fiery cross reef
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.37 in modern English
25
Scrabble Score
14
Letters
1
Syllables
8
Unique Chars
Meaning
name
A reef and artificial island in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, administered as part of Sansha, Hainan, China, and claimed by the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.
Example Sentences
- "Dr. Collingwood, in his "Rambles of a Naturalist," describes a scene of marvellous submarine beauty in the China seas. He speaks of Fiery Cross Reef on a day when the sea was so calm that the ship’s anchor could be distinctly seen sixty or seventy feet from the surface. Rowing over a two-fathom patch, he allowed the boat to drift slowly, and gazed on the sea treasures beneath him."
- "Fiery Cross Reef is about 14 nmi long. U.S. Defense Mapping Agency charts indicate that it is submerged at high tide in its natural state,⁴⁷ but other sources claim it has one rock at its southwest end that is about the size of a table and is 0.6 meter above water at high tide.⁴⁸ This reef has been converted into an artificial island and now contains a supply base, a helipad, a 300-meter pier capable of handling 4,000-ton ships, and an ultra-modern oceanographic observation station that can receive and transmit messages through satellites and provide vital meteorological data to passing aircraft and ships.⁴⁹"
- "China's landing of an aircraft at Fiery Cross Reef has already drawn criticism from its neighbors, among them Vietnam, which said China's move violated Hanoi's sovereignty. The Philippines, a US ally, said Monday it was also considering a formal protest."
- "On Fiery Cross Reef, a complex of buildings with Chinese eaves was arrayed at the center of the reclaimed island, including an exhibition-style hall with an undulating roof. It looked like a typical newly built town in interior China — except for the radar domes that protruded like giant golf balls across the reef. A military-grade runway ran the length of the island, and army vehicles trundled across the tarmac. Antenna farms bristled."
- "Sansha City has two districts, both created in April 2020.²¹² The Xisha District (西沙区) People’s Government is based on Woody Island and has jurisdiction over the Paracel Islands and Zhongsha Islands.²¹³ The Nansha District (南沙区) People’s Government is based on Fiery Cross Reef and has jurisdiction over the Spratly Islands.²¹⁴ Each district assumably has a district party committee as well.²¹⁵ Though publicly available information on these new districts is scarce, the establishment of Xisha District and Nansha District will likely improve Sansha’s administrative capacity and expand localized policymaking.²¹⁶"