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Paracel Islands
|Disputed islands
|Paracel Islands
|South China Sea
|Total islands
|Major islands
|Rocky Island, Tree Island, Woody Island
|15,000 km2 ocean surface (7.75 km2 land surface)
|518 kilometres (322 mi)
|Highest point
|on Rocky Island
14 metres (46 ft)
|Administered by
|People's Republic of China
|Prefecture-level city
|Claimed by
|Republic of China (Taiwan)
|Da Nang
|Paracel Islands
|Chinese name
|Simplified Chinese
|Traditional Chinese
|Vietnamese name
|Quần đảo Hoàng Sa
The Paracel Islands, known in Chinese as the Xisha Islands (simplified Chinese: 西沙群岛; traditional Chinese: 西沙群島; pinyin: Xīshā Qúndǎo; literally "Western Sandy Islands") and as Hoàng Sa Archipelago in Vietnamese (Quần đảo Hoàng Sa), is a group of islands in the South China Sea whose sovereignty is disputed by the People's Republic of China, the Republic of China (Taiwan) and Vietnam. All of the islands are currently part of China's Hainan Province, which in July 2012, established Sansha City to administer the three townships under its jurisdiction. Chinese and Vietnamese forces both occupied parts of the Paracel Islands before 1974, when the Battle of the Paracel Islands occurred, after which the former took control of the entire group.
The islands include over 30 islets, sandbanks and reefs over a maritime area of around 15,000 square kilometres (5,800 sq mi) with less than 8 square kilometres (3.1 sq mi) of land. The archipelago is approximately equidistant from the coastlines of Vietnam and China: 180 nautical miles (330 km; 210 mi) southeast of Hainan Island, and about one-third of the way between Central Vietnam to the northern Philippines. Turtles live on the islands, and seabirds have left nests and guano deposits, but there are no permanent human residents except military personnel and fishermen.[2]
Divided into two main groups, the Paracel Islands comprise the Amphitrite group in the northeast and the Crescent group in the southwest located about 70 km (43 mi) from one another. Subject to a hot and humid climate with abundant rainfall and frequent typhoons, the archipelago is surrounded by productive fishing grounds along with potential oil and gas reserves.
- 1 Geography
- 2 Etymology
- 3 Infrastructure and natural resources
- 4 Territorial disputes and their historical background
- 5 Historical perspectives
- 6 20th-century events
- 7 21st-century events
- 8 In popular culture
- 9 FIPS country code
- 10 See also
- 11 Notes
- 12 References
- 13 Further reading
- 14 External links
Geographic data[edit]
- Geographic coordinates: 16°30′N 112°00′E / 16.500°N 112.000°E
- Coastline: 518 km
- Climate: tropical
- Elevation extremes:
- lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
- highest point: unnamed location on Rocky Island 14 m
- Natural resources: fishery, coral reef, possible oil and gas nearby
- Natural hazards: typhoons
Amphitrite Group[edit]
The Amphitrite group was named after the French frigate Amphitrite of the Jesuit missionary.[3][4][5] Lying in the most northeastern of the Paracel Islands, at the coordinates of 16.97 degrees North and 112.28 degrees East, the group consists of six low narrow islands with sand cays; enclosed shallow lagoons, connected by reefs of rock, and about 37 km (23 mi) northwest from Lincoln Island.
The northern section of the group comprises South Island, Middle Island, North Island, and Tree Island. The last of these lies toward the eastern tip of this section and coconut palm trees grow on the island. Together the four islands form the upper branch of a 22 km (14 mi) long ellipse of semimajor axis that orientates from approximately west to east. The southern section consists of two islands called Woody and Rocky Islands lying close to each other. The former is located approximately 5 km (3 mi) south of the southern tip of the eastern extremity of the northern section. This feature is the largest island of the Amphitrite group.
Crescent Group[edit]
Lying about 70 km (43 mi) southwest of the Amphitrite group, at a latitude of 16.52 degrees North and longitude of 111.63 degrees East, this group consists of eight islands that form a crescent-like structure from west to east enclosing a deep central lagoon. The group measures 31 by 15 km (19 by 9 mi) from east to west and from north to south, respectively. All of the islands in the group support vegetation except on their small cays. Money Island lies at the southwest extremity of the group, at the axis of the crescent structure, and has some small cays in the southern side. Antelope Reef, submerged at high tide and containing a central lagoon, lies 2.4 km (1.5 mi) east of Money Island. Northeast of this reef are the Robert and Pattle Islands, separated from each other by a 3.5 km (2.2 mi) wide deep channel. The latter is the largest island of the group; a lighthouse along with a radio and weather station were built there in 1937. The Observation Bank situated at the northernmost of the Crescent group contains a small cay and on the southeastern side lies a 12 km (7 mi) long boomerang shaped reef alongside Drummond Island. The last distinct feature of the atoll-like structure is the Duncan Islands group, which is approximately 3 km (2 mi) west of Drummond Island and about 8 km (5 mi) east of Antelope Island.
- Pattle Islands
- Money Island
- Drummond Island
- Duncan Islands
Other features[edit]
- Bombay Reef: This elongated reef is situated at the southeastern corner of the Paracel Islands and lies approximately 90 km (56 mi) southeast of the Crescent Group. With most parts submerged, the reef measures approximately 18 by 5 km (11 by 3 mi) from east to west and from north to south, respectively. Bombay Reef encloses a deep lagoon with rocks on its edge.
- Bremen Bank: Located 24 km (15 mi) north of Bombay Reef, this submerged shallow bank measures approximately 23 km (14 mi) in length from northeast to southwest. The shallowest area reaches a depth of about 12 metres (39 ft) and is located in the southwestern part of the bank.
- Discovery Reef: Measuring approximately 27 km (17 mi) in length from east to west, and 7 km (4 mi) from north to south, the reef is located about 18 km (11 mi) south of the Crescent Group. Completely submerged, the elongated ring structure is the largest single reef in the Paracel Islands. The reef has two large, deep openings into the lagoon on its southern side.
- Itis Bank: Located 11 km (7 mi) south of the Amphitrite Group, this shallow bank measures approximately 5 km (3 mi) in length with an average depth of 12 m (39 ft).
- Lincoln Island: Surrounded by a coral reef, located 37 km (23 mi) southeast from the Amphitrite Group, the island is covered with brushes and fairly high trees, including coconut palm trees. The depth increases sharply on the northern and eastern sides of the island but the southern and south western regions are shallow. An observation post on the western side was found by officers of the German government surveys in 1883. In 1948, Great Britain requested France for permission to use the feature for military exercises.
- North Reef: Situated approximately 56 km (35 mi) north from the Crescent group and about 70 km (43 mi) west-northwest from the Amphitrite group, the reef is the most northwesterly feature of the Paracel Islands. Most part of the reef is submerged. Ruggedly, rocks are around the edge and barely above water. There is a passage into the lagoon on the southwestern side of the reef.
- Passu Keah: This small reef encloses a shallow lagoon and is located about 12 km (7 mi) south of the eastern side of Discovery Reef, approximately 37 miles (60 km) east-northeast from Triton Island. The sand cay measures 9 km (6 mi) in length.
- Triton Island: The sand cay supports vegetation and stands on a steep-sided coral reef measuring 1.5 km (1 mi) in length. This southernmost island of the Paracel Islands lies far away from the rest and is situated about 56 km (35 mi) southwest of Discovery Reef.
- Vuladdore Reef: Mostly submerged, this reef is orientated from east to west and measures 12 km (7 mi) and approximately 3 km (2 mi) in length and width. Lying near the center of the Paracel Islands, this feature is locatedabout 18 km (11 mi) west-northwest of Discovery Reef. Some small spiral rocks are also to be seen on the reef.
List of all geographical entities with Chinese and Vietnamese names[edit]
|English name
|Chinese name
|Vietnamese name
|Amphitrite Group
|Xuande Qundao (宣德环礁)
|Nhóm An Vĩnh
|NE of the Islands
|Woody Island
|Yongxing Dao (永兴岛)
|Đảo Phú Lâm
|Has airport, Center East
|Rocky Island
|Shidao (石岛)
|Đảo Đá
|connected to (NE of) Woody, 14m elev.
|West Sand
|Xisha Zhou (西沙洲)
|Cồn cát Tây
|NW of Amphitrite Group
|Tree Island
|Zhaoshudao (赵述岛)
|Đảo Cây
|North of Amphitrite Group
|Qilian Yu Subgroup(七连屿)
|NE of Amphitrite Group
|North Island
|Bei Dao (北岛)
|Đảo Bắc
|N of Seven Islets(1)
|Middle Island
|Zhong Dao (中岛)
|Đảo Trung
|N2 of Seven Islets(2)
|South Island
|Nan Dao (南岛)
|Đảo Nam
|N3 of Seven Islets(4)
|North Sand
|Bei Shazhou (北沙洲)
|Cồn cát Bắc
|N4 of Seven Islets(4)
|Middle Sand
|Zhong Shazhou (中沙洲)
|Cồn cát Trung
|N5 of Seven Islets(5)
|South Sand
|Nan Shazhou (南沙洲)
|Cồn cát Nam
|N6 of Seven Islets(6)
|Xixin Shazhou (西新沙洲)
|N7a of Seven Islets(7W)
|Dongxin Shazhou (东新沙洲)
|N7b of Seven Islets(7E). South of South Sand.
|Iltis Bank
|Yin Shuo Tan (银铄滩)
|Bãi Bình Sơn
|SW of Amphitrite Group
|Crescent Group
|Yongle Qundao(永乐环礁)
|Nhóm Lưỡi Liềm
|Money Island
|Jinyin Dao (金银岛)
|Đảo Quang Ảnh
|West end of Crescent Group
|Robert Island
|Ganquan Dao (甘泉岛)
|Đảo Hữu Nhật
|W side of Crescent Group
|Pattle Island
|Shanhu Dao (珊瑚岛)
|Đảo Hoàng Sa
|N of Robert Island
|Antelope Reef
|Lingyang Jiao (羚羊礁)
|Đá Hải Sâm
|W side of Crescent Group, S of Robert Is.
|Kuangzai Shazhou (筐仔沙洲)
|Lies on the southeast section of Antelope Reef
|Duncan Island
|Chenhang Dao (琛航岛)
|Đảo Quang Hòa
|S side of Crescent Group
|Palm Island
|Guangjin Dao (广金岛)
|Đảo Quang Hòa Tây
|S side of Crescent Group
|Drummond Island
|Jinqing Dao (晋卿岛)
|Đảo Duy Mộng
|SE of Crescent Group
|Shi Yu (石屿)
|(Đảo Lưỡi Liềm?)
