-Dotted in the Sea are four main island groups, namely, the Paracels, Spratlys, Pratas and Macclesfield Bank
-Of the four groups, the largest is the Spratlys followed by the Paracels
-Most of them are reefs, shoals, atolls and other seamounts and outcrops. Many are awash at high tide
-Located in the tropical zone, the islands or islets are rainy and hot throughout the year
-The heat is somewhat tempered by see breezes.
-Typhoons are common in the area
-Fresh water is scarce
-Geographically, none of the islands/islets is a natural geographical extension of any claimant’s land mass
-Essentially, they are separated from the surrounding countries by troughs and deep waters