Meaning of South Rock | Babel Free

Definitions

A rock on Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea.

Examples

“Miscellaneous Islands South Rock (15°07'N., 117°49'E.) is part of the Scarborough Shoal, which is situated on a seamount in the South China Basin. There are no known specific claims to South Rock or any of the small rocks on the Shoal; however, the Shoal would be included in the sweeping claims the Chinese have made to the South China Sea.[…] South Rock (area A) has not been specifically claimed by anyone, except that it is included within the area encompassing the claim of both the PRC and ROC to the islets in the South China Sea. However, because of proximity the Philippines may have at least a "paper claim" to the Rock. Again there is the issue of whether or not such a small rock should be assigned anything more than a territorial sea, or whether the Rock should be removed from any consideration as a basepoint.[…] ISLETS OF THE SOUTH CHINA SEA The list includes only those features that are high-tide elevations.[…] MACCLESFIELD BANK / Chung-sha Ch'un-Tao / Middle Sand Islands / 15°50'N., 114°20'E. SCARBOROUGH SHOAL / Min-chu Chiao / / 15°08'N., 117°45'E. South Rock / / / 15°06'N., 117°46'E.”

“Scarborough Reef (Huangyan Island in Chinese) is located within the geographic coordinates of 15°08’ to 15°14’N and 117°44’ to 117°48’E. It is triangular-shaped with a circumference of 46km. The total area of the feature including the inner lagoon is 150sq km. There are several rocks on the reef, the biggest of which is South Rock (Nanyan). This feature is apparently above water at high tide (1.8m high), and situated at the southeastern extremity of the reef. Near the north of South Rock there is a channel, approximately two cables wide (370m), with depths of five to six fathoms, leading into the lagoon. In addition, North Rock (Beiyan) and several other tiny above-water coral rocks are also situated on the reef. Thus Scarborough Reef is actually a large atoll including South Rock and North Rock. According to a Chinese authority on the South China Sea, the reef is also the biggest atoll in the South China Sea.¹ It lies approximately 170nm east of Macclesfield Bank, and approximately 115nm off Zambales province on the western side of Luzon Island.”

“The British Admiralty sailing directions, for example, indicate that Scarborough Reef is “steep-to on all sides and consists of a narrow belt of coral enclosing a lagoon of clear blue water” and that South Rock, at 3 meters high, is the “tallest rock” located at the southeast extremity of the reef. United Kingdom Hydrographic Office, China Sea Pilot, Vol. 2, 9th ed., Admiralty Sailing Directions, (UKHO, Taunton, 2010), 74.”

“The Philippine navy began to monitor and harass the International Amateur Radio Expedition to the Huangyan Island (April 30 – May 3, 1997), organized by the Chinese Radio Sports Association, and then removed the Chinese stone marker reading “the Huangyan Island,” installed by China on the South Rock in March 1990; Congressmen Roque Ablan and Jose Yap erected a Philippine flag on the Island on May 17; Philippine President Fidel Ramos said on May 21 that the Huangyan Island “is within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines,” and the Philippines had the right to exploit and develop its resources.”

“Scarborough Shoal is a triangular-shaped chain of reefs, rocks, and small islands about 115 nautical miles off the Philippines’ Zambales Province on the western side of Luzon Island and well within the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone. Barely thirty-four miles in circumference, the shoal covers an area of about sixty square miles while only one of its land features, South Rock, is above water at high tide.”

“The North Rock on the northwest end and the South Rock on the southeast end have a surface area of approximately 10 sq. meters. They are respectively 1.5 meters and 1.8 meters above sea level. The water depth within the lagoon is 10 meters – 20 meters. The east side of South Rock has a 400-meter wide waterway, and boats can come in from the open seas to anchor.”

“The MCS 3001 (replacing the MCS 3006) was now 1.6 nm northeast of South Rock still within the lagoon.”

“Huangyan Dao (Scarborough Shoal), also known as Minzhu Jiao (Democracy Reef), is located about 160 nautical miles southeast of the Zhongsha Islands between latitude 15°08'N and 15°14'N and longitude 117°44'E and 117°48'E. In 1748, an English ship named Scarborough grounded here, so the Westerners named it Scarborough Reef. The edge of the island is steep and formed by a narrow reef belt enclosing a lagoon. Rocks scatter on the island, standing about 0.3 to 1.5 meters high. Among them, South Rock is the highest, lying on the southeast extremity of the island. To the north of South Rock runs a channel about 400 meters wide with general depths of 9.1 to 11 meters leading into the lagoon. The channel is encumbered with reef patches, leaving the entrance quite shallow, with a depth of [a] mere 2.7 meters.”

“What's so special about Scarborough Shoal? The reefs that measure about 10 miles in width features scattered rocks and a lagoon at the center. Its most visible elevation is called South Rock.”

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