南海位于中国大陆南部，是西太平洋和中国三大边缘海之一。该海域的自然海域面积约为350万平方公里。它是中国近海最大最深的海域，平均水深1212米，最大水深5559米。中国领海由渤海（内海）、黄海、东海和南海组成。东部和南部大陆海岸线长达18000公里。内海和边海水域面积约470万平方公里
The South China Sea, located in the southern part of the Chinese mainland, is one of the three marginal seas of the Western Pacific Ocean and China. The natural area of the sea is about 3.5 million square kilometers. It is the largest and deepest sea area in offshore China, with an average depth of 1,212 meters and a maximum depth of 5,559 meters. China's territorial sea consists of the Bohai Sea (internal sea), Yellow Sea, East China Sea and South China Sea. The eastern and southern continental coastlines are 18,000 km long. Inland sea and border sea waters cover about 4.7 million square kilometers.