How Many Islands Does China Have? The 1985 Baseline

According to the 1985 Islands of China survey by the State Oceanic Administration, China claims approximately 5,000 islands of 500 m² (5,380 ft²) or larger.

Key Context

• Definition matters: 500 m² threshold excludes smaller islets/rocks. Lower thresholds yield higher counts.
• Major archipelagos: Zhoushan (1,390+ islands), Penghu (90), Paracels (30+), Spratlys (claimed, disputed)
• Largest: Taiwan (36,193 km²) — politically contested; Hainan (33,920 km²) — undisputed
• Inhabited: ~400-500 with permanent populations

Modern Updates

Later surveys (2001, 2017) using higher-resolution mapping suggest 6,500-7,000+ features above water at high tide, but the 5,000 figure from the 1985 authoritative source remains the standard citation. The 2017 "China Sea Island Survey" cataloged 11,000+ named features including reefs and banks.

Geopolitical Note

Island counts underpin EEZ claims under UNCLOS. China's "nine-dash line" encompasses disputed Spratly/Paracel features. Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Taiwan contest various subsets.