Pratas Island is less than two square kilometers in size, but the wriggly coastline is almost eight kilometers long. The shape of the island is like a pair of tongs; the opening of the tongs is a half square kilometer lagoon. The lagoon is a shallow water area, which is connected to the sea. Many marine animals breed here. There is plenty of water, and the water surface is steady and calm, without too much wind or waves. The distance between the Pratas Islands and South Vereker atoll and North Vereker atoll is about 80 kilometers. The main island is 2000m long (east to west) and 865 meters wide (north to south). It takes one hour to jog round the island (8km). The island is not big, but the sea area is 5000 square kilometers, which is ten times bigger than Taiwan. There is also a dazzling variety of fish, coral and jellyfish.
　　Pratas Island is flat, with no high mountains or valleys. The highest point is only 7.8 meters above sea level. There are reef plates all over the island, but they do not constitute too great an obstacle to transportation. The island has a sub-tropical ocean climate, and is influenced by the northeast monsoon in winter. The average annual temperature is 25 degrees Celsius. May and June are the "plum rains" season, and there are typhoons during July and August. There is plenty of rain in summer, and the average temperature is 28.5 degrees Celsius. It rains less in winter, when the average temperature is 20 degree Celsius.