Ladd Reef
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Ladd Reef (Template:Langx; Mandarin Template:Zh) is a Vietnam-controlled reef in the Spratly group of islands, South China Sea. China (PRC) and Taiwan (ROC) are also claimants of the reef. Like Spratly Island, Ladd Reef lies to the west of the Philippines-defined "Kalayaan Islands" claim area.[1]
Names
The English name Ladd Reef was coined by Richard Spratly in late March 1843, after Captain Ladd of the ship Austen, who seemed to be the first to have seen the reef.[2] The Chinese name Rìjī Jiāo was coined in 1947 to replace the 1935 name Lādé Jiāo (拉德礁),[3] which was transliterated from the English name Ladd.
Geography
Ladd Reef lies west of Dangerous Ground in the western half of the Spratly Islands, to the south of Coronation Bank, southwest of West London Reef (West Reef) and Script error: No such module "convert". west of Spratly Island.[4]
This coral reef lies on a northeast-southwest axis, Script error: No such module "convert". in length, Script error: No such module "convert". in width, and spans over an area of Script error: No such module "convert".. It is entirely submerged during high tide, but there are some stones jutting out of the sea during low tide.[5]
Da Lat Island (Đảo Đá Lát)
Da Lat Island, formerly known as Da Lat Islet, is the only islet situated on a coral reef. Initially, a permanent house was constructed on the island to serve as a station for the Vietnamese Navy. In 2018, a multifunctional cultural house was built there and was completed in October of the same year.[6]
The geographical coordinates of this island, as recorded on the sovereignty marker, are 8°40′10″N 111°40′23″E (or 8.66944°N 111.67306°E). This location places it within the strategic and ecologically significant region of the South China Sea.
In early November 2022, Vietnam began land reclamation and renovation to transform Da Lat Islet into Da Lat Island.[7] As of March 2025, Da Lat Island has an estimated reclaimed land area of around 55 hectares, stretching approximately 2.4 kilometers in length, with the potential for an airport to be constructed there.[8]
Structures
The reef is uninhabited but contains a Vietnamese lighthouse (built in 1994)[9] with the inscription Hải đăng Đá Lát[10] (literally "Ladd Reef Lighthouse"). The lower portion of the lighthouse consists of quarters for a handful of Vietnamese soldiers and the lighthouse keeper.
Other information
In 1945, towards the end of the Second World War, a Dutch submarine (HNLMS O-19) ran aground on Ladd Reef.[11]
References
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- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1". (Contains a list of maritime features in the South China Sea, with their English names, and their Chinese names in 1935, 1947 and 1983.)
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