Lankiam Cay
island
Lankiam Cay, also known as Kota Cay (Filipino: Buhanginan ng Kota, lit. 'Cay of fortress'; Mandarin Chinese: 楊信沙洲/杨信沙洲; pinyin: Yángxìn Shāzhōu; Vietnamese: đá An Nhơn), is the smallest of the naturally occurring Spratly Islands. It has an area of 0.44 hectares (1.1 acres) (4,400 sq. m), and is located about 7 nautical miles (13 km; 8.1 mi) east-northeast of Philippine-occupied Loaita (Kota) Island, just west of the north of Dangerous Ground.
The island is administered by the Philippines as part of Kalayaan, Palawan, and is the eighth largest of the Philippine-occupied islands. It is also claimed by the People's Republic of China, the Republic of China (Taiwan), and Vietnam.
Environment
At one time the island had a surface area of more than 5 hectares (12 acres), but strong waves brought by a strong typhoon washed out the sandy surface (beach) of the island leaving behind the calcarenite foundation that can be seen at low tide. It has a wide lagoon.
Philippine occupation
The island is guarded by soldiers stationed at nearby Loaita Island who regularly visit. It is kept under observation from a tall structure on Loaita Island.
In 2026, President Bongbong Marcos issued the Executive Order No.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Lankiam Cay” is island. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Lankiam and island, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “island” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 30, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q1089441. The first chronological checks are 2026.
Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Lankiam Cay”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Lankiam Cay primary sources, Lankiam Cay archive and Lankiam research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Lankiam Cay”?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Lankiam Cay” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.