- Yinlong Island
Yinlong Island (called "Tarabarov Island" by Russia) is a sedimentary island at the confluence of the Ussuri and
Amur rivers in China. The island has an area of between 50 and 100 km². It is bounded closely byBolshoy Ussuriysky Island .Until
2008 Yinalong Island and its neighbouring islands were the site of a territorial dispute between China and Russia. Russia occupied the islands in1929 . However this was never accepted by China. While Russia governed the islands as a part ofKhabarovsk Krai , China claimed them as a part ofFuyuan County ,Heilongjiang province.The dispute over Yinlong Island and its neighbouring islands weas finally resolved on
July 21 2008 . On that day the Foreign Ministers of the two countries signed an agreement inBeijing . Under the agreement, Russia ceded approximately 174 km² of territory to China. [ [http://www.business-standard.com/india/storypage.php?tp=on&autono=42718 Business Standard Article - source for 174 km² figure] ] This comprised all of Yinalong Island and approximately half of the larger Bolshoy Ussuriysky Island. At the time of the territory transfer, Yinalong Island was largely uninhabited. [ [http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11792951 Economist article including map of new Russia-China Border] ] The settlement of their border dispute followed over 40 years of negotiations. The final settlement was the result of the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation which was concluded onJune 2 2005 .Yinalong Island and the surrounding islands are the most eastern part of China and are the first place on mainland China to see sunlight. [ [http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008-07/21/content_6861827.htm China Daily, 21 July 2008, "Russia to return Chinese land after 40 years of talks"] ] Some news reports suggest that China is considering developing tourism on Yinalong Island. [ [http://www.business-standard.com/india/storypage.php?tp=on&autono=42718 Business Standard Article - source for 174 km² figure] ]
References
External links
* [http://www.google.com/maps?f=q&sll=44.465151,-95.712891&sspn=30.254357,82.441406&ie=UTF8&z=10&ll=48.370848,134.767914&spn=0.440631,1.288147&t=k&om=1 Google Maps satellite image of Heixiazi/Bolshoy Ussuriysky and Yinlong islands]
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