Reef (đá Núi Le), West London Reef (đá Tây), Pigeon Reef/Tennent Reef (đá Tiên Nữ), Alison Reef (đá Tốc Tan) | |
| Tham Hiem | Amboyna Cay (đảo An Bang) | Barque Canada Reef (đá Thuyền Chài) | |
| Binh Nguyen | - | - |
References
- ^ (Vietnamese) "Nghị định số 65/2007/NĐ-CP". Ministry of Justice's Portal (Vietnam). Retrieved December 20, 2012.
- ^ "The 2009 Vietnam Population and Housing census: Completed results". General Statistics Office of Vietnam. Retrieved December 20, 2012.
- ^ a b (Vietnamese) Nguyễn, Nhã (2002). Quá trình xác lập chủ quyền của Việt Nam tại quần đảo Hoàng Sa và Trường Sa [The Process of Establishing the Sovereignty of Vietnam over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa Islands] (Thesis). University of Social Science and Humanities (Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City). p. 109.
- ^ "Truong Sa archipelago belongs to Ba Ria province (1933)". Website on Viet Nam's sovereign boundaries, The National Boundary Commission, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Vietnam). December 21, 1933. Retrieved December 20, 2012.
- ^ "A number historical and juridical documents on Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Truong Sa and Hoang Sa archipelagoes- Part 3". Authority of Foreign Information Service, Ministry of Information and Communications (Vietnam). October 21, 2011. Retrieved December 20, 2012.
- ^ (Vietnamese) "Quyết định của Hội đồng Bộ trưởng số 193/HĐBT ngày 9 tháng 12 năm 1982 về việc thành lập huyện Trường Sa thuộc tỉnh Đồng Nai". Dong Nai Province's Electronic Portal (Vietnam). Retrieved December 20, 2012.
- ^ (Vietnamese) "Nghị quyết của Quốc hội Nước CHXHCN Việt Nam ngày 28 tháng 12 năm 1982 về việc sáp nhập huyện Trường Sa thuộc tỉnh Đồng Nai vào tỉnh Phú Khánh". Ministry of Justice's Portal (Vietnam). Retrieved December 20, 2012.
Coordinates: 8°38′30″N 111°55′55″E / 8.64167°N 111.93194°E