|NE of Crescent Group
|Yinyu Zi (银屿仔)
|SE of Silver Islet
|Observation Bank
|Yin Yu (银屿)
|Bãi Xà Cừ
|NE of Crescent Group
|Yagong Dao (鸭公岛)
|Đảo Ba Ba
|SW of Observation Bank
|Quanfu Dao (全富岛)
|Đảo Ốc Hoa
|NE of Pattle, SW of Observation Bank
|Xianshe Yu (咸舍屿)
|(Đá Trà Tây?)
|W of Stone Islet
|Other features
|Triton Island
|Zhongjian Dao (中建岛))
|Đảo Tri Tôn
|SW of the Islands
|Discovery Reef
|Huaguang Jiao (华光礁))
|Đá Lồi
|S of Amphitrite Group
|Passu Keah
|Panshi Yu (盘石屿))
|Đảo Bạch Quy
|S of Discovery Reef
|Herald Bank
|Songtao Tan (嵩焘滩))
|Bãi Ốc Tai Voi
|Central South of the Islands
|Bombay Reef
|Langhua Jiao (浪花礁))
|Đá Bông Bay
|SE of the Islands
|Vuladdore Reef
|Yuduo Jiao (玉琢礁))
|Đá Chim Én
|SE of Amphitrite Group, Center of the Islands
|Bremen Bank
|Binmei Tan (滨湄滩))
|Bãi Châu Nhai
|Eastern Group
|Jehangire Bank
|Zhanhan Tan (湛涵滩))
|Bãi Quảng Nghĩa
|Eastern Group
|Neptuna Bank
|Beibian Lang (北边廊))
|Bãi Thuỷ Tề
|Eastern Group
|Pyramid Rock
|Gaojian Shi (高尖石))
|Hòn Tháp
|Eastern Group
|Lincoln Island
|Dong Dao (东岛)
|Đảo Linh Côn
|Eastern Group
|Dido Bank
|Xidu Tan (西渡滩)
|Bãi Gò Nổi
|SE of the Islands
|North Reef
|Bei Jiao (北礁)
|Đá Bắc
|NW of the Islands
Satellite images[edit]
The Chinese name Xisha (西沙), literally meaning western beach, refers to the islands' location in the west of the South China Sea. The Chinese historically called the different groups of islands here Western Beach (Xisha or Paracel Islands), Southern Beach (Nansha or Spratly islands), Eastern Beach (Dongsha or Pratas Islands) and Central Beach (Zhongsha or the Macclesfield Bank. The Paracel Islands were originally named by the Chinese as Wanglishitang (万里石塘, literally "ten thousand miles of stony ponds") according to the book Voyage with the Tail Wind (順風相送) which was based on 13th century Yuan Dynasty documentation and published during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644).[7] The same Chinese name referring to the Parecel Islands was also found in the 1430s Map of Zheng He's Voyage (郑和航海图).[8]
Hoàng Sa[edit]
The Vietnamese call the islands Hoang Sa, (黃沙 or Yellow Sands), and this name is found in historic Vietnamese documents dating back to the 15th century.[9] In the modern language system it is written as Hoàng Sa or Cát Vàng. They all have the same meaning—the Yellow Sands or the Yellow Sandbank. Before the early 19th century, the present-day Spratly Islands were treated as features of Hoàng Sa.[10][11] Only under the reign of Emperor Minh Mạng (1820–1841) when the Spratlys were distinctly delineated and officially named Vạn Lý Trường Sa (萬里長沙), the Ten-thousand-league Long Sandbank.[12][13]
Pracel and Paracel[edit]
On the "Map of Europe, Africa and Asia" published in 1598 by Cornelis Claez, an unnamed band of rocks and sandbanks are shown near the present-day location of the Paracel and Spratly Islands. About two decades later, the names Pracel and Costa de Pracel (Coast of Pracel) appeared on the Chart of Asia and eight city maps published in 1617 by Willem Jansz Blaeu, a Dutch map maker. The coast belonged to the Kingdom of Cauchi China.[14]
As early as at the beginning of the 16th century, Portuguese vessels frequented the South China Sea later followed by the Dutch, the English, the Spanish, and the French. They all wanted to become major traders in a region of great commercial opportunity that at the time was little known in the West. The name "Paracel" began to replace "Pracel" on maps and charts as the century passed. Typically, on the "Map of the coast of Tonquin and Cochinchina", made in 1747 by Pierre d'Hondt, the dangerous band of rugged rocks was labeled "Le Paracel", a French phonetic notation. Because of its peculiarity on an important water channel, Ilhas de Pracel (Pracel Islands) drew much attention from navigators and hydrographers for several centuries. In addition, recent disputes have once again inflamed the popularity of the islands; but the origination of the terminology is still only vaguely understood. There are different stories about the names but none of them provide any convincing evidence.
The report "Paracel and Spratly Islands on Charts and Maps made by Westerners" by Dr. Dai-Viet Nguyen (Nguyễn Đại Việt) of the Vietnamese Nationalist Party (Việt Nam Quốc Dân Đảng) has shed light on the origin of the terminology.[14] Part of his findings includes various citations, typically:
The coast of Brazil from Santa Catharina island to Maranluio presents a peculiarity which is worthy of remark; for it appears as though it were encircled by two bands of elevated ground (dentures de haut fonds), which, except in a few intervals, are continued throughout all its extent, and seem as if intended to defend the land from the encroachment and impetuosity of the waves, which continually lash the shores. One of these defences adjacent to the land is a ridge rocks, which forms a kind of border, extending principally from cape Frio to Maranhao. The other natural bulwark or defence of the coast is a bank, situated from 2 to 10 leagues from the land, generally of a moderate though irregular depth, which the natives term Pracel or Paracel, as all the depths are unequal and irregular where the inhabitants fish. It may be said that this Pracel the same as the recife...[15]
Off Mount Melançia (Ion. 39 degrees 18') before noticed a bank commences which thence extends all the way to the River Iguarassu, an extent of 45 leagues. This bank which is called in the country Pracel de Caracu from the name of the most considerable hamlet on this part of the coast, extends outward about 3 leagues from the shore, and is circumscribed by the depth of 6 fathoms...[16]
Ecologically, it is understood that the terminology was used to classify certain islands, rather than being used as a proper noun. Notably, that class of islands seems to possess a number of special characteristics, which may be defined as follows:
Pracel is a moderately elevated chain of islets, sandbanks, and reefs. These features are continuously distributed and stretched over a noticeable distance of tens or hundreds of kilometers in length. Pracel may not be a suitable place for human residents, but its irregular depth creates an ideal environment inhabited by fish. Pracel often forms a natural bulwark as an outer line of defense for a coast or a land.[14]
Regarding the features off the coast of the Kingdom of Cauchi China, their structure closely fits the above description. By piecing all the elements together, undoubtedly, it is the Portuguese people who purposely classified them as a pracel in their native language in the early 16th century. Pracel is an antiquated variation of the now much more common form parcel, which was used by the Portuguese navigators to designate shallow seas or sea banks, and is still widely found in the toponymy of Portuguese-speaking countries. Approximately three hundred and fifty years later, in the early-mid-19th century, Ilhas de Pracel was divided into two archipelagos. From that time onwards, the names Paracel Islands and Spratly Islands have become more popular internationally and widely used on charts, maps, and related documents.[citation needed]
Infrastructure and natural resources[edit]
|This section needs additional citations for verification. (February 2013)
Fresh water[edit]
There is limited supply of fresh water on the islands. In 2012, it was reported that China planned to build a solar-energy-powered desalination plant on the islands.[17]
Both wind and solar powered facilities exist to supply electricity on the islands.
There is a post office, hospital, bank and hostel on Woody Island. The Chinese postal zip code of the island is 572000, and the telephone area code is +86 (898).
There is an airport on Woody Island with a 2,400 metres (7,900 ft) long runway, which can handle take-offs and landings of Boeing-737s or planes of similar size. Flight services operate on the Haikou – Xisha route. There are three main roads on Woody Island as well as an 800 metres (2,600 ft) long cement bank that connects Woody Island and Rocky Island. Extensive port facilities have been constructed on Duncan Island. As of 2012, a harbour has been constructed and several seawalls built.
The island has been open for tourists since 1997 as announced by the government of China. There are two museums, a Naval Museum and a Maritime Museum, on Woody Island. In April 2012, the Vice-Mayor and officials from the Haikou Municipal Government made several announcements about developing new docking facilities and hotels within the Crescent Group of islands - on Duncan and Drummond Islands specifically.[18] Promotion of the naturally unspoilt reef system was cited as the driver for new tourism potential with other such reefs, such as the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, now placed under threat of extinction due to human activities.[19] However this was disputed by the Chinese National Government in Beijing due to sensitivities surrounding the islands.[20]
Territorial disputes and their historical background[edit]
The sovereignty of the archipelago has been the subject of disputes between China, Taiwan, and Vietnam since the 20th century. Around the mid-19th century, after conquering Vietnam, France subsequently took over and administered the islands on behalf of her colony.[citation needed] Between 1881 and 1883 the German navy surveyed the islands continuously for three months each year without seeking the permission of either France or China. No protest was issued by either government and the German government published the results of the survey in 1885.[21] France annexed the islands as part of French Indochina despite protests from China in the 1930s, but they were taken over by Japanese troops during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Japan renounced claims to the islands after the war and the Nationalist Chinese retook the Paracel islands in late 1946. A small Chinese platoon remained stationed on Woody Island.
After the communists gained control of China in 1949, the country occupied Woody Island, the main island of the Amphitrite group and the only island that was occupied at the time. Pattle Island, the largest of the Crescent group, on the other hand, was later taken by French Indochina and then controlled by South Vietnam following independence in 1956. Tensions over the islands have continued to rise unceasingly since then.
Military engagement[edit]
- Main article: Battle of the Paracel Islands
In 1974, the political and diplomatic dispute over the islands became an armed conflict between China and South Vietnam. On January 16, South Vietnamese naval officers and an American observer reported to Saigon some suspected military activities of the People's Liberation Army Navy on the Drummond and Duncan islands. After receiving the report, the government of South Vietnam decided to counter the Chinese forces, to defend the South Vietnamese-controlled section (the western half of the Paracels) from Chinese occupation,[22] and sent a unit of frigates to the area. On January 19, there were sea and land battles between the Chinese and Vietnamese forces with casualties on both sides. At the end, the PLAN fleet defeated the naval force of South Vietnam. With the ongoing civil war with the Viet Cong embroiling South Vietnam's attention and the absence of the USA's support, no military attempt was made to re-engage the PRC over the islands. After the military engagement and the subsequent victory, the PRC gained the entire archipelago and has taken control of Paracel Islands ever since. It was a significant turning point for the PRC but the sovereignty dispute on the islands remains unresolved with Vietnam.
