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https://www.google.com/maps/@8.8654585,112.8304113,977m/data=!3m1!1e3

There are a number of islands in the South China Sea that don't have names on Google Maps. There's a list of islands here but this is like searching for a needle in a haystack.

I also found another satellite picture from Microsoft, but it was too blurry.

I was hoping somebody could identify the island or at least tell me the purpose of it. There are what look like lighthouses, two fields, a helipad, and some other unusual spherical landmarks.

mysterious island

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6
  • The satellite photo you linked to ("from Microsoft") does not look like the image above. Are you sure it's the same place?
    – RockPaperLz- Mask it or Casket
    Jul 19, 2020 at 8:26
  • 47
    Are intel agencies now outsourcing their IMINT work to Stack Exchange? :-D
    – Rodrigo de Azevedo
    Jul 19, 2020 at 9:53
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    @RockPaperLz-MaskitorCasket Zoom out in the Google Maps pic, the island is on a coral reef. The Microsoft picture is from before there was an island there.
    – gszavae
    Jul 20, 2020 at 8:30
  • 6
    What the heck is the crop they are growing there ? Does anyone know?
    – Fattie
    Jul 20, 2020 at 13:19
  • 1
    @gszavae Your recommendation resulted in success. Thank you!
    – RockPaperLz- Mask it or Casket
    Jul 20, 2020 at 17:34

2 Answers 2

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89

This is called Cuarteron Reef in English.

It is one of several reefs in the South China Sea that were enlarged and built up around 2015-2016 as part of a land reclamation project by the People's Republic of China. The structures are apparently of a military nature, including radars and possibly missiles.

The land is also claimed by Taiwan and the Philippines.

It seems unlikely to be a good travel destination at this time.

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  • 5
    Wow that was quick! Thanks. I wasn't thinking of travelling there but I wasn't sure where else to ask.
    – zeroPercent
    Jul 18, 2020 at 17:23
  • 74
    It seems unlikely to be a good travel destination at this time. 😂
    – briantist
    Jul 19, 2020 at 15:45
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    It seems unlikely to be a good travel destination at this time — unless OP is tasked with the logistics of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) (in which case they may have lost their job by now).
    – gerrit
    Jul 19, 2020 at 20:19
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    "It seems unlikely to be a good travel destination at this time." -- Nah, I bet there is no Coronavirus
    – hola
    Jul 21, 2020 at 16:36
55

As a more generic solution, try using Google reverse image search, e.g. in Chrome:

enter image description here

->

enter image description here

If using a web browser other than Google Chrome, go to https://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch and click on the camera icon:

enter image description here

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5
  • 5
    I reverse searched the screenshot you posted about reverse image search, and the result was "screenshot".. smart enough!
    – Nean Der Thal
    Jul 20, 2020 at 15:46
  • 1
    @NeanDerThal 2020-07-20: AI has gained self-consciousness.
    – Franck Dernoncourt
    Jul 20, 2020 at 15:48
  • 2
    everything is possible in 2020..
    – Nean Der Thal
    Jul 20, 2020 at 15:48
  • Here I thought that "Let Me Google This For You" answers weren't allowed. ;)
    – nick012000
    Jul 21, 2020 at 11:42
  • 1
    @nick012000 Travel.SE rule #1: don't apply rules consistently
    – Franck Dernoncourt
    Jul 21, 2020 at 16:40

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