West Philippine Sea
| West Philippine Sea | |
|---|---|
| Kanlurang Dagat ng Pilipinas (Filipino) | |
An outdated map showing the approximate area corresponding to the official extent of the West Philippine Sea. Also included is the international treaty limits (red line as per the 1898 Treaty of Paris) and the Spratly Islands which is often designated as the Kalayaan Island Group in Philippine maps (green line as per Presidential Decree No. 1596 of 1978). The international treaty limits under the Treaty of Washington (1900), which retroactively included the outlying territories outside the Treaty of Paris of 1898 and is one of the many basis for the Philippine claim on Scarborough Shoal and the Spratly Islands, is not included in the outdated map. | |
West Philippine Sea West Philippine Sea West Philippine Sea West Philippine Sea | |
| Coordinates | 13°N 118°E / 13°N 118°E |
| Etymology | After the Philippines (name officially adopted by the Philippine government on September 5, 2012 pursuant to Administrative Order No. 29.) |
| Part of | South China Sea (Philippine-claimed EEZ only) |
| Islands | Scarborough Shoal and Spratly Islands (disputed territories) |
West Philippine Sea (Filipino: Kanlurang Dagat ng Pilipinas; or Karagatang Kanlurang Pilipinas; abbreviated as WPS) is the designation by the government of the Philippines to the parts of the South China Sea that are included in the country's exclusive economic zone. The term was originally used in the 1960s to refer to the body of water off the eastern coast of the Philippines. The name was later repurposed in the mid-2000s by the Philippines to refer to the body of water to its west surrounding the Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal due to territorial disputes with the People's Republic of China. The Philippine government officially mandated the use of West Philippine Sea in 2012.