Historical perspectives[edit]
|Wikisource has original text related to this article:
There are some Chinese cultural relics in the Paracel islands dating from the Tang and Song dynasty eras,[23][note 1] and there is some evidence of Chinese habitation on the islands during these periods.[24] According to the Wujing Zongyao, a book published in the Northern Song dynasty in 1044, the Song government then included the Islands in the patrol areas of the Navy of the Court.[25]
In 1279, the Yuan Dynasty emperor sent the high-level official and astronomer, Guo Shoujing, to the South China Sea to survey and measure the islands and the surrounding sea area. Guo's base of survey was located in the Paracel Islands. His activities were recorded in the Yuan Shi, or History of Yuan. According to the Yuan Shi, the South China Sea islands were within the boundary of the Yuan Dynasty. Maps published in the Yuan era invariably included the Changsha (the Paracels) and the Shitang (the Spratlys) within the domain of Yuan.
|Wikisource has original text related to this article:
Relevant local annals and other historic materials of the Ming (1368–1644) and the Qing (1644–1912) dynasties continued to make reference to the South China Sea islands as China's territory.[citation needed] The Qiongzhou Prefecture (the highest administrative authority in Hainan), exercised jurisdiction over the Paracel and Spratly Islands in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The Sino-French treaty of 1887 between Qing China and France, who had occupied Indochina by that time, expressly provided that the islands east of a delimitation line, known as the Sino-Tonkin delimitation line, should belong to China, whereas the Paracel and Spratly Islands are located east of the delimitation line.[citation needed] In 1910, the Qing government decided to invite Chinese merchants to contract for the administration of the development affairs of the South China Sea islands, and demanded that officials shall provide protection and maintenance in order to highlight Chinese territory and protect its titles and interests.[26]
After the fall of the Qing Dynasty, the new Government of Guangdong Province decided to place the Paracel Islands under the jurisdiction of the Ya Xian County of Hainan Prefecture in 1911. The Southern Military Government in 1921 reaffirmed the 1911 decision. China continued to exercise authority over the South China Sea islands by such means as granting licenses or contracts to private Chinese merchants for the development and exploitation of guano and other resources on those islands and protesting against foreign nations' claims, occupations, and other activities.
On July 27, 1932, the Chinese Foreign Ministry instructed the Chinese Envoy to France to lodge a diplomatic protest to the French Foreign Ministry and to deny France's claims to the Paracel Islands. On November 30 of the same year, Zhu Zhaoshen, a high-level inspection official of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, issued public correspondence Number 66 to the French Consul in Guangzhou, reiterating that "it is absolutely beyond doubt that the Xisha [Paracel] Islands fall within the boundary of China". Despite repeated Chinese protests, French troops, who had colonized Indochina in the 19th century, invaded and occupied the Paracel Islands on July 3, 1938. This took place shortly after the breakout of the Second Sino-Japanese War, when China was fully engaged in resisting Japan's invasion. Three days later, on July 6, the Japanese Foreign Ministry also issued a declaration in protest of the French occupation:
The statement of Great Britain and France made respectively in 1900 and 1921 already declared that the Xisha [Paracel] Islands were part of the Administrative Prefecture of Hainan Island. Therefore, the current claims made by An'nan or France to the Xisha Islands are totally unjustifiable.
During the Second World War, Japanese expelled the French troops and took over the islands in spite of the 1938 declaration. At the end of the war (Asian-Pacific Region), Nationalist China formally retook the Paracels, Spratlys and other islands in the South China Sea in October and November 1946. In Geneva accord of 1954 Japan formally renounced all of its claims to, inter alia, the South China Sea islands which it had occupied during the World War II.[27]
15th–17th centuries[edit]
- 1460–1497, under the reign of Emperor Lê Thánh Tông, the Vietnamese began conducting commercial activities on and around Hoàng Sa, including harvesting abundant sea-products and conducting salvage operations on shipwrecks.[9]
- In 1634, under the Lê Dynasty (1527–1786), the ship Grootebroek of the Dutch East India Company sank in the vicinity of the Paracel archipelago. Using a small boat, captain Huijch Jansen and 12 sailors managed to reach Annam, territory of Lord Nguyễn Phước Nguyên (1613–1635), to seek rescue for other castaways remained on the islands.[28]
- 1680–1705, Lord Trịnh Căn instructed Đỗ Bá Công Đạo to publish Thiên Nam tứ chí lộ đồ (天南四至路圖), an encyclopedia consists of 4 series of maps that detail routes from Thăng Long, capital of Đại Việt, to other countries in the Southeast Asia. Part of this work was based on the Hồng Đức Atlas (Hồng Đức Bản Đồ) developed during the time of Emperor Lê Thánh Tông (1460–1497). This encyclopedia was considered one of the oldest and rarely preserved Vietnamese documents regarding the islands. The volume "Đường từ phủ Phụng Thiên đến Chiêm Thành" (The Route to Champa from Phụng Thiên Province), remarkably described the archipelago with maps. For instance, a statement found in the volume read "In the middle of the sea, there is a long sandbank called Bãi Cát Vàng, which is approximately 400-league long and 20-league wide rising up above the sea." Bãi Cát Vàng means Hoàng Sa, Golden Sandbank.[9][29]
- In the 18th century, under instructions of the Nguyễn Lords, the salvage operations officially started with the formation of Hoàng Sa and Bắc Hải Companies. Their responsibility was to carry out the mission at Hoàng Sa (Golden Sandbank) and Vạn Lý Trường Sa (Ten-thousand-league Long Sandbank) respectively. This effort was continued thereafter with successive establishments of other naval task units in accordance with strategic policies toward the two archipelagos under the Nguyễn Dynasty. Noticeably, a number of naval battles between the Dutch fleet and the Nguyễn Royal Navy occurred in 1643 and 1644. The Hoàng Sa naval task unit consisted of 70 men recruited from An Vĩnh and An Hải villages of Quảng Ngãi, while the majority of members of the Bắc Hải Company came from Bình Thuận province.[9][12][30][31]
- In 1776, the Phủ Biên Tạp Lục (撫邊雜錄), the Miscellaneous Records on the Pacification of the Frontiers, published by Lê Quý Đôn, a philosopher, an encyclopaedist, and a Minister of Construction of the Lê Dynasty (1527–1786). These six volumes detail the Nguyễn Dynasty's territories, including the exploitation of the Paracel and Spratly Islands from 1702 onwards.[9][30][31]
- 1777–1784, when traveling to Cochin China, Father Jean-Baptiste Grosier recorded his impression about maritime activities of the Vietnamese from Huế, Đà Nẵng, and Quảng Ngãi. The abbot Grosier wrote that the people from those ports were excellent and cleverest navigators in this Kingdom. One of their activities was making long distance sailing every year to the long chain of islands and rocks known as the Paracels to collect debris from shipwrecks.[32]
- 1802–1820, under the reign of Emperor Gia Long, the territory of his kingdom included Tonkin, Cochin China, part of Cambodia, and "certain islands off the coast including the well known Paracels which bear such an evil reputation as a source of danger to navigation in the China Seas."[33]
- In 1807, the East India Company sent Captain Daniel Ross to Cochin China to survey the Paracel Islands. Upon arriving to the kingdom, he presented a letter of introduction entrusted by the English company to the reigning king, who was believed to be Emperor Gia Long at that time.[34] Subsequently, Captain Ross completed chartering the south coast of China in 1807, the Paracel Islands in 1808, part of the coast of Cochin China in 1809, and the coast of Palawan in 1810. Most notably, in his surveys published in 1821 under the title "(South) China Sea, Sheet I & II", the Spratly Islands was referred to as The Dangerous Ground, and was later renamed as Storm Island on the 1859 edition of the chart.[35] Separately, in another document, the "Correct Chart of the China Sea", published by Herbert in 1758, the Paracel archipelago was described as a long group of islands and reefs extending from 13 to 17 degrees North, which approximately correspond to the geographic latitudes of the present-day Spratly and Paracel Islands, respectively.[35] It is quite clearly that the captain himself, and probably most navigators of his time, did not differentiate the two archipelagos, but instead had delineated the present-day Spratly Islands as part of the Paracels. Captain Daniel Ross was a well known hydrographer of the Navy of Government of English Bengal and founder of the Bombay Geographical Society.[36]
- In 1815, Emperor Gia Long ordered Phạm Quang Anh's Hoàng Sa naval task unit to sail to the islands to make surveys and report on maritime routes and draw up maps.[31][37]
- In 1816, according to Jean-Baptiste Chaigneau, Emperor Gia Long officially claimed the sovereignty of the Paracel Islands, which would include the present-day Spratly archipelago. These two islands were later delineated distinctly under the reign of his successor, Emperor Minh Mạng. Chaigneau was one of the most respected advisors to Emperor Gia Long. He spent more than 30 years in Cochinchina and became the first French Consul to this kingdom in 1821.[38]
- In 1821, the Lịch triều hiến chương loại chí (歷朝憲章類誌) published by Phan Huy Chú, a historian, an encyclopaedist, and an officer of the Ministry of Construction in the time of emperor Minh Mạng. This remarkable work was prepared in 10 years (1809–1819) and consisted of 10 volumes. One of them, the Địa Dư Chí volume, details territories of Dai Nam Kingdom. In 1838, he published the Đại Nam Thống Nhất Toàn Đồ, the Unified Đại Nam Complete Map, that distinctly delineated Vạn Lý Trường Sa (the Ten-thousand-league Long Sandbank) and Hoàng Sa (the Golden Sandbank).[12]
- In 1833, Emperor Minh Mạng ordered Ministry of Construction to build a temple, erect steles, and plant many trees on the islands for navigation purposes.[31][37]
- In 1834, Emperor Minh Mạng ordered Trương Phúc Sĩ, a naval task unit commander, accompanied by 21 men sailing to the islands to survey and draw map of Hoàng Sa.[9]
- In 1835, Emperor Minh Mạng issued a royal ordinance to order 24 troops to the Paracel Islands. The royal ordinance has been preserved by generations of Đặng family and was publicly disclosed in early 2009.[39]
- In 1835, the King ordered Phạm Văn Nguyên's naval task unit, accompanied by workers from Bình Định and Quãng Ngãi provinces, to build Hoàng Sa temple with a wind screen and erect steles on Bàn Than Thạch (Bàn Than Rock) of the present-day Woody Island. The mission was completed in 10 days. Notably, about 33m southwest from the erection, there was a little ancient temple where a stele engraved with the words "Vạn Lý Ba Bình" found. This inscription means Ten Thousand Leagues of Calming Waves. The date of the actual erection of the ancient temple remains unknown[31][37]
- In 1836, Emperor Minh Mạng received a report from his Ministry of Construction that recommended a comprehensive survey of all the East Sea islands because of their "great strategic importance to our maritime borders."[31][40] The King ordered Phạm Hữu Nhật, a royal navy commander, to erect a wooden stele on the islands. The post was engraved with the following inscription: The 17th of the reign of Minh Mạng by the royal ordinance commander of the navy Phạm Hữu Nhật came here to Hoàng Sa for reconnaissance to make topographical measurements and leave this stele as record thereof.[31][37]
- In 1838, Bishop Jean-Louis Taberd published the "Latin-Annamese Dictionary". The dictionary contains the "An Nam Đại Quốc Họa Đồ" (The Great Annam Map). In the neighborhood of the present-day coordinate of the islands, words found on the map read "Paracel seu Cát Vàng" (Paracel or Cát Vàng). Cát Vàng means Hoàng Sa, Golden Sands or Golden Sandbank.[13]
- In 1842, Hai Lu Do Chi, a historical Chinese document was written in the 22nd year of the reign of the Daoguang Emperor (1820–1850) of the Qing Dynasty (1644 to 1912) of China. A statement found in this book read: Wang Li Shi Tang (万里石塘) is a sandbank rising above the sea. Several thousand leagues in length, it forms a rampart on the periphery of the Kingdom of Annam. Wang Li Shi Tang means Ten-thousand-league Long Sandbank.[31]
- In 1858, Napoleon III ordered French troops to attack Tourane, the present-day Đà Nẳng city. Subsequently, France launched more attacks and forced Cochin China and some provinces in the South to become her colonies. The French Indochina was formed in 1887 and consisted of Tonkin, Annam, Cochin China, and Cambodia.
