The Spanish Armed Forces (, FFAA) are the military forces of the Kingdom of Spain. The Spanish Armed Forces are a modern military force charged with defending the Kingdom's integrity and sovereignty. They consist of the Army, Navy and Air Force.

The Monarch is the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, with the title (Supreme Chief of the Armed Forces) The current Chief of the Defence Staff is General Admiral Fernando García Sánchez.

The Armed Forces are also active members of NATO, the Eurocorps, and the European Union Battlegroups.

The three main branches of the Spanish armed forces are as follows;

Spanish Army: 61,300

Spanish Navy: 23,700

Spanish Air Force: 36,800

History

The military history of Spain includes the history of battles fought in the territory of modern Spain, as well as her former and current overseas possessions and territories, and the military history of the Spanish people regardless of geography.

References

Further reading

Jane's Defence Weekly, Country Survey: Spain, JDW 18 April 1992, p. 655-onwards

External links

Foro Militar General - Spanish Military forum

Military of Spain

ar:القوات المسلحة الملكية الإسبانية ast:Fuercies Armaes d'España az:İspaniya Silahlı Qüvvələri ca:Forces Armades d'Espanya cs:Španělská armáda de:Spanische Streitkräfte es:Fuerzas Armadas de España eo:Armeo de Hispanio eu:Espainiako Indar Armatuak fa:نیروهای نظامی اسپانیا fr:Forces armées espagnoles gl:Forzas Armadas de España ko:스페인의 군사 it:Fuerzas Armadas de España hu:Spanyolország hadereje ja:スペイン軍 pl:Siły zbrojne Hiszpanii pt:Forças Armadas da Espanha ru:Вооружённые силы Испании fi:Espanjan asevoimat zh:西班牙武装力量

The armed forces of a country are its government-sponsored defense, fighting forces, and organizations. They exist to further the foreign and domestic policies of their governing body, and to defend that body and the nation it represents from external and internal aggressors. In some countries paramilitary forces are included in a nation's armed forces. Armed force is the use of armed forces to achieve political objectives.

The study of the use of armed forces is called military science. Broadly speaking, this involves considering offense and defense at three "levels": strategy, operational art, and tactics. All three levels study the application of the use of force in order to achieve a desired objective.

Organization

In most countries the basis of the armed forces is the military, divided into basic Armed services. However, armed forces can include other paramilitary structures. For example, according to the Lithuanian law on organisation of system of national defence and military service (version actual from November 11, 2004), the Lithuanian armed forces in case of war also include border guards, public police service, parts of Lithuanian Riflemen's Union and guerrillas.

Benefits and costs

The obvious benefit to a country in maintaining armed forces is in providing protection from foreign threats and from internal conflict. In recent decades armed forces personnel have also been used as emergency civil support roles in post-disaster situations. On the other hand, they may also harm a society by engaging in counter-productive (or merely unsuccessful) warfare. Expenditure on science and technology to develop weapons and systems sometimes produces side benefits, although some claim that greater benefits could come from targeting the money directly.

References

See also

Mercenary

Militaria

Military

Military fiat

Military history

Military incompetence

Military intelligence

Military dictatorship

Military junta

Military rule (disambiguation)

Military Aid to the Civil Power

Military Aid to the Civil Community

List of battles

Staff (military)

Civil-military relations

;Armed forces of the world

List of militaries by country

List of militaries that recruit foreigners

List of countries by military expenditures

List of countries by number of active troops

List of countries by size of armed forces

List of countries without an army

List of air forces

List of armies

List of navies

A

ar:قوات مسلحة an:Fuerzas Armatas az:Silahlı Qüvvələr bn:সামরিক বাহিনী be-x-old:Узброеныя сілы ca:Forces armades cs:Ozbrojené síly cy:Lluoedd arfog et:Sõjavägi es:Fuerzas armadas eo:Armeo fa:نیروهای نظامی fr:Forces armées ko:군대 hy:Զինված ուժեր id:Angkatan bersenjata it:Forza armata ka:ჯარი kk:Ұлттық Қарулы Күштер la:Vires armatae lt:Ginkluotosios pajėgos ms:Angkatan tentera nl:Krijgsmacht ja:軍隊 no:Militærvesen nn:Væpna styrkar pl:Siły zbrojne pt:Forças armadas rue:Збройна сила ru:Вооружённые силы sk:Ozbrojené sily sl:Oborožene sile fi:Asevoimat sv:Krigsmakt tt:Хәрби көчләр uk:Збройні сили vi:Lực lượng vũ trang zh:武装力量

