The South China Sea holds more than 250 small islands, reefs, and shoals. Because maritime law grants fishing and resource rights to all waters within 200 nautical miles of a nation's coastline, countries seek to establish a presence on even the smallest islands.
Increasingly, these vibrant coral reefs have been turned into militarized bases by countries seeking ownership and claims in the disputed waters.
This page shows a satellite's perspective on the development of these islands using publicly-available data from the European Space Agency.