- 1895–1896, German vessel Bellona and Japanese ship Imezi Maru sank at the islands. Chinese fishermen looted and resold them at Hainan. These countries protested but local Chinese authorities, the Governor of Liang Guang, denied any responsibilities on the ground that the Paracels were abandoned and belonged to neither country.[31]
20th-century events[edit]
- In 1930, France claimed the islands on behalf of its protectorate based on the fact that Emperor Gia Long had officially taken possession of the Paracel Islands in 1816, and that Emperor Minh Mạng had sent a mission to build a temple and erect steles there in 1835.[41]
- In 1932, French Indochina and the Nguyen dynasty of Vietnam annexed the islands and set up a weather station on Pattle Island.[41]
- In 1939, the Empire of Japan invaded and occupied the islands from the French. The official reason for the Japanese invasion was that the islands were Chinese territory and Japan was at war with China.[41]
- After World War II, Nationalist China reaffirmed its sovereignty over the islands like other islands in the South China Sea, and dispatched patrol force to the islands, but this was challenged by the French.
- After the fall of the nationalist regime in China in 1949, the Chinese gained control of the eastern half of the Paracel islands. Several small clashes occurred between the French and the communist Chinese naval forces during this period, but eventually a de facto line of control was established with the Chinese occupying Woody Island and the Macclesfield Bank while the remainder were held by Franco-Vietnamese forces.
- In 1951, at the international Treaty of San Francisco conference, Vietnam's representative claimed that both the Paracels and Spratlys are territories of Vietnam, and was met with no challenge from all nations at the event. However, neither mainland China nor Taiwan participated at the conference. Separately, the Taiwan negotiated and signed its own treaty with Japan regarding the islands on April 29, 1952.[41]
- In 1954, according to the Geneva Agreements, which was signed by a number of nations including China,[42][43] Vietnam was partitioned into two states, North Vietnam and South Vietnam. The 17th parallel was used as the provisional military demarcation line, which was effectively extended into the territorial waters. The Paracel archipelago lies below this line and belongs to South Vietnam accordingly.
- In 1956, after the French's withdrawal, South Vietnam replaced the French to have control of the islands. Again, both China and Taiwan politically and diplomatically condemned the decision and reaffirmed their control over the islands. Although the South Vietnamese inherited the same French claim over the entire Paracel Islands, the period was marked by the peace and both sides held onto what was in their control without venturing into other's domain. At the same time, maps and other official documents of the North Vietnam government during this period had shown that the islands belong to China,[44] mainly due to the fact that China was the largest backer of North Vietnam during the Vietnam War.
- On September 4, 1958, the government of China proclaimed the breadth of its territorial sea to be twelve nautical miles (22 km) which applied to all its territory, including the Paracel and Spratly Islands. Ten days later, the prime minister of North Vietnam, Phạm Văn Đồng, in his letter to Zhou Enlai stated that his government had recognized declaration of the Chinese government. Regarding this letter, there have been many arguments on its true meaning and the reason why Phạm Văn Đồng decided to send it to Zhou Enlai. One important fact is that the letter while accepting the 12-nautical-mile (22 km) principal for the limit of territorial waters of China, has never mentioned a word about how the territorial boundary was defined and thus leaving the dispute on South China Sea islands as its status quo for later settlement. In an interview with BBC, Dr. Balazs Szalontai provided an insight into this issue: "The general context of the Chinese declaration was the United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea, held in 1956, and the resulting treaties signed in 1958, such as the Convention on the Territorial Sea and Contiguous Zone. Understandably, the PRC government, though not being a member of the U.N., also wanted to have a say in how these issues were dealt with. Hence the Chinese declaration of September 1958. In these years, North Vietnam could hardly afford to alienate Communist comrad China. The Soviet Union did not give any substantial support to Vietnamese reunification, and neither South Vietnamese leader Ngo Dinh Diem nor the U.S. government showed readiness to give consent to the holding of all-Vietnamese elections as stipulated by the Geneva Agreements. On the contrary, Diem did his best to suppress the Communist movement in the South. This is why Pham Van Dong felt it necessary to take sides with China, whose tough attitude toward the Asian policies of the U.S. offered some hope. And yet he seems to have been cautious enough to make a statement that supported only the principle that China was entitled for 12-mile (19 km) territorial seas along its territory but evaded the issue of defining this territory. While the preceding Chinese statement was very specific, enumerating all the islands (including the Paracels and the Spratlys) for which the PRC laid claim, the DRV statement did not say a word about the concrete territories to which this rule was applicable. Still, it is true that in this bilateral territorial dispute between Chinese and Vietnamese interests, the DRV standpoint, more in a diplomatic than a legal sense, was incomparably closer to that of China than to that of South Vietnam".[45] Some international scholars argued that, Pham Van Dong who represented North Vietnam at that time has no legal right to comment on a territorial part which belonged to the South Vietnam (according to the Geneva Agreements). Therefore, the letter has no legal value and is considered as a diplomatic document to show the support of the government of North Vietnam to the PRC at that time.[46]
- On January 19, 1974, the Battle of the Paracel Islands occurred between China and South Vietnam. After the battle, China gained control over the entire Paracel Islands.
- In 1982, Vietnam established Hoang Sa District in Quang Nam-Da Nang covering these islands.[47][48]
21st-century events[edit]
In July 2012 the National Assembly of Vietnam passed a law demarcating Vietnamese sea borders to include the Paracel and Spratly Islands.[49][50] In response to the Vietnamese move, Beijing announced the establishment of the prefecture-level city of Sansha covering the Paracel and Spratly Islands. The Philippines and Vietnam promptly lodged diplomatic protests strongly opposing the establishment of the Sansha City under Chinese jurisdiction.[51][52]
In April 2013, a representative from the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry's National Boundary Commission gave a diplomatic note to a representative of the Chinese Embassy in Hanoi demanding that China cancel its plan to bring tourists to the Paracel archipelago.[53]
In popular culture[edit]
- The film Storm in the South Sea (南海风云)[54][55] was produced in China in 1976, showing the Battle of the Paracel Islands in 1974.
- Battlefield 4, a 2013 first-person shooter video game, includes a map based on the Paracel Islands, titled "Paracel Storm".[citation needed]
FIPS country code[edit]
The FIPS 10-4 country code for the Paracel Islands is PF.
See also[edit]
- Battle of the Paracel Islands
- Đà Nẵng
- Sansha
- South China Sea
- South China Sea Islands
- Spratly Islands
- ^ Hainan was a part of Guangdong by then.
- ^ (Chinese) 民政部关于国务院批准设立地级三沙市的公告-中华人民共和国民政部
- ^ Paracel Islands Population - Demographics
- ^ J. B. Nicolas-Denis d'Apres de Mannevillett, Instruction sur la navigation des Indes-Orientales et de la Chine, pour servir au Neptune oriental, Chez Demonville, Paris, 1775. Retrieved April 6, 2009.
- ^ Young men's Catholic Association, Catholic progress, Vol. 7, Burns and Oates, London, 1878. Retrieved April 6, 2009.
- ^ Michael Sullivan, The meeting of Eastern and Western art, Revised and expanded edition. Retrieved April 6, 2009.
- ^ The Overall Survey of the Ocean's Shores, Appendix 1 China in Southern Island 万生石塘 annotated as the Paracel Islands by J.V.Mills, White Lotus Press ISBN 974-8496-78-3
- ^ Title: Liang zhong hai dao zhen jing / [Xiang Da jiao zhu].Imprint: Beijing :Zhonghua shu ju : Xin hua shu dian Beijing fa xing suo fa xing, 2000 reprint edition. Contents: Shun feng xiang song—Zhi nan zheng fa. (順風相送--指南正法). ISBN ISBN 7-101-02025-9. pp96 and pp253. The full text is available from wikisource
- ^ The Overall Survey of the Ocean's Shores, appendix 1 China in Southern Island 万里石塘 was annotated as "Paracel Islands" by J.V.Mills, White Lotus Press ISBN 974-8496-78-3
- ^ a b c d e f Tập San Sử Địa, Đặc Khảo Hoàng Sa và Trường Sa – A Special Research on Paracel and Spratly Islands, Geographical Digest, Vol 29., Saigon, 1974. Reproduced version. Retrieved on 4-13-2009
- ^ Saxe Bannister, A Journal of the First French Embassy to China, 1698–1700, Thomas Cautley Newby Publisher, 1859. Retrieved on 4-25-2009.
- ^ Conrad Malte-Brun, Universal geography, Vol. 2, John Laval and S.F. Bradford, Philadelphia, 1829. Retrieved on 4-25-2009.
