Navigating the Dragon's Waters

Our journey has truly been an educational experience in geography. Prior to this adventure, if you had inquired about Jakarta's location, I would have mistakenly said India. Additionally, the vast reach of Imperial Great Britain was something I had not fully grasped until now. Presently, we are navigating the South China Sea en route to Hong Kong, China for the next part of our Asia-Pacific adventure.

The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean, bordered by South China to the north, the Indochinese Peninsula to the west, Taiwan and the northwestern Philippines to the east, and Indonesian islands to the south. It covers an area of around 1,351,350 square miles and is a vital maritime route with over $3.4 trillion of global shipping passing through the area. The region is rich in oil, natural gas reserves, and commercial fishing activities.

The South China Sea is subject to competing claims of sovereignty by countries like China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei (on the northern coast of Borneo), the Philippines, and Taiwan. These disputes are fueled by both the sea's abundant natural resources and strategic importance for global trade. As a result, the area has been a focal point of tensions due to overlapping territorial claims and militarization efforts by various nations.

We will arrive in Hong Kong tomorrow and are looking forward to exploring another part of our world.