Geography of Taiwan

Geography Of Taiwan

Taiwan (historically called "Formosa" especially prior to 1945, from Portuguese: Ilha Formosa, "Beautiful Island") is an island and an archipelago in East Asia, composed of Taiwan Island and several much smaller islands such as the Penghu Islands, Orchid Island, Green Island, and Hsiao Liuchiu. The main island is located some 180 kilometres (112 miles) off the southeastern coast of China across the Taiwan Strait. It has an area of 35,883 km2 (13,855 sq mi) and straddles the Tropic of Cancer. The archipelago makes up the majority (99%) of the territory of the Republic of China (ROC), after the ROC lost its mainland China territory in the Chinese Civil War and fled to the island in 1949. For this reason, Taiwan has become the common name of the country itself.

The East China Sea lies to the north, the Philippine Sea to the east, the Luzon Strait directly to the south and the South China Sea to the southwest. The island is characterized by the contrast between the eastern two-thirds, consisting mostly of rugged mountains running in five ranges from the northern to the southern tip of the island, and the flat to gently rolling Chianan Plains in the west that are also home to most of Taiwan's population. Taiwan's highest point is Yu Shan at 3,952 metres (12,966 ft), and there are five other peaks over 3500 meters. This makes it the world's fourth-highest island.