- ^ a b c Phan Huy Chú, The Encyclopedia Lịch Triều Hiến Chương Loại Chí, 1821. Translated into modern Vietnamese from Chinese by Nguyen Tho Duc, Saigon, 1972
- ^ a b Jean Louis, Dictionarium Anamitico-Latinum et Latino-Anamiticum, 1838
- ^ a b c Nguyễn Đại Việt, Paracel and Spratly Islands on Charts and Maps made by Westerners, 2009.
- ^ Albin René Roussin and Ernest Mouchez, Sailing directions for the coast of Brazil, included between Maranhao and Rio Janeiro, James Imray and Son, London, 1875.
- ^ John Purdy, The new sailing directory for the Ethiopic or southern Atlantic ocean, R. H. Laurie, London, 1855.
- ^ "Construction tensions in the South China Sea". Asia Times. October 26, 2012.
- ^ BBC News - China approves dock project in disputed Paracel islands
- ^ Paracel Islands
- ^ China official denies plans for Paracel Islands tourism - The China Post
- ^ François-Xavier Bonnet, Geopolitics of Scarborough Shoal. IRASEC, Bangkok. November 2012, Geopolitics of Scarborough Shoal
- ^ Thomas J. Cutler, The Battle for the Paracel Islands, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD. Retrieved on 4-24-2009.
- ^ Museum of Guangdong Province (1974.10). "Briefing Investigation Report of Guangdong Province Xisha Islands' Culture Relics". Culture Relics: 1–29, 95–102. Retrieved November 28, 2008.
- ^ Han, Zhenhua; LI Jinming (1990.04). "Niangniang Temple and Corallite Little Temple in Paracel and Spratly Islands". Southeast Asian Affairs: 86. Retrieved November 28, 2008.
- ^ /zixun_73156.html "我国对西沙南沙群岛主权的历史和法理依据".
- ^ Myron H. Nordquist, John Norton Moore, University of Virginia, "Security flashpoints: oil, islands, sea access and military confrontation", pp. 165–174.
- ^ Myron H. Nordquist, John Norton Moore, University of Virginia, "Security flashpoints: oil, islands, sea access and military confrontation", p174-185
- ^ W.J.M. Buch, La Compagnie des Indes Néerlandaises et l'Indochine, pp.134–135, 1936, Persee. Retrieved May 4, 2009.
- ^ Đỗ Bá Công Đạo, Toàn Tập Thiên Nam Tứ Chí Lộ Đồ Thư, Translated into modern Vietnamese from Chinese by Buu Cam, Hồng Đức Bản Đồ, Saigon, 1962.
- ^ a b Lê Quý Đôn, The Encyclopedia of Thuận Hóa and Quảng Nam Phủ Biên Tập Lục, 1776. Translated into modern Vietnamese from Chinese by Le Xuan Giao, Saigon, 1972.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Monique Chemillier-Gendreau, Sovereignty Over the Paracel and Spratly Islands, p36, p37, p68, p69, p71, p72, p74, Kluwer Law International, ISBN 90-411-1381-9. Retrieved August 4, 2009
- ^ Jean-Baptiste Grosier, De la Chine ou Description Générale De Cet Empire, p. 16, 3rd Edition, Chez Pillet, Imprimeur Libraire, Paris, 1818. Retrieved August 4, 2009
- ^ Richard Simpson Gundry, China and Her Neighbours, p.3, Chapman and Hall Ltd., 1893, London. Retrieved July 4, 2009
- ^ J. J. Higginbotham, Selections from the Asiatic Journal and Monthly Register for British India and its Dependencies: "A Cuccinct Historical Narrative of the East India Company's Endeavours", Vol. 13, p.447, 1822, Higginbotham & Co. Retrieved August 4, 2009
- ^ a b David Hancox et al., A Geographical Description of the Spratly Islands and an Account of Hydrographic Surveys Amongst Those Islands, Marine Time Briefing, Vol. 1–6, pp. 31–32, International Research Unit. Retrieved November 4, 2009.
- ^ L. S. Dawson, Memoirs of Hydrography, Part I, p.43, 1750–1850, The Imperial Library, Eastbourne. Retrieved August 4, 2009
- ^ a b c d The Encyclopedia of Nguyễn Dynasty History "Đại Nam Thực Lục Chính Biên", 1848 (Part I), 1864 (Part II), 1879 (Part III).
- ^ J. B. Chaigneau, Le Mémoire sur la Cochinchine, 1820.
- ^ Tìm thấy sắc chỉ cổ về Hoàng Sa, BBC, Retrieved February 4, 2009.
- ^ Khâm Định Đại Nam Hội Điển Sự Lệ, The Great Encyclopedia of History of the Nguyễn Dynasty
- ^ a b c d Stein Tonnesson, International Peace Research Institute, Oslo, The South China Sea in the Age of European Decline, pp. 3–4, 12, 40–41, Modern Asian Studies, Cambridge University Press, United Kingdom, 2006. Retrieved on 4-13-2009.
- ^ 1954: Peace deal ends Indo-China war, BBC News. Retrieved on 4-23-2009.
- ^ Robert B. Asprey, War in the Shadows, IUniverse, 2002. ISBN 0-595-22594-2. Retrieved on 4-23-2009.
- ^ Myron H. Nordquist et al., University of Virginia, Center for Oceans Law, Security Flashpoints, pp.142–143, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 1998. Retrieved on 4-17-2009.
- ^ Về lá thư của Phạm Văn Đồng năm 1958 BBC Vietnamese 2008—01-24
- ^ Giải pháp cho Việt Nam về Công hàm của ông Phạm Văn Đồng? RFA Vietnamese 2008-09-17
- ^ (Vietnamese)"Huyện đảo Hoàng Sa". Da Nang City. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
- ^ "The Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagoes and international law 1988". Authority of Foreign Information Service of Vietnam. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
- ^ China gets tough as Vietnam claims disputed islands, Australia Sun-Herald, June 23, 2012(archived from the original on 2012-06-22)
- ^ Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
- ^ "Statement of the Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam: Vietnam opposes the establishment of the so-called "Sansha City."". mofa.gov.vn. June 21, 2012. Retrieved July 24, 2012.
- ^ "Philippines summons Chinese ambassador to protest Sansha city.". Sina[[{{subst:DATE}}|{{subst:DATE}}]] [disambiguation needed]. July 6, 2012. Retrieved July 24, 2012.
- ^ Vietnam asks China to end tourism plan in Hoang Sa — TalkVietnam
- ^ 《南海风云》_互动百科
- ^ 南海风云【华语电影】 – 专辑 – 优酷视频
- (1686) Do Ba Cong Dao (translated by Buu Cam), "Toan Tap Thien Nam Tu Chí Lo Do Thu ", Hong Duc Ban Do, Saigon, 1962.
- (1776) Le Quí Don (translated by Le Xuan Giao), "Phu Bien Tap Luc", Saigon, 1972.
- (1821) Phan Huy Chu (translated by Nguyen Tho Duc), "Lich Trieu Hien Chuong Loai Chí", Saigon, 1972.
- Jean Louis TABERD, "Note on the Geography of Cochinchina", Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal, Calcutta, Vol. VI, 9/1837.
- (1838) Jean Louis TABERD, "Additional Notice on the Geography of Cochinchina", Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal, Calcutta, Vol. VII, 4/1838, pp 317 – 324.
- (1849) GUTZLAFF, "Geography of the Cochinchinese Empire", Journal of The Geographical Society of London, vol the 19th, p93.
- Vietnamese Claims to the Truong Sa Archipelago. Todd C. Kelly, August 1999.
- Dr. Phan Van Hoang's historical and geographical analysis on Vietnam and China's claims on the Paracels – Vietnamese language link
Further reading[edit]
- Menon, Rajan, "Worry about Asia, Not Europe", The National Interest, Sept–Oct 2012 Issue, September 11, 2012
External links[edit]
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to Paracel Islands.
- Sovereignty over the Paracel and Spratly Islands, by Monique Chemillier-Gendreau
- Website about Paracels and Spratly
- CIA World Factbook for Paracel Islands
- Territorial claims in the Spratly and Paracel Islands
- A Collection of Documents on Paracel and Spratly Islands by HoangSa.Org
- Paracels Islands Dispute
- A Collection of Documents on Paracel and Spratly Islands by Nguyen Thai Hoc Foundation
- Vietnamese language link

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Mission comes first for Soldiers in the Army.
Troopers in 3rd Squadron "Thunder", 3d Cavalry Regiment, take time to worship despite their busy work schedule in the field.
Troopers from 3d Cavalry Regiment were recognized for their outstanding performance during the III Corps First Quarter rifle marksmanship competition awards ceremony March 28 in front of the III Corps Headquarters building. This multi-day competition was created.
. .
Read More
"Shoot; move; communicate; kill - becoming proficient in these skills takes long hours of training."
More than 270 Soldiers from 3rd Squadron "Thunder" 3d Cavalry Regiment, took part in a
live-fire gunnery March 18-28 at training areas on post. The gunnery is designed to hone combat skills in a . .
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text:
(cliquez ici pour la version française)
Part 2 in a four-part look at those players who may have played their last game for their respective team and what a move will mean from a fantasy hockey standpoint.
Los Angeles Kings
UFA's – Kyle Calder, Derek Armstrong, Matt Moulson, Denis Gauthier
RFA's – Teddy Purcell, Brian Boyle, Kevin Westgarth, Jack Johnston
Outgoing – All the UFA's are gone, ensuring that Purcell and Oscar Moller have permanent spots on the team.
Of Fantasy Note – Boyle will battle Trevor Lewis for the last forward spot, although there are other contenders, depending on how the draft goes. Don't count out Brad Richardson possibly getting cut if another youngster really shines in camp.
Minnesota Wild
UFA's – Marian Gaborik, Stephane Veilleux, Krys Kolanos, Martin Skoula, Marc-Andre Bergeron, Kurtis Foster, Tomas Mojzis, Nolan Schaefer
RFA's – Benoit Pouliot, Peter Olvecky, Dan Fritsche, Dan Irmen, Josh Harding
Outgoing – The post-Gaborik era begins and the team better hope they find a decent sniper to replace him or they'll never make the playoffs. Keep an eye out for a Josh Harding offer sheet. With the money they are already paying Niklas Backstrom, the Wild would be reluctant to pay Harding even $3 million – and he'll be eager to jump ship given the grim outlook for his getting any starts in Minnesota.