The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around . The area's importance largely results from one-third of the world's shipping transiting through its waters, and that it is believed to hold huge oil and gas reserves beneath its seabed.

It is located

south of mainland China and the island of Taiwan,

west of the Philippines,

north west of Sabah (Malaysia), Sarawak (Malaysia) and Brunei,

north of Indonesia,

north east of the Malay peninsula (Malaysia) and Singapore, and

east of Vietnam.

The minute South China Sea Islands, collectively an archipelago, number in the hundreds. The sea and its mostly uninhabited islands are subject to competing claims of sovereignty by several countries. These claims are also reflected in the variety of names used for the islands and the sea.

Names

''South China Sea'' is the dominant term used in English for the sea, and the name in most European languages is equivalent, but it is sometimes called by different names in neighboring countries, often reflecting historical claims to hegemony over the sea.

The English name is a result of early European interest in the sea as a route from Europe and South Asia to the trading opportunities of China. In the sixteenth century Portuguese sailors called it the China Sea (''Mar da China''); later needs to differentiate it from nearby bodies of water led to calling it the South China Sea. The International Hydrographic Organization refers to the sea as "South China Sea (Nan Hai)".

In Southeast Asia it was once called the ''Champa Sea'' ''Sea of Cham'', after the maritime kingdom of Champa that flourished there before the sixteenth century. The majority of the sea came under Japanese naval control during World War II following the military acquisition of many surrounding South East Asian territories in 1941. Japan calls the sea ''Minami Shina Kai'' "South China Sea". This was written 南支那海 until 2004, when the Japanese Foreign Ministry and other departments switched the spelling 南シナ海, which has become the standard usage in Japan.

In China, it is called the "South Sea", 南海 ''Nánhǎi'', and in Vietnam the "East Sea", ''Biển Đông''. In the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia it was long called the "South China Sea" (''Dagat Timog Tsina'' in Tagalog, ''Laut China Selatan'' in Malay), with the part within Philippine territorial waters often called the "Luzon Sea", ''Dagat Luzon'', by the Philippines. However, following an escalation of the Spratly Islands dispute in 2011, various Philippine government agencies started using the neologism "West Philippine Sea". A Pagasa spokesperson said that the sea to the east of the Philippines will continue to be called the Philippine Sea.

Geography

States and territories with borders on the sea (clockwise from north) include: the People's Republic of China (including Macau and Hong Kong), the Republic of China (Taiwan), the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore, and Vietnam.

Major rivers that flow into the South China Sea include the Pearl, Min, Jiulong, Red, Mekong, Rajang, Pahang, Pampanga, and Pasig Rivers.

Extent

The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the South China Sea as follows:

''On the South.'' The Eastern and Southern limits of Singapore and Malacca Straits [A line joining Tanjong Datok, the Southeast point of Johore () through Horsburgh Reef to Pulo Koko, the Northeastern extreme of Bintan Island (). The Northeastern coast of Sumatra] as far West as Tanjong Kedabu () down the East coast of Sumatra to Lucipara Point () thence to Tanjong Nanka, the Southwest extremity of Banka Island, through this island to Tanjong Berikat the Eastern point (), on to Tanjong Djemang () in Billiton, along the North coast of this island to Tanjong Boeroeng Mandi () and thence a line to Tanjong Sambar () the Southwest extreme of Borneo.

