Lankiam Cay

Lankiam Cay
Geography
Location	South China Sea
Coordinates	10°43′N 114°32′E / 10.717°N 114.533°E
Archipelago	Spratly Islands
Administration
	Philippines

Lankiam Cay 10°43′N 114°32′E / 10.717°N 114.533°E / 10.717; 114.533 (Tagalog: Panata, literally "oath"; Chinese: 杨信沙洲; pinyin: Yangxin Shazhou; Vietnamese: đá An Nhơn) is the smallest of the naturally occurring Spratly Islands. It has an area of 0.44 hectares (1.1 acres) (4,400 sq. m), and is located about 7 nautical miles (13 km; 8.1 mi) east-northeast of Philippine-occupied Loaita (Kota) Island,^[1] just west of the north of Dangerous Ground.^[2]

The island is administered by the Philippines as part of Kalayaan, Palawan, and is the eighth largest of the Philippine-occupied islands. It is also claimed by the People's Republic of China, the Republic of China (Taiwan), and Vietnam.

Environment

At one time the island had a surface area of more than 5 hectares, but strong waves brought by a strong typhoon washed out the sandy surface (beach) of the island leaving behind the calcarenite foundation that can be seen at low tide. It has a wide lagoon.

Philippine occupation

The island is guarded by soldiers stationed at nearby Loaita Island who regularly visit. It is kept under observation from a tall structure on Loaita Island.

The location of this outpost, which the Philippines calls Panata Island, is often misreported as being on Lankiam Cay, to the east of Loaita Island. While reports suggest Lankiam was once a small sandy cay, it appears to have been washed away, leaving only a submerged reef and a small, shifting sand bar. If there was ever a Filipino facility there, it was moved to Loaita Cay and took the name “Panata Island” with it.^[3]