Of Fantasy Note – It's wide open. With a new coach yet to be named and new star player – also yet to be named – it's difficult to peg how the Wild will look fantasy-wise. A new GM will mean that the coach will feel zero obligation to put Pouliot in the lineup, thus making him a dropsy. There will also be a different perspective on what to do with James Sheppard – if he won't be good enough to garner 14 minutes a game next year, the team will have no qualms about giving him some time in the AHL rather than sit at the end of the bench.
Montreal Canadiens
UFA's – Alex Tanguay, Alexei Kovalev, Robert Lang, Saku Koivu, Tom Kostopolous, Francis Bouillon, Mathieu Dandenault, Mike Komisarek, Mathieu Schneider, Patrice Brisebois, Doug Janik, Alex Henry, Marc Denis
RFA's – Chris Higgins, Tomas Plekanec, Guillaume Latendresse, Matt D'Agostini, Kyle Chipchura, Greg Stewart
Outgoing – The Habs could really wipe the slate clean if they so choose. In order of likelihood, Koivu, Tanguay, Lang and Schneider are most likely to be back. Komisarek will be too hard to keep and they'll be outbid badly.
Of Fantasy Note – With a new coach and all new players, this is as wide open as it is with the Wild. The youngsters will play a more prominent role – Max Pacioretty, D'Agostini and even Ben Maxwell could make the team.
Nashville Predators
UFA's – Steve Sullivan, Radek Bonk, Vern Fiddler, Scott Nichol, Joel Ward, Jed Ortmeyer, Greg DeVries, Greg Zanon, Ville Koistinen, Drew McIntyre
RFA's – Ryan Jones, Cal O'Reilly, Antti Pihlstrom, Alexander Sulzer
Outgoing – Sullivan will put up 60 points in 65 games no matter where he plays, if he goes anywhere. The rest of the guys on that UFA list are probably gone.
Of Fantasy Note – Pay attention to O'Reilly's contract, as if it is a one-way deal he makes a good dark horse. If Alexander Radulov returns (and we should know within two months), we may not see Sullivan back in Nashville.
New Jersey Devils
UFA's – Brian Gionta, John Madden, Bobby Holik, Mike Rupp, Brendan Shanahan, Barry Tallackson, Niclas Havelid, Johnny Oduya, Kevin Weekes, Scott Clemmensen
RFA's – Travis Zajac, Petr Vrana, P-L Leblond, Patrick Davis, Andy Greene
Outgoing – The Devils have a habit of keeping the core of their team together, so I expect Gionta and Oduya to be back. They'll sign Clemmensen to be their backup if he can't find a starting job somewhere else. The rest are probably gone. By notching two assists in his last playoff game, Shanahan may have bought himself another year in the league…somewhere. As far as RFA's go, Zajac is an offer sheet candidate.
Of Fantasy Note – If Gionta does go, it leaves a huge hole that Niklas Bergfors or Mattias Tedenby will have a shot at filling. Oduya on a new team could be a 45-point rearguard.
New York Islanders
UFA's – Mike Sillinger, Andy Hilbert, Dean McAmmond, Mitch Fritz, Ben Walter, Kurtis McLean, Mike Iggulden, Thomas Pock, Joe Callahan, Chris Lee, Joey MacDonald, Yann Danis
RFA's – Nate Thompson, Blake Comeau, Trevor Smith, Jeremy Colliton, Jack Hillen, Jamie Fraser, Peter Mannino
Outgoing – I could see all the UFA's going, although the Isles are partial to Sillinger and McDonald. Also, look for them to buy out Jon Sim. I have my doubts that the team is willing to qualify Hillen at such a high salary.
Of Fantasy Note – Kyle Okposo will be huge next year playing with John Tavares. If Hilbert signs with Pittsburgh, he'll be put on a line with Crosby. The two clicked in a big way at the end of 2006-07. Whoever the team brings in as a backup, he should be good for 40 starts, given DiPietro's Band-Aid Boy-ness.
New York Rangers
UFA's – Blair Betts, Colton Orr, Nik Antropov, Patrick Rissmiller, Mark Bell, Paul Mara, Derek Morris
RFA's – Nik Zherdev, Lauri Korpikoski, Corey Potter, Fredrik Sjostrom, Brandon Dubinsky, Ryan Callahan, Joe Barnes
Outgoing – Although the Rangers are interested in re-signing Antropov, he'll demand big money on the open market. When he signs big money, he'll be thrust onto the first line of whatever team he signs with and it will mean bigger numbers. Mara could also be back. They may buyout Dan Girardi. I can't see the Rangers qualifying Zherdev at those kinds of dollars, but they won't let him go for nothing – that situation will bear watching. Markus Naslund is foregoing his final year and retiring from the NHL.
Of Fantasy Note – If Antropov goes, Artem Anisimov will get 45 points next year. If he stays, Anisimov will get 35 points next year. With Naslund gone, the team will give star prospect Evgeni Grachev a very long look.
Ottawa Senators
UFA's – Mike Comrie, Chris Neil, Luke Richardson
RFA's – Brendan Bell, Brian Elliott
Outgoing – The Sens won't be in a hurry to keep Comrie, but will keep Neil if the price is right. They don't have a lot of salary cap room though, so look for Neil to move elsewhere.
Of Fantasy Note – Ryan Shannon will be on the team and is a dark horse for 50 or more. They need his cheap $600K salary on their roster. Unless they move Jason Spezza, it will be tough for them to sign any player for even $2 million. Expect lots of cheap solutions like Shannon.
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August 09, 2011
Story at a Glance
Media Contacts
WHAT/WHO: Mayor Vincent C. Gray; Harry E. Johnson, President/CEO, Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation; The Honorable Eleanor Holmes Norton , U.S. Congresswoman; Rev. Walter E. Fauntroy, President, National Black Leadership Roundtable; Rev. Willie F. Wilson, National Director, National Action Network March on Washington; Wade Henderson, President, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, The Leadership Conference Education Fund; Maudine Cooper, President, Greater Washington Urban League; and Ryan Washington, Youth Mayor-Elect will unveil preparations for the events leading up to the dedication of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial on Sunday,
August 28.
WHEN: Wednesday, August 10, 2011
WHERE: Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Site
Ohio Drive and Basin Drive, SW
Washington, DC 20024
LOGISTICS: Due to active construction, the site is only accessible via Gate 4 – at the intersection of Ohio Drive and West Basin Drive, SW. Flat, closed-toe shoes are encouraged. A small number of vehicles can be accommodated on West Basin Drive
south of Gate 4. Directions to press conference: westbound on Independence Avenue, SW toward the Lincoln Memorial; left on Ohio Drive, SW; left on West Basin Drive. The Weekly City Hall Press Briefing will not take place.
BACKGROUND: The District of Columbia is partnering with the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. as the city prepares to host hundreds of thousands of people expected to attend the dedication of the
Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial on August 28 and dedication week events leading up to the historic day. Special activities are planned specifically for DC residents.


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Ridgway's Cory Thomsen Competes in Grand Junction Saturday
RIDGWAY – You could call 8-year-old Ridgway dirt-bike rider Cory Thomsen a prodigy. Or you could just call him preternaturally self-possessed and confident on the foot pegs of his snarling 50cc KTM dirt bike.
Thomsen's already a veteran. He's been the Durango-based WeBe Racing Series champion in the 7-10 year-old age bracket the last two years running. This Saturday, June 29, he's racing in the SRAC (Sports Riders Association of Colorado) Supercross event at the Mesa County Fairgrounds.
And he's articulate. "It's going to be in the big cowboy stadium. At night, with lights. The track is man-made, with some tight turns and some wide, and a lot of jumps and rollers. It's really fun. With a big crowd it's really fun."
Cory, and his dad, Chris, and his mom, Katrina, who moved to Ridgway five years ago from Telluride, travel to motocross events together. "We sleep in our trailer. It's not big, but it's fun.
"My dad works on my bike. He's the only mechanic I have."
In Supercross, the racers all line up at the start together, maybe 16 or 18 racers, and blast off when the barriers drop. "You have to try to get the hole shot," Cory says, get out in front right away. "If a guy passes you, you have to hang and try to pass him back.
My bike is a 50cc junior bike. No. 17. It is really loud. If you have confidence, it goes really fast; it's a race bike. If you have confidence, you do what the bike wants you to do."
On July 20, Cory will be going full throttle again at Powderhorn ski resort, in another WeBe Series race.
In late August he goes back to school, as a third-grader at Ridgway Elementary School.


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SBA Looking For Emerging Leaders to Grow Their Small Businesses and Lift Underserved Communities
by ngoriel, Community Moderator
- Created: February 14, 2013, 1:10 pm
- Updated: February 14, 2013, 1:11 pm
For the sixth consecutive year, the U.S. Small Business Administration is seeking small businesses to partake in its highly successful Emerging Leaders executive-level training initiative that provides them with the tools they need to sustain and grow their businesses.
Recruitment Underway
Local recruitment for the 2013 training cycle is underway now at SBA district offices, and classes are scheduled to begin in April. For a list of participating cities and to get more information about the Emerging Leaders initiative, go to www.sba.gov/emergingleaders or contact your local SBA District Office in that area.
Initiative is Growing
The initiative has expanded to some 27 cities and communities across the U.S. Since 2008 the Emerging Leaders initiative has helped more than 1,300 promising small business owners in underserved communities attend classes and graduate, increase their revenue, create jobs, and help drive local economic growth.
These training classes attract participants from all types of entrepreneurial disciplines and industries from all over the country, and are part of just one of many programs the SBA offers nationwide to help spark small business growth and create jobs. Watch this three-minute video that includes testimony by entrepreneurs who have benefitted from the initiative.
Showing Results
The Emerging Leaders initiative has been a catalyst for expanding opportunities for both urban small business owners and Native American communities. Sixty-seven percent of surveyed participants reported an increase in revenue, while 75 percent of those surveyed reported maintaining or creating new jobs in their communities. Surveyed participants also reported having secured more than $26 million in new financing for their businesses, and an increase in confidence when applying for government contracts. As a result, nearly half of the initiative graduates reported securing federal, state and local contracts, worth more than $330 million.
Educating and Training
The seven-month training includes approximately 100 hours of classroom time per participant and provides the opportunity for small business owners to work with experienced mentors, attend workshops and develop connections with their peers, city leaders, and financial communities. This year SBA will launch an Emerging Leaders alumni network to continue the business-to-business connection and continuous learning.
About the AuthorHi, my name is Natale and I'm serving as a Moderator for the SBA Community. Our goal is to continually improve this site to meet your needs, so we appreciate your feedback and participation.
noithatgooccho | Window Shopper | 3/17/2014 - 10:55 pm
Choice Care | Window Shopper | 2/19/2013 - 8:12 pm
Internet, Skype and Web Chat? Or other electronic formats? It might open up
the trainings to more people and more opportunities to grow.
