Macclesfield Bank, also called Zhongsha Islands (Chinese: 中沙群島; pinyin: Zhōngshā Qúndǎo; literally "Central Sands Islands"), is an elongated sunken atoll of underwater reefs and shoals in the South China Sea. It lies east of the Paracel Islands, southwest of the Pratas Islands and north of the Spratly Islands. Its length exceeds 130 km (81 mi) southwest-northeast, with a maximal width of more than 70 km (43 mi). With an area of 6,448 km2 (2,490 sq mi) within the outer rim of the reef, although completely submerged without any emergent cays or islets, it is one of the largest atolls of the world.
Read more about Macclesfield Bank: Geography, Definition of Zhongsha Islands, Territorial Claims
Famous quotes containing the word bank:
“on a May morwening upon Malverne hilles
Me befel a ferly, of fairye me thoughte;
I was wery ofwandred and wente me to reste
Under a brod bank by a bournes side;
And as I lay and lenede and lookede on the watres,
I slomerede into a sleeping, it swyede so merye.”
—William Langland (1330–1400)