China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam all claim one or more of this group of islands.

• A. Maldives
• B. Spratly Islands
• C. Andaman and Nicobar Islands
• D. Mergui Archipelago

Answer: (B)

Disputed island groups in the South China Sea are a common source of overlapping sovereignty claims. The Spratly Islands are a broad, scattered group of reefs, islets, and atolls in that area, and multiple countries assert control over parts of them. Specifically, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam all lay claim to various features within the Spratly Islands, leading to competing claims and tensions in the region. The other island groups listed are located elsewhere and do not involve these overlapping sovereignties by the five countries mentioned: the Maldives lie in the Indian Ocean far from these disputes, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are Indian territory in the Bay of Bengal, and the Mergui Archipelago sits along the coast of Myanmar. So the group that fits the scenario of multiple states claiming parts of it is the Spratly Islands.