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Tools 🛠

1. Geography and climate briefs
• Data concerning area, dimensions, margins etc.
• Topography of Taiwan proper
• Rivers and lakes
• Smaller islands in the Taiwan area
• Geology: Faults, earthquakes, volcanism and more
• Climate
2. Selected statistics Taiwan/ROC
• Preliminary notes
• Population statistics
• Public health statistics
• Economics and trade statistics
• Financial statistics
• Energy statistics
3. The ROC postal codes (with numerical index)
• Introduction
• Detailed postal index
4. The ROC calendar
• Before the ROC
• The Ganzhi cycle and its terminology
• The Lunar New Year
• Overview of holidays in the ROC
5. Japan's Taiwan
• Japan's colonial calendar
• Glossary of relevant Japanese terms
6. The dynasties of imperial China: an overview
7. Major time zones in Taiwan and the world

Note: Due to limited space on this page, most geographical names are shown here in English and Chinese characters only without Hanyu Pinyin.

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◆ Geography and climate briefs (Taiwan)

• Data concerning area, dimensions, margins etc.
• Topography of Taiwan proper
• Rivers and lakes
• Smaller islands in the Taiwan area
• Geology: Faults, earthquakes, volcanism and more
• Climate

++++++++++   TOP   HOME    [next chapter]   ++++++++++

Data concerning area, dimensions, margins etc.

• Area and length of coastlines in the Taiwan area
• Dimensions of Taiwan proper
• Margins of Taiwan proper at shoreline
• Shortest distance Taiwan proper—neighbours
• Shortest distance ROC—PRC
• Taiwan’s position in the world

Area and length of coastlines in the Taiwan area

(Tidal flat excluded)

Total number of islands in the Taiwan area: 86.
Source: Department of Land Administration 地政司, MOI

TOP   HOME    [◆ Geography/climate]   [Area, dimensions, margins]

Dimensions of Taiwan proper

Source: Google Earth

TOP   HOME    [◆ Geography/climate]   [Area, dimensions, margins]

Margins of Taiwan proper at shoreline

Source: Google Earth

TOP   HOME    [◆ Geography/climate]   [Area, dimensions, margins]

Shortest distance Taiwan proper—neighbours

Source: Google Earth
Please note that Taiwan is geographically moving slowly towards the China mainland, and the two sides are expected to be united in about 1.5 million years.

TOP   HOME    [◆ Geography/climate]   [Area, dimensions, margins]

Shortest distance ROC—PRC

Source: Google Earth

TOP   HOME    [◆ Geography/climate]   [Area, dimensions, margins]

Taiwan’s position in the world

The ROC Presidential Office in Taipei City can be regarded as the political center of Taiwan. According to Google Earth, its coordinates are latitude 25° 02' 23" N (or 25.0408 N), longitude 121° 30' 44" E (or 121.5097 E). Major cities in the world at approximately the same northern latitude are Kunming 昆明 (Yunnan Province, PRC), Karachi (Pakistan), Riyadh, Medina (both Saudi Arabia), Ad Dakhla (Western Sahara), Nassau (Bahamas), Tavernier (Florida, USA), Monterrey (Mexico); major cities at the same eastern longitude between the North Pole and the South Pole are Dalian 大連 (Liaoning Province, PRC), Qingdao 青島 (Shandong Province, PRC), Broome, Esperance (both Australia).

A plane flying straight westward from the ROC Presidential Office on the same latitude would pass through Taiwan, the Taiwan Strait, the PRC, Myanmar, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, the Gulf of Oman, the United Arab Emirates, the Persian Gulf, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the Red Sea, Egypt, Libya, Algeria, Mauritania, Western Sahara; the Atlantic, the Bahamas, the US, the Gulf of Mexico, Mexico, the Pacific, and through Japan's Ryukyu island chain. A plane coming from the North Pole flying straight southward towards Taipei on the same longitude would pass through the Laptev Sea, Russia, the PRC, the Yellow Sea, the Taiwan Strait, Taiwan, the Bashi Channel, the Philippines, the Sulu Sea, the Celebes Sea, Indonesia, the Gulf of Tomini, the Savu Sea, Australia, the Indian Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica.