''On the East.'' From Tanjong Sambar through the West coast of Borneo to Tanjong Sampanmangio, the North point, thence a line to West points of Balabac and Secam Reefs, on to the West point of Bancalan Island and to Cape Buliluyan, the Southwest point of Palawan, through this island to Cabuli Point, the Northern point thereof, thence to the Northwest point of Busuanga and to Cape Calavite in the island of Mindoro, to the Northwest point of Lubang Island and to Point Fuego (14°08'N) in Luzon Island, through this island to Cape Engano, the Northeast point of Luzon, along a line joining this cape with the East point of Balintang Island (20°N) and to the East point of Y'Ami Island (21°05'N) thence to Garan Bi, the Southern point of Taiwan (Formosa), through this island to Santyo (25°N) its North Eastern Point.

''On the North.'' From Fuki Kaku the North point of Formosa to Kiushan Tao (Turnabout Island) on to the South point of Haitan Tao (25°25'N) and thence Westward on the parallel of 25°24' North to the coast of Fukien.

''On the West.'' The Mainland, the Southern limit of the Gulf of Thailand and the East coast of the Malay Peninsula.

Geology

The sea lies above a drowned continental shelf; during recent ice ages global sea level was hundreds of metres lower, and Borneo was part of the Asian mainland.

The South China Sea opened after around 45 million years ago when the Dangerous Grounds (Reed Tablemount) were rifted away from southern China. Extension culminated in seafloor spreading around 30 million years ago, a process that propagated to the SW resulting in the V-shaped basin we see today. Extension ceased around 17 million years ago. Arguments have continued about the role of tectonic extrusion in forming the basin. Paul Tapponnier and colleagues have argued that as India collides with Asia it pushes Indochina to the SE. The relative shear between Indochina and China caused the South China Sea to open. This view is disputed by geologists who do not consider Indochina to have moved far relative to mainland Asia. Recent marine geophysical studies by Peter Clift has shown that the Red River Fault was active and causing basin formation at least by 37 million years ago in the NW South China Sea, consistent with extrusion playing a part in the formation of the sea. Since opening the South China Sea has been the repository of large sediment volumes delivered by the Mekong River, Red River and Pearl River. Several of these deltas are rich in oil and gas deposits.

Islands and seamounts

The South China Sea contains over 250 small islands, atolls, cays, shoals, reefs, and sandbars, most of which have no indigenous people, many of which are naturally under water at high tide, and some of which are permanently submerged. The features are grouped into three archipelagos (listed by area size), Macclesfield Bank and Scarborough Shoal:

The Spratly Islands

The Paracel Islands

The Pratas Islands

The Macclesfield Bank

The Scarborough Shoal

The Spratly Islands spread over an 810 by 900 km area covering some 175 identified insular features, the largest being Taiping Island (Itu Aba) at just over 1.3 km long and with its highest elevation at 3.8 metres.

The largest singular feature in the area of the Spratly Islands is a 100 km wide seamount called Reed Tablemount, also known as Reed Bank, in the northeast of the group, separated from Palawan Island of the Philippines by the Palawan Trench. Now completely submerged, with a depth of 20 m, it was an island until it sank about 7,000 years ago due to the increasing sea level after the last ice age. With an area of 8,866 km², it is one of the largest submerged atoll structures of the world.

Resources

It is an extremely significant body of water in a geopolitical sense. It is the second most used sea lane in the world, while in terms of world annual merchant fleet tonnage, over 50% passes through the Strait of Malacca, the Sunda Strait, and the Lombok Strait. Over 1.6 million m³ (10 million barrels) of crude oil a day are shipped through the Strait of Malacca, where there are regular reports of piracy, but much less frequently than before the mid-20th century.

The region has proven oil reserves of around 1.2 km³ (7.7 billion barrels), with an estimate of 4.5 km³ (28 billion barrels) in total. Natural gas reserves are estimated to total around 7,500 km³ (266 trillion cubic feet).

According to studies made by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Philippines, this body of water holds one third of the entire world's marine biodiversity, thereby making it a very important area for the ecosystem.

