Geography

Taiwan is a medium-sized archipelago in East Asia, located at 23°30N, 121°00E and running through the middle of the Tropic of Cancer (23°5N). It makes up the majority of the territories effectively under the control of the Republic of China. The main island is Taiwan Island, which comprises about 98 % of the current jurisdiction of the Republic of China; the other 2 % consists of the smaller islands of Orchid Island and the Pescadores, along with the tiny islets of Green Island and Hsiao Liuchiu.

Taiwan Island lies some 120 kilometres off the southeastern coast of China, across the Taiwan Strait, and has an area of 35,801 square kilometres (13,823 square miles). The island is bounded by the Luzon Strait in the south, the East China Sea in the north, and the Pacific Ocean in the east. The islands of Kinmen, Matsu, Wuchiu, and so on across the Taiwan Strait, and Pratas and Taiping in the South China Sea, are also administered by the ROC.

Physical Boundaries

Taiwan is 394 km (244 miles) long and 144 km (89 miles) wide. It has a coastline of 1,566.3 km. The ROC claims an exclusive economic zone of 200 nautical miles (370 km) and a territorial sea of 12 nautical miles (22 km).

Terrain

The island is characterised 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 plains in the west that are also home to most of Taiwan's population. Taiwan's highest point is Jade Mountain (Yu Shan) at 3, 997 metres, and there are five other peaks over 3,500 metres. This makes it the world's seventh-highest island.

Natural Resources

Natural resources on the islands include small deposits of gold, copper, coal, natural gas, limestone, marble, and asbestos. The island is 55 % forests and woodland (mostly on the mountains) and 24 % arable land (mostly on the plains), with 15 % going to other purposes. 5% is permanent pastures and 1 % is permanent crops.

Natural Hazards

Earthquakes and typhoons are the two major natural hazards on the island. In September 21, 1999, an earthquake occurred in the centre of Taiwan. The death toll in this catastrophe reached more than 2,000. Meanwhile, mudslides resulting from intensive rain caused by typhoons often leads to disaster.

Environmental Issues

Current environmental issues include:

air pollution
water pollution from industrial emissions and raw sewage
contamination of drinking water supplies
trade in endangered species
low-level radioactive waste disposal

Though regulation of sulphate aerosol emissions from petroleum production is becoming stringent, acid rain remains to be a threat to the health of the residents and the forests. Scholars in Taiwan point out that more than half of its acid rain is actually brought by monsoon rains from mainland China.