The Tropic of Cancer 北回歸線 (latitude 23° 26' 13.8" N) crosses Taiwan in the waters of Penghu County, in Chiayi County, Chiayi City, Kaohsiung City, Nantou County, and Hualien County.

The following four links show maps indicating Taiwan’s position in the world; copyright: © Relief Maps, computed by Hans Braxmeier; courtesy maps-for-free.com.

Click here to see the four maps as image sequence in MP4 format.

TOP   HOME    [◆ Geography/climate]   [Area, dimensions, margins]

Topography of Taiwan proper

• Ten highest mountains on Taiwan

Taiwan's main topographical features are the central mountain range and the coastal plains in the west. More than 200 peaks in Taiwan are rising higher than 3,000 m above sea level; they are referred to in Chinese as baiyue 百岳.

• Mountains (64 %)—Central Range 中央山脈, Mount Snow Range 雪山山脈, Mount Jade Range 玉山山脈, Mount Ali Range 阿里山山脈, East Coastal Range 東部海岸山脈
• Plains and basins (19.8 %)—Lanyang Plain 蘭陽平原, Chianan Plain 嘉南平原, Pingtung Plain 屏東平原; Taipei Basin 台北盆地, Taichung Basin 台中盆地, the 158-km-long East Longitudinal Valley 台東縱谷
• Floodland (3.1 %)

A better understanding of Taiwan's topography can be gained by referring to Maps, "Physical map of Taiwan".

Ten highest mountains on Taiwan

Mount Jade, located in the juncture area of Kaohsiung City, Nantou County and Chiayi County, is not only the tallest mountain in the Taiwan area but the highest peak in East Asia. It is also called "Mt. Morrison" in English and "Tongku Saveg" 東谷沙飛 by the Bunun indigenous people living in that area.

TOP   HOME    [◆ Geography/climate]   [Taiwan's topography]

Rivers and lakes

• Taiwan's ten longest rivers
• Taiwan's ten largest natural lakes

Taiwan's river system is marked by short rivers (none exceeding 200 km in overall length), and there are few natural lakes. Freshwater supply is provided by man-made reservoirs. (A list of major reservoirs can be found further below.)

Taiwan's ten longest rivers

For a rough sketch of Taiwan's river system click here. (The approximate line of the east-west watershed is marked in red.)

TOP   HOME    [◆ Geography/climate]   [Rivers + lakes]

Taiwan's ten largest natural lakes

Please note that Sun Moon Lake, the largest body of water on Taiwan proper, is considered a semi-natural lake as several hydroelectric power plants were built there since 1919. A list of major reservoirs under the administration of the MOEA's Water Resources Agency (WRA) is shown directly below.

TOP   HOME    [◆ Geography/climate]   [Rivers + lakes]

Smaller islands in the Taiwan area

• Penghu
• Kinmen
• Matsu
• Other islands close to Taiwan proper
• South China Sea
• Further information on selected ROC-controlled islands
• Alphabetical small islands index

Since the ROC central government was forced to give up the Chinese mainland in 1949 and the Dachen Islands (Zhejiang Province) in 1955, the territory controlled by the ROC has been limited to the main island of Taiwan with a few small islets close to its shores plus the archipelagoes of Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu (Tai Peng Jin Ma 台澎金馬). Therefore the ROC territory has also been dubbed "Taiwan area" (Taiwan diqu 台灣地區 or Taiwan quyu 台灣區域), and Taiwan proper with an area of 35,879 km² constitutes the bulk of it. Also under ROC control are two areas in the South China Sea (nanhai 南海).

Furthermore, the ROC claims the Diaoyutai Islands in the East China Sea (donghai 東海) which are actually controlled by Japan. More information about the Diaoyutai Islands can be found here.