Territorial claims

Several countries have made competing territorial claims over the South China Sea. Such disputes have been regarded as Asia's most potentially dangerous point of conflict. Both People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of China (ROC) claim almost the entire body as their own, demarcating their claims within what is known as the nine-dotted line, which claims overlap with virtually every other country in the region. Competing claims include:

Indonesia, China, and Taiwan over waters NE of the Natuna Islands

The Philippines, China, and Taiwan over the Malampaya and Camago gas fields.

The Philippines, China, and Taiwan over Scarborough Shoal.

Vietnam, China, and Taiwan over waters west of the Spratly Islands. Some or all of the islands themselves are also disputed between Vietnam, China, Taiwan, Brunei, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

The Paracel Islands are disputed between the PRC/ROC and Vietnam.

Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam over areas in the Gulf of Thailand.

Singapore and Malaysia along the Strait of Johore and the Strait of Singapore.

China and Vietnam have both been vigorous in prosecuting their claims. The People's Republic of China and South Vietnam each controlled part of the Paracel Islands before 1974. A brief conflict in 1974 resulted in 18 soldiers being killed, and China has controlled the whole of Paracel since then. The Spratly Islands have been the site of a naval clash, in which over seventy Vietnamese sailors were killed just south of Chigua Reef in March 1988. Disputing claimants regularly report clashes between naval vessels.

ASEAN in general, and Malaysia in particular, has been keen to ensure that the territorial disputes within the South China Sea do not escalate into armed conflict. As such, Joint Development Authorities have been set up in areas of overlapping claims to jointly develop the area and dividing the profits equally without settling the issue of sovereignty over the area. This is true, particularly in the Gulf of Thailand. Generally, China has preferred to resolve competing claims bi-laterally, while ASEAN countries prefer multi-lateral talks, believing that they are disadvantaged in bi-lateral negotiations with the much larger China and that because many countries claim the same territory only multilateral talks could effectively resolve the competing claims.

The overlapping claims over Pedra Branca or Pulau Batu Putih including neighboring Middle Rocks by both Singapore and Malaysia were settled in 2008 by the International Court of Justice, awarding Pedra Branca/Pulau Batu Puteh to Singapore and Middle Rocks to Malaysia.

In July 2010, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called for the Peoples Republic of China to resolve the territorial dispute. China responded by demanding the US keep out of the issue. This came at a time when both countries have been engaging in naval exercises in a show of force to the opposing side, which increased tensions in the region. The US Department of Defense released a statement on August 18 where it opposed the use of force to resolve the dispute, and accused China of assertive behaviour.

Chinese objection to Indian naval presence and oil exploration

On July 22, 2011, one of India's amphibious assault vessels, the INS Airavat which was on a friendly visit to Vietnam, was reportedly contacted at a distance of 45 nautical miles from the Vietnamese coast in the disputed South China Sea, was contacted on open radio channel identifying itself as the Chinese Navy and stating that the ship was entering Chinese waters. The spokesperson for the Indian Navy clarified that as no ship or aircraft was visible from INS Airavat it proceeded on her onward journey as scheduled. The Indian Navy further clarified that "[t]here was no confrontation involving the INS Airavat. India supports freedom of navigation in international waters, including in the South China Sea, and the right of passage in accordance with accepted principles of international law. These principles should be respected by all."

In September 2011, shortly after China and Vietnam had signed an agreement seeking to contain a dispute over the South China Sea, India's state-run explorer, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) said that its overseas investment arm ONGC Videsh Limited had signed a three-year deal with PetroVietnam for developing long-term cooperation in the oil sector and that it had accepted Vietnam's offer of exploration in certain specified blocks in the South China Sea. In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu, without referring to India by name, stated as follows: “China enjoys indisputable sovereignty over the South China Sea and the island. China's stand is based on historical facts and international law. China's sovereign rights and positions are formed in the course of history and this position has been held by Chinese Government for long. On the basis of this China is ready to engage in peaceful negotiations and friendly consultations to peacefully solve the disputes over territorial sovereignty and maritime rights so as to positively contribute to peace and tranquillity in the South China Sea area. We hope that the relevant countries respect China's position and refrain from taking unilateral action to complicate and expand the issue. We hope they will respect and support countries in the region to solve the bilateral disputes through bilateral channels. As for oil and gas exploration activities, our consistent position is that we are opposed to any country engaging in oil and gas exploration and development activities in waters under China's jurisdiction. We hope the foreign countries do not get involved in South China Sea dispute.” The spokesman of the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India responded by saying that “The Chinese had concerns but we are going by what the Vietnamese authorities have told us and have conveyed this to the Chinese.” The Indo-Vietnamese deal was also denounced by the Chinese state-run newspaper Global Times.