JGabriel | Community Moderator | 3/6/2013 - 12:44 pm
GregAW | Window Shopper | 2/17/2013 - 7:31 am
and Los Angeles area. The capital is never on list like this. They may as
well move the Governor to LA and the Legislature to San Francisco.
SherylE | Window Shopper | 2/16/2013 - 5:48 am
time in business but not the other two criteria: number of employees and
funds area. I think this certainly would be an awesome learning for myself as
well as my volunteer Program Manager.
Natale, quick question, the website indicates that selected locations are
established based on funding - could we not get this training in my location
if I supported the funding piece? According to what I read briefly, 100 in
class hours are required so I'm assuming the remaining curriculum is
available online. I would love to participate in this.
We have some awesome Entrepreneurs and small business owners in the Northwest
region of NC who could certainly use this training to build and grow their
small business. This could spark a growth in our area by allowing us to add
to our professional knowledge plus lean more about opportunities to enhance
our business to the point of being able to hire employees; a win-win for this
section of NC's small business and individuals looking for work in the near
future. I, very excitedly look forward to your comments.
JGabriel | Community Moderator | 3/6/2013 - 12:47 pm
SherylE | Window Shopper | 2/16/2013 - 5:35 am
opportunity within our local SBA office. Very exciting and needed resource.
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A credit card is required to secure the reservation.
You have up to 2days prior to arrival to cancel the reservation without charge. If the reservation is cancelled within 48 hours prior to arrival you will be charged 1 night stay. Same day cancellations, no shows or early check out will result in 1 night charge.
Check in: 12:00
Check out: 11:00
Payment: credit card will be charged on arrival day
Aristoteles Hotel
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Bargain rates from October to March, BOOK NOW!Hotel Dioskouros is located in the quiet area of plaka, just a stones throw away from numerous Greek style tavernas and shopping alleys. We offer shared bathrooms and s.......
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The median home value in Centralia, IL is $53,300.
This is
lower than
the county median home value of $70,600.
The national median home value is $152,300.
The average price of homes sold in Centralia, IL is $53,300.
Approximately 54.78% of Centralia homes are owned,
compared to 31.53% rented, while
13.69% are vacant.
Centralia real estate listings include condos, townhomes, and single family homes for sale.
Commercial properties are also available.
If you see a property you're interested in, contact a Centralia real estate agent to arrange a tour today!
Learn more about Centralia Real Estate.
A great opportunity to be your own boss and own one of the most successful and well-known restaurants in Centralia; operated since 1975, Burger Haven is known for its "What-A-Burger" and serves a large variety of sandwiches, side orders and salads; it sits on one of the most traveled streets in town; the sale also includes a home directly behind the restaurant, ideal to live in or provides add'l income as a rental unit; an add'l lot located at 904 N Elm included as well and is where the large billboard stands which directs you to Burger Haven if you northbound through town; sales have increased every year for the past 5 years; sellers ready to retire or would not be selling this business!
This property was appraised in February 2013 at $427,000. New rubber roof in 2012 & it is guaranteed for 20 yrs. It is fully insulated. It has 800 AMPS. The replacement cost is $915,000. Could add the electrical aggvagete which is a special rate. The square ft. for Parcels 14-00-050-200 & 14-00-050-205 is 80x120. Seller will sell contract for deed with $30,000 down & pay off in 10 years. Will sell at 4% interest & the interest rate is good until Oct. 2017.
Comfort and Quality are 2 words that describe this 5 bedroom, 4 bath home sitting on 8 acres with unbelievable landscaping. Every aspect of this home has been meticiuosly planned & picked out to afford the owner comfort and great detail. With the gorgeous galley kitchen you find reasons to cook and a large dining area to entertain your family and friends. The oversized great room has large cathedral ceilings, stone fireplace with game room atop. Step out through the french doors to a large colored stamped private patio. You will enjoy the view along with some wild life. There is no way of providing you with all the custom features this home has to offer through photos. Please call to hear about the additional custom features this home offers or set up a private showing today.
On Centralia Lake, a great view and access to the lake include a large boat dock/deck. Includes an upstairs 16 x 24 deck a downstairs deck and a concrete patio 27 x 12 for lounging. A wet bar with mini fridge off the family room. Master bath tub has aeration jets. Truly a dream house on the lake. #1266
If your looking for a super clean and well maintained home in the Western park of town, don't miss this great opportunity. The home has a nice open floor plan and the master bedroom has a large walk in closet. Also included with the property is a 13' x 16' detached shed for extra storage. The back yard adjoins a farm field.
This beautiful home is located in one of Centralia's most sought after neighborhood. It features 4 bedrooms, an open floor plan with a bonus family room that has a gas fireplace and it opens to a patio. It has a full finished basement with another large family room for entertaining. In addition it has a storage shed to store your lawn equipment and it has a detached carport. This home also has a new roof.
One of Centralia's most unique and charming Tudor style home with a one of a kind architectural design. Interior design is charming throughout, sunken living room with fireplace. It is a must see...
4 bedroom brick home is located in one of Centralia's premier subdivisions and is within walking distance of Foundation Park.This home is tastefully decorated with many updates and a very nice modern twist. It also offers a large living room and family room in the walkout basement with plenty of room for the family to spread out.Call today for your private showing.
This building has a great location, prior use was a medical building but would also make a great office building. Offers plenty of room and storage plus a partial basement.
Real Living Vandalia Real Estate, Inc
1442 N. 8th St.
Vandalia, IL 62471
Email Us | Visit our Real Estate Website


text:
April 25, 2014
Freshmen Justin Anderson, Teven Jones, and Evan Nolte all set career highs in scoring as Virginia topped North Texas 80-64 Tuesday night.
Virginia had five players score in double figures. Joe Harris had 12 points for the Cavaliers and Darion Atkins added 10.
Virginia shot 59 percent from the field, including 73 percent from 3-point range, and held North Texas to 36 percent.
After trailing by 20 at the half, North Texas cut the lead to nine on a 3-point play by Jordan Williams, but Virginia responded with a 10-2 run to pull away.
After playing six games in 12 days, the Cavaliers don't play again until November 28, when they travel to Wisconsin as part of the ACC/Big Ten/Challenge.
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Hope for the best, plan for the worst. This Freeze Dried Food Kit comes prepared with 180 hunger-squelching meals when food is scarce.
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Survival Cave® 180-meal FreezeDried Emergency Food Kit
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Saint Men Open PBC Campaign with 92-90 Win Over Armstrong
SAVANNAH, Ga. – The North Georgia College & State University men's basketball team recorded its third win in a row Saturday afternoon as the Saints held on to claim a 92-90 victory over Armstrong Atlantic State University in both teams' Peach Belt Conference opener.
The win improves North Georgia to 6-2 overall and gives the Saints a 1-0 record in the conference while the Pirates fall to 4-4 overall and 0-1 in PBC action.
Both teams shot around 45% from the field with the Saints putting together a 44.7% (34-76) performance from led by Ishmael Hollis' game-high 23 points.
The junior transfer played all but five minutes of the game and went 9-17 from the field that included four three-pointers which was also a game-high. The Bufford, Ga. native also brought down seven rebounds and had three blocks.
In total, four other North Georgia players finished with double-digit point totals including starters Corey Green and Travis Core with 12 and 11 points respectively. Scott Windom and Chris Tanzy both came off the bench to score 15 and 13 points each. Tanzy led the team with seven assists and six steals.
Armstrong shot 45.5% (35-77) from the field in the game but only went 5-19 (26.3%) from three-point range.
Aric Miller, who entered the game as one of the best players in NCAA Divisin II during the early part of the season, led the Pirates with 22 points off a 9-22 outing while Eric Eversley finished with a double-double that included 14 points and 11 rebounds. Eversley went 5-8 from the field and was a perfect 3-3 from the charity stripe while all of his 11 rebounds came off the defensive glass.
Darius Morales led all players with six blocked shots.
Just like the final score, the game was extremely close for all 40 minutes with North Georgia taking a 51-44 lead into the locker room at the halftime buzzer.
The Saints were able to stretch their lead out to 10 points at one points in the second half and, despite scoring five fewer points than the Pirates in the second stanza, never trailed after taking a 20-18 lead off one of Hollis' four three-pointers with 11:52 remaining in the opening half of play.
North Georgia will close out the 2012 portion of their season with a 7:30 p.m. game against Flagler College in St. Augustine, Fla. on Monday, Dec. 17. The game will be part of basketball doubleheader with the women playing first at 5:30 p.m.


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It's a perfect spot for a quiet cup of coffee and to plunk down a laptop to do some work.
In what used to be Connell Funeral Home in south Bethlehem, Cafe the Lodge also serves up made-to-order paninis and homemade soups, salads and breakfast dishes, all created by veteran chef Allen Singer.
Lining the walls of the warmly decorated and natural-light-filled cafe are large portraits of famous Americans, including Abraham Lincoln, who thrived while dealing with mental illness.
"Our mission is to take away the stigma," says Aaik Van Munster, program director of the Lodge.
What makes Cafe the Lodge unique as a business is its dedication to providing work (and a sense of purpose) for those with mental illness.
So here's some history: A supportive housing program for people living with mental illness, The Lodge, was set up in 2010 by Resources for Human Development Inc., contracted by the Northampton County Department of Mental Health.
The participants were placed in apartments in south Bethlehem.
But they needed something else — meaningful employment and a sense of purpose and belonging.
In 2011, RHD bought the former Connell Funeral Home on Fourth Street near Filmore Street and converted the building into a state-of-the-art café.
Cafe organizers took baby steps over the course of last year to set up the cafe. They gutted the funeral home and equipped it for food service.
Slowly it opened to the public and earlier this month, Cafe the Lodge held a grand opening event.
The impact of mental illness on the U.S. is undeniable. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 25 percent of all Americans have some form of mental illness.
Those who staff the cafe participate in the Lodge housing program and work flexible part-time shifts. Their salaries are paid through the profits made in the cafe (no different from any other restaurant).
While the cafe has a clear mission, it is also a business.
"We are here to attract a customer base," Van Munster says. "The coffee is great. The Cuban sandwich is great. We're not playing shop. This is not make pretend."
Singer, who was the head chef at Susan's Catering where he worked for 16 years, brought his wealth of culinary experience to the cafe. He created the menu (good food made simply and freshly) and trained the staff.
"It's been my most enjoyable job," says Singer of heading up the kitchen at the Cafe the Lodge.
