The island of Taiwan is located in the Western Pacific between Japan and the Philippines off the southeast coast of China, from which it is separated by the Taiwan Strait. With a total area of about 36,179 square kilometers, Taiwan is 394 kilometers long and 144 kilometers wide at its widest point.
High mountains over 1,000 meters constitute about 31 percent of the island’s land area; hills and terraces between 100 and 1,000 meters above sea level make up 38 percent; and alluvial plains below 100 meters in elevation, where most communities, farming activities, and industries are concentrated, account for the remaining 31 percent.
Taiwan’s most prominent geographic feature is its 270-kilometer central mountain range, which has more than 200 peaks over 3,000 meters high.
At 3,952 meters, Mount Jade is the highest peak in East Asia. Foothills from the central mountain range lead to tablelands and coastal plains in the west and south. The eastern shoreline is relatively steep, and mountains over 1,000 meters high dominate the island in the north.
Climate
Crossed by the Tropic of Cancer, Taiwan has a subtropical climate with the exception of its extreme southern tip, which is tropical. Warm ocean currents give Taiwan a climate conducive to the growth of lush vegetation and two or three rice harvests per year. With an average annual precipitation of 2,471 millimeters, rainfall is abundant. However, the distribution of water resources is uneven, making the water available for use per capita low. Thundershowers and the occasional typhoon bring heavy downpours in the summertime, whereas November through February is Taiwan’s driest period.
Summers are long and humid, while winters are short and usually mild. During the coldest months, snow is visible on the island’s higher mountains. The average monthly temperature in the lowlands is 16°C in the winter and ranges between 24-30°C the rest of the year.
Plant
Taiwan’s subtropical climate is home to an abundance of diverse plant life, including low altitude flora closely related to that found in southern China, mountain flora similar to that of western China, and high alpine flora resembling that of the Himalayan region. Acacia is ubiquitous in the lower hills, and bamboo groves and forests are found throughout central and northern Taiwan. Native plant species are numerous, accounting for roughly 40 percent of Taiwan’s total vegetation.
Penghu (Pescadores)
Penghu, also known as the Pescadores, consists of 64 islets in the middle of the Taiwan Strait between China and Taiwan. Penghu, Yuwong, and Baisha are the primary islands in the group, with Penghu accounting for roughly half of the Pescadroes---126.86 square kilometer area. Only 20 of the islands are inhabited, with Penghu serving as home to 70 percent of the area’s population.
Penghu’s climate is characterized by hot summers, cold winters, strong winds, and an average annual rainfall of about 1,000 millimeters, with typhoons frequently hitting the region during the summer.
Kinmen (Quemoy)
The Kinmen Islands consist of 12 islets covering an area of 150.45 square kilometers off the southeastern coast of Fujian Province. The shortest distance from the main island of Kinmen to China is only 2,310 meters. Although the other islets are low and flat, Kinmen itself is a hilly island that possesses numerous harbors capable of accommodating ships of several thousand tons. The population of the island group is over 58,000.
Eighty percent of the Kinmen Islands precipitation falls between April and September, with typhoons often striking the region between July and August. Kinmen’s average annual rainfall is 1,049 millimeters, and its average monthly temperature varies between 19-25°C.
Matsu
Located outside the mouth of the Min River off the coast of China, the Matsu Islands form the northern anchor of the ROC’s offshore defense chain. Nankan, the main island of the group, is more commonly known as Matsu, which is also the name of the island’s largest port.
South China Sea
The ROC’s historical claims to the islands of the South China Sea are reinforced by its effective occupation of Dongsha and Taiping Islands. Since 1993, the government’s policy towards the area has been set by the Executive Yuan’s Policy Guidelines for the South China Sea, which outline the ROC’s goals of resolving all disputes peacefully through cooperation with other claimants and increasing the exploration and management of the region’s resources without damaging its ecology. In 1999, responsibility for protecting ROC interests in the South China Sea was transferred from the Ministry of National Defense to the newly created Coast Guard Administration, and the management of Dongsha and Taiping Islands was officially transferred to the Kaohsiung City Government.
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