South China Sea in astronomy

South China Sea is associated with the star Xi Serpentis in asterism ''Left Wall'', Heavenly Market enclosure (see Chinese constellation).

See also

East China Sea

South China Sea shipwrecks

Territorial disputes in South China Sea

References

Further reading

Clive Schofield et al., From Disputed Waters to Seas of Opportunity: Overcoming Barriers to Maritime Cooperation in East and Southeast Asia (July 2011)

C.Michael Hogan (2011) ''South China Sea'' Topic ed. P.Saundry. Ed.-in-chief C.J.Cleveland. Encyclopedia of Earth. National Council for Science and the Environment. Washington DC

UNEP (2007). ''Review of the Legal Aspects of Environmental Management in the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand''. UNEP/GEF/SCS Technical Publication No. 9.

Keyan Zou (2005). ''Law of the sea in East Asia: issues and prospects''. London/New York: Rutledge Curzon. ISBN 0-415-35074-3

External links

Rising Tensions in the South China Sea, June 2011 Q&A; with Ian J. Storey

News collections on The South China Sea on China Digital Times

The South China Sea on Google Earth - featured on Google Earth's Official Blog

South China Sea Virtual Library - online resource for students, scholars and policy-makers interested in South China Sea regional development, environment, and security issues.

Energy Information Administration - The South China Sea

Tropical Research and Conservation Centre - The South China Sea

Weekly Piracy Report

Reversing Environmental Degradation Trends in the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand

UNEP/GEF South China Sea Knowledge Documents

Category:Territorial disputes of the Philippines Category:Territorial disputes of the People's Republic of China Category:Territorial disputes of Malaysia Category:Territorial disputes of Vietnam Category:Territorial disputes of the Republic of China Category:Marginal seas of the Pacific Ocean Category:Disputed territories in Southeast Asia

af:Suid-Sjinese See ar:بحر الصين الجنوبي zh-min-nan:Lâm Tiong-kok Hái be:Паўднёва-Кітайскае мора be-x-old:Паўднёва-Кітайскае мора bg:Южнокитайско море bs:Južno kinesko more br:Mor Su Sina ca:Mar de la Xina Meridional cv:Кăнтăр Китай тинĕсĕ cs:Jihočínské moře cbk-zam:Mar de China cy:Môr De Tsieina da:Sydkinesiske Hav de:Südchinesisches Meer et:Lõuna-Hiina meri es:Mar de la China Meridiоnal eo:Sudĉina Maro eu:Hegoaldeko Txinako itsasoa fa:دریای جنوبی چین hif:South China Sea fr:Mer de Chine méridionale fy:Súd-Sineeske See gl:Mar da China Meridional gan:南海 hak:Nàm Chûng-koet Hói ko:남중국해 hi:दक्षिणी चीन सागर hr:Južno kinesko more ilo:Baybay Abagatan Tsína id:Laut Cina Selatan os:Хуссар Китайы денджыз is:Suður-Kínahaf it:Mar Cinese Meridionale he:ים סין הדרומי jv:Segara Cina Kidul pam:Dayat Malat ning Mauling Tsina ka:სამხრეთ ჩინეთის ზღვა kk:Оңтүстік Қытай теңізі sw:Bahari ya Kusini ya China ku:Deryaya Çîna Başûr la:Mare Sinense Australe lv:Dienvidķīnas jūra lt:Pietų Kinijos jūra hu:Dél-kínai-tenger mk:Јужнокинеско Море mr:दक्षिण चीन समुद्र ms:Laut China Selatan mn:Өмнөд Хятадын тэнгис nl:Zuid-Chinese Zee ja:南シナ海 no:Sørkinahavet nn:Sørkinahavet oc:Mar de China Meridionala km:សមុទ្រចិនខាងត្បូង pl:Morze Południowochińskie pt:Mar da China Meridional ro:Marea Chinei de Sud ru:Южно-Китайское море simple:South China Sea sk:Juhočínske more sr:Јужно кинеско море sh:Južno kinesko more su:Laut Cina Kidul fi:Etelä-Kiinan meri sv:Sydkinesiska havet tl:Dagat Luzon ta:தென்சீனக் கடல் th:ทะเลจีนใต้ tr:Güney Çin Denizi uk:Південно-Китайське море ur:بحیرۂ جنوبی چین vi:Biển Đông zh-classical:南海 war:Dagat han Salatan nga Tsina zh-yue:南中國海 zh:南海