Signature dishes include the aforementioned and highly recommended Cuban sandwich (marinated pulled roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, aioli spread, served on pan de aqua) and jambalaya. For breakfast, Singer told me he also likes his spiced oatmeal. He's also known for his soups, which change throughout the week.
Cafe the Lodge also provides catering services and has a small private room for meetings. There's also a lovely outdoor space they are planning to use this summer.


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text:
Greening Your Small Business
How to Improve Your Bottom Line, Grow Your Brand, Satisfy Your Customers - andSave the Planet
Paperback | $19.95 | add to cart | view cart
ISBN 9780735204461 | 320 pages | 03 Nov 2009 | Prentice Hall Press | 8.26 x 5.23in | 18 - AND UP
Additional Formats:
- eBook - ePub eBook: $16.99
Summary of Greening Your Small Business Summary of Greening Your Small Business Reviews for Greening Your Small Business An Excerpt from Greening Your Small Business
The ultimate resource for small business owners who want to go green without going broke."I have had a chance to see Jennifer in action. Her commitment to and knowledge of environmental issues combined with the vital ability to connect with consumers, make her a true leader in the 'green business' movement."
Greening Your Small Business is the definitive resource for those who want their small businesses to be cutting- edge, competitive, profitable, and eco-conscious. Filled with stories from small business owners of all stripes, Greening Your Small Business addresses every aspect of going green, from basics such as recycling, reducing waste, energy efficiency, and reducing the IT footprint, to more in-depth concerns such as green marketing and communications, green business travel, and green employee benefits.
For companies too small to hire consultants to draft and implement green policies and practices, this guide is designed for easy use, featuring:
Simple ways to make the workplace greener
Two plans of action for going green (divided into two levels)
Definitions for green terminology and jargon
-John T. Friedman, Board Chair, Sustainable Business Network of Washington (SB NOW)
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Soft Structured Carriers
Angel Pack LX Organic Soft Structured Baby Carrier (Chocolate Sherbert)
" I bought my angel pack about 4 years ago. The price tag may sound a bit steep but for a product that continue to use and reuse I think it has more then paid for itself. With my first child we purchased a popular brand and model and after about 3-6months we gave it away and only used it maybe 2-3 times. It was bulky, complicated and uncomfortable. The angel pack was a..." --eclipsegrafx
BABYBJORN Original Organic Baby Carrier with Bib
The BABYBJÖRN Baby Carrier Original Organic carries your baby close and keeps your hands free for other tasks, while giving you an choice. Made with organic cotton, this carrier is just as gentle on the earth as it is on your little one. The unique two-piece design allows you to place your baby in the carrier without any assistance. Baby Carrier Original OrganicAt a Glance: ...
BABYBJORN Baby Cotton Mix Carrier
Babybjörn baby carrier miracle is the perfect choice for you and your little miracle when you want to carry your child in superior comfort in a variety of ways for lengthier periods of time. The entirely new and adjustable design, with ergonomic waist belt and back support, allows the baby carrier to be adapted to your needs as baby develops and gains weight.
Onya Baby The Outback Baby Carrier - Olive Green / Chocolate Chip
Whether you're out with your child wandering the urban jungle or hiking with them in the hills, the Outback offers a more performance-oriented approach to the soft-structured carrier. A durable, water-resistant, rip-stop nylon exterior and air-mesh lining makes it perfect for hot weather or hiking the trails. Parent and child will stay cooler with the air-mesh lining, which wicks away...
Onya Baby The Cruiser Baby Carrier - Dove Gray / Chocolate Chip
Cruising through your day with your child in a versatile, soft cotton baby carrier is what it's all about. Whether it's a visit to the park, a long walk on the beach, or a quick stop at the farmer's market, it's designed to carry your child on your front or back. The Cruiser has an integrated seat that fits on most chairs, so you can enjoy meals together without having to...


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DENVER APARTMENTS FOR RENT, BEAUTIFUL ONE AND TWO BEDROOMS FOR RENT IN DOWNTOWN DENVER! Luxury Lofts with...
Source: Front Range Classifieds
|Luxury rental lofts that inspire. The best restaurants, the hottest nightspots, the coolest corner hangouts. Floor plans where urban chic meets downtown cool. It's life without limits at the signature LoDo rental address. PET POLICY: Cats-NR fee of $200 Refundable deposit of $200 Monthly pet rent $20. Maximum number of pets per apartment: Refundable deposit of $300 Monthly pet rent $30. Call for breed rest. More InformationAd ID: 72256_4Contact: Housing HelpersPhone: 303.545.6000
- Location: 80202
- City: Denver
- Office Name: Housing Helpers
- Office Phone: 1-800-795-5937


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|The Purge (2013)
|0 min(s)
2013-06-07 (Theater)
|Ethan Hawke Lena Headey Adelaide Kane Max Burkholder Edwin Hodge
|Mystery & Suspense Science Fiction & Fantasy
|IMDB Link
If on one night every year, you could commit any crime without facing consequences, what would you do? In The Purge, a speculative thriller that follows one family over the course of a single night, four people will be tested to see how far they will go to protect themselves when the vicious outside world breaks into their home. In an America wracked by crime and overcrowded prisons, the government has sanctioned an annual 12-hour period in which any and all criminal activity-including murder-becomes legal. The police can't be called. Hospitals suspend help. It's one night when the citizenry regulates itself without thought of punishment. On this night plagued by violence and an epidemic of crime, one family wrestles with the decision of who they will become when a stranger comes knocking. When an intruder breaks into James Sandin's (Ethan Hawke) gated community during the yearly lockdown, he begins a sequence of events that threatens to tear a family apart. Now, it is up to James, his wife, Mary (Lena Headey), and their kids to make it through the night without turning into the monsters from whom they hide. Directed by James DeMonaco (writer of Assault on Precinct 13 and The Negotiator), The Purge is produced by Jason Blum of Blumhouse (Paranormal Activity, Insidious, Sinister), Platinum Dunes' partners Michael Bay, Brad Fuller and Andrew Form (The Amityville Horror, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre), as well as Sebastien Kurt Lemercier (Assault on Precinct 13).(c) Universal
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Powerscourt Uphill
Wednesday 18 May, 2011
7 (2,3,2) - Moderate Terrain, >500M ascent, 6Km - 10Km
- Route fully marked
Never run
Leinster League
Starts at Crone Wood Car Park. Grid ref is O193142.
Uphill only race finishing on Djouce. The race will finish at 2030 due to daylight restrictions and runners needing to return from summit. There will be an early start at 1900. If you normally have a finish time greater than 160% of the race winners you should start early. If you are still climbing at 2030 you will be asked to turn back for safety reasons.
JUNIOR COURSE - this will finish at the big tree, just where the route joins the Wicklow Way on the downhill section from Crone (O193123). Approx distance 3k, 230m climb. Return along the Wicklow Way.
Important Info
KIT REQUIREMENT - a light rainjacket (with hood) is required. As any one who raced last year will know, the descent can get cold. A random inspection will take place at the start and you will not be allowed to race without one.
EARLY START - for safety reasons, the summit officials will return at 2030. If you are still racing at this time, you will be asked to turn back. However, an early start at 1900 will be available - those who normally finish in more than 160% of the winner's time are advised to take this option.
RETURN - for safety reasons, competitors must return along the Wicklow Way. This brings the total distance to over 12k.
Glencormac Inn, Kilmacanogue
The route does not follow the Wicklow Way in Crone Woods but joins up just above the Dargle river. Do not cross the the WW stile on the way uphill from the river. Due to the bad erosion on the last stretch up Djouce, please keep to the man-made path.


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While it was initially believed that WWE would host Extreme Rules 2014 in Seattle, in order to capitalize on the popularity of Daniel Bryan at the moment, that has been confirmed to be false, as an announcement has now been made that the pay per view will be held in New Jersey instead.
Reports indicated that Vince McMahon was planning on hosting Extreme Rules 2014 in Seattle, but a representative from the Key Arena, the venue rumored to host the event, has issued a public statement, denying that WWE has booked the show there.
Since WWE changed up the plans and decided to put Extreme Rules 2014 in Seattle, it appears that the company is looking to build the pay per view event around Daniel Bryan, as management feels that he should be able to draw a massive reaction from his home crowd.
With the way he has responded to Konnan, Sid Vicious has called Curtis Axel an embarrassment to Curt Hennig and the family name.


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EDIT: Thank god I'm done with that.
Welcome... to Jurassic Pa- I mean, Mr. Stewart's house.
And you're gonna need a serious mop to clean up all this blood.
It's Friday and we've brought a Reign of Fire and then an Amazon Fire and then... boobs.
We have a reasonable dialogue about people having a reasonable dialogue about Luftrausers' aesthetic. Alex talked about Wrestlemania? I dunno, I passed out.
The sound design of the early films is a huge part of why they've remained so memorable.
If we're never going to get another X-Wing or Tie Fighter game, maybe someone else can fill the gap.
Are John Saxon and Kareem Abdul-Jabar coming as DLC too? What about Fred Durst?
Alex prepares for the PAX East Royal Rumble by playing AKI's first WWF game for the N64, and inadvertently gives his opponents a whole lot of scouting material in the process.
We started an hour late, the sound was cut off for several minutes, and the stream crashed at the end. Mission accomplished.
We question whether Nintendo has finally turned a dark corner, ruminate over the lessons of Threes, and discuss the week's big news.
And this trailer just put the biggest, dumbest grin on my face.
That's right, Mr. Boss, Brad's got you right where he want--WAIT WHERE ARE YOU GOING?
The Four Horsemen of the Co-Opalypse rain destruction down on dungeons, monsters, and each other.
Jeff, Vinny, Brad, and the other half of Team Italy, Giancarlo Varanini, stand by for TowerFall.
Nothing goes together like Metal Gear and a video game adaptation of the movie My Girl.
The monstrous creatures waiting for us in 2015 are actually much closer nearby.
We run the latest new simulator through its paces, and as an expert, I'd say this is fairly accurate.
Another rainy day in New York City won't stop Jeff and Vinny from beaning each other with baseballs.
And just the kind of relaxation I need after finally finishing Dark Souls II.
I think I'm feeling the new piranha plant weapon most out of what new stuff they show here.
To celebrate this news, here's a new story trailer that's loaded with pathos and stabbing.
It's a third-person shooter that we've seen the likes of many times before, though.
Some of these look real, some look purely conceptual, and some actually look pretty cool.
Shoot dudes, save the world, get paaaaaaiiiiiid.
The team behind the original Tentacles: Enter the Dolphin (and, more recently, Max: The Curse of Brotherhood) are developing this sequel for Windows 8 devices.
Use your keyboard!
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