The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Karimata and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan. It is one of the most economically and strategically significant bodies of water in the world, as more than one-third of the world's merchant shipping passes through its lanes. It contains hundreds of small islands, reefs, and atolls, such as the Paracel and Spratly Islands, which are the subject of complex territorial disputes among several nations, including China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei. Beyond its role as a shipping route, the sea is believed to hold enormous untapped oil and natural gas reserves. It is also home to incredibly diverse marine ecosystems, though these are under pressure from land reclamation projects, overfishing, and coral reef destruction.