The two thousand stripling warriors, also known as The Army of Helaman, were an army of young men described in the Book of Mormon, first mentioned in the Book of Alma. They are portrayed as extremely valiant and loyal warriors who were all reportedly wounded at one time or another, but none ever died from their wounds.

Book of Mormon

Historical roots

The story of the stripling warriors presents a juxtaposition of pacifism and militarism among believers. The Ammonite parents of the stripling warriors were the last of a thread of pacifists, dubbed such by a few modern-day readers, and martyrs in the Book of Mormon that begins with the prophet Abinadi's appearance to King Noah in the highlands of Nephi. The progression proceeds as follows:

Abinadi is martyred, sealing his testimony in his own blood, after preaching before the court of King Noah and his wicked priests. The preaching and martyrdom lead to the conversion of one of the priests, Alma. Alma and his followers fled from the armies of King Noah into the wilderness. King Noah is eventually slain and his son, Limhi, is appointed king. Limhi's people fight when they were attacked by the Lamanites, while Alma and his followers lack the power to resist and are enslaved. However, in two separate and unique ways, the people who followed Alma and Limhi eventually return to Zarahemla. Alma's son, Alma the Younger and his friends, including Ammon, is converted miraculously from a rebellious youth into a believer. Ammon and his brothers embarks on a mission to the land of Nephi, and his Anti-Nephi-Lehi converts there lay down their lives before their antagonistic attacking brethren, which leads to additional conversions. Though careful observation yields the truth that the Anti-Nephi-Lehies had already spilled the blood of others and were, in part, fearful of sinning again. (see below) Meanwhile both Alma and Ammon were experienced in battle. The missionaries and Lamanite converts migrate to Zarahemla where they are protected by the Nephite military.

Formation of the unit

The Ammonites (or Anti-Nephi-Lehies) lived in Jershon and were converted to Christianity by Ammon. They covenanted "that they never would use weapons again for the shedding of man’s blood" and "rather than shed the blood of their brethren they would give up their own lives". After being attacked by the remaining Lamanites, the Ammonites moved to a territory given to them by the Nephites.

After a few more years, the Lamanites began attacking the Nephites. When they saw how the Nephites were suffering by defending them, the Ammonites were considering breaking their oath to defend themselves when two thousand of their sons (who had been too young at the time to have made the covenant) volunteered to fight for the defense of the Nephites and the Ammonites. Helaman, the son of Alma the Younger and a leader of the church among the Nephites, was approached to be their commander. The army was used extensively and was one of the Nephite's most effective military units. Though every soldier was wounded at one time or another, there were no fatalities among the warriors. Mormon, the compiler of the Book of Mormon, and Helaman, their commander, as well as the young men themselves, attributed this to the upbringing provided by their mothers and the great faith they exhibited.

The original 2,000 "sons of Helaman" were later joined by sixty more, making a total of 2,060.

See also

Helaman

Ammonites

References

Category:Book of Mormon people Category:Book of Mormon words and phrases

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