TOP   HOME    [◆ Geography/climate]   [Smaller islands]

Penghu

The Penghu Archipelago (penghu qundao 澎湖群島) is also known by the name "Pescadores" and consists of some 64 Islands, many of them uninhabited. The main island is Penghu proper (Penghu bendao 澎湖本島) [65.413 km²] {1} which is subdivided into two townships: Huxi Township and Magong City. Other islands and islets include the following:

• Hsiyu (xiyu 西嶼) aka Yuweng (yuweng dao 漁翁島) [17.838 km²] {2}—Xiyu Township
• Paisha (baisha dao 白沙島) [13.876 km²] {3}—Baisha Township
• Chimei (qimeiyu 七美嶼) [7.589 km²] {4}—Qimei Township
• Wang'an (wang'an dao 望安島) aka Pachao Island (bazhao dao 八罩島) [6.741 km²] {5}—Wangan Township
• Jibei (jibeiyu 吉貝嶼) [3.057 km²] {6}—Baisha Township
• Hujing (hujingyu 虎井嶼) [1.997 km²] {7}—Magong City
• Dongji (dongjiyu 東吉嶼) [1.771 km²] {8}—Wangan Township
• Jiangjun'ao (jiangjun aoyu 將軍澳嶼) [1.561 km²] {9}—Wangan Township
• Zhongtun (zhongtunyu 中屯嶼) [1.407 km²] {10}—Baisha Township
• Huayu (huayu 花嶼) [1.273 km²] {11}—Wangan Township
• Xiji (xijiyu 西吉嶼) [0.8967 km²] {12}—Wangan Township
• Dongyuping (dongyupingyu 東嶼坪嶼) [0.479 km²]—Wangan Township
• Xiaomen (xiaomenyu 小門嶼) [0.473 km²]—Xiyu Township
• Xiyuping (xiyupingyu 西嶼坪嶼) [0.3477 km²]—Wangan Township
• Niaoyu (niaoyu 鳥嶼) [0.3472 km²]—Baisha Township
• Tongpan (tongpanyu 桶盤嶼) [0.298 km²]—Magong City
• Gupo (gupoyu 姑婆嶼) [0.282 km²]—Baisha Township
• Yuanbei (yuanbeiyu 員貝嶼) [0.251 km²]—Baisha Township
• Dacang (dacangyu 大倉嶼) [0.190 km²]—Baisha Township
• Baisha (baishayu 白沙嶼) [0.1885 km²]—Baisha Township
• Tsaoyu (caoyu 草嶼) [0.1821 km²]—Wangan Township
• Chutou (chutouyu 鋤頭嶼) [0.1471 km²]—Wangan Township
• Dinggou (dinggouyu 錠鉤嶼) [0.0593 km²]—Huxi Township
• Chamu (chamuyu 查母嶼) [0.0383 km²]—Huxi Township
• Mudou (mudouyu 目斗嶼) [0.0244 km²]—Baisha Township
• Jilong (jilongyu 雞籠嶼) [0.0243 km²]—Magong City
• Guoyu (guoyu 過嶼) [0.0044 km²]—Baisha Township

The South Penghu Marine National Park (Penghu nanfang sidao guojia gongyuan 澎湖南方四島國家公園) consists mainly of the islets Dongji, Xiji, Dongyuping, Xiyuping, Chutou and others in Wangan Township, including their surrounding waters. Penghu proper, Chimei and Wang'an are equipped with an airstrip. A causeway leads from Penghu proper to Hsiyu via Zhongtun and Paisha, the other islands can only be accessed by boat, seaplane or helicopter.

The table below shows the distances from selected islands of the archipelago to Taiwan and the PRC (source: Google Earth).

For further information about Penghu county click here.

TOP   HOME    [◆ Geography/climate]   [Smaller islands]

Kinmen

Kinmen is also known under the name "Quemoy" in the West. The Kinmen Islands (jinmen qundao 金門群島) consist of 12 islands and islets, the main island being Big Kinmen (da jinmen 大金門) aka Kinmen Island (jinmen dao 金門島) [134.25 km²] {1} which is also closest to PRC-controlled territory—2.26 km off the island of Jiaoyu 角嶼 (Xiang'an District 翔安區, Xiamen City 廈門市, Fujian Province). Big Kinmen is subdivided into four Townships: Jincheng Township, Jinhu Township, Jinning Township, and Jinsha Township. Other islets include the following:

• Little Kinmen (xiao jinmen 小金門) aka Lieh Yu (lieyu 烈嶼) [14.85 km²] {2}—Lieyu Township
• Ta-tan Island (dadan dao 大膽島) [0.97 km²] {3}—Lieyu Township
• Ertan Island (erdan dao 二膽島) [0.28 km²] {4}—Lieyu Township
• Peiting (beiding dao 北碇島) [0.08 km²]—Jinhu Township
• Fuhsing Islet (fuxing yu 復興嶼) [0.05 km²]—Lieyu Township
• Menghuyu (menghu yu 猛虎嶼) [0.025 km²]—Lieyu Township
• Binlang Islet (binlang yu 檳榔嶼 [0.0208 km²]—Lieyu Township
• Tungting (dongding dao 東碇島) [0.016 km²]—Jincheng Township
• Shihyu (shiyu 獅嶼) [0.007 km²]—Lieyu Township
• Jiangong Islet (jiangongyu 建功嶼) [0.0005 km²]—Jincheng Township

Some very tiny islets of the Kinmen Islands, although named, are actually little more than rocks in the ocean, e. g. Houtou 後頭嶼, Yanyu 烟嶼, Sanjiao Reef 三角礁, and Guizi Reef 桂子礁, and reliable data concerning their size are not available. In particular, in the vicinity of Ertan Island there are some additional tiny islets and rocks as well, including Santan 三膽島, Sitan 四膽, and Wutan 五膽, but online sources provide no information about their respective sizes either. According to some sources, Ta-tan Island, Ertan Island, Santan, Sitan and Wutan combined cover less than 1.5 km².

Two additional islets—Daqiu (daqiu yu 大坵嶼) [0.71 km²] and Xiaoqiu (xiaoqiu yu 小坵嶼) [0.4 km²]—administratively belong to Wuqiu Township in Kinmen County but geographically should not be considered being a part of the Kinmen Islands as they are located more than 100 km away from the closest island Big Kinmen. The position of Wuqiu Township in the Taiwan Strait about halfway between Kinmen and Matsu off the PRC is shown here.

Big Kinmen—equipped with an airstrip—and Little Kinmen are connected by the Kinmen Bridge (Jinmen daqiao 金門大橋) with a length of 5.4 km, linking Jinning Township 金寧鄉 and Lieyu Township 烈嶼鄉. The bridge was under construction since May 2012 and opened to traffic on Oct. 30, 2022. The other islands can only be accessed by boat, seaplane or helicopter.

The table below shows the distances from selected islands of the archipelago to Taiwan and the PRC (source: Google Earth). The map on the right further illustrates the proximity of the outlying islands of Kinmen to the PRC, with the PRC territory marked in red.

Island	~ Taiwan	~ PRC
Daqiu	131.63 km	15.70 km
Ertan	214.47 km	4.41 km
Kinmen Island	187.31 km	2.26 km
Little Kinmen	206.25 km	4.80 km
Peiting	183.51 km	11.47 km
Shihyu	210.89 km	3.98 km
Ta-tan	213.64 km	4.31 km
Xiaoqiu	129.61 km	18.08 km

Please note that the administration of Ta-tan Island and Ertan Island was transferred from the military to the Kinmen County government by the end of June 2014. Kinmen National Park (Jinmen guojia gongyuan 金門國家公園), formally established on Oct. 18, 1995, places an emphasis on cultural heritage preservation, while the other of Taiwan's national parks focus mainly on the protection of diverse ecosystems and natural resources.

For further information about Kinmen county click here.

TOP   HOME    [◆ Geography/climate]   [Smaller islands]

Matsu

The Matsu Islands (mazu liedao 馬祖列島) consist of 36 islands and islets. The largest island is Nan'gan 南竿 [10.43 km²] {1}, constituting the main part of Nangan Township. Other islands include the following:

• Beigan 北竿 [8.86 km²] {2}—Beigan Township
• Tungyin Island (dongyin dao 東引島) [3.22 km²] {3}—Dongyin Township
• Dongjyu (dongju 東莒) [2.64 km²] {4}—Juguang Township
• Sijyu (xiju 西莒) [2.37 km²] {5}—Juguang Township
• Kaoteng (gaodeng dao 高登島) [1.84 km²] {6}—Beigan Township
• Hsiyin (xiyin dao 西引島) [1.13 km²] {7}—Dongyin Township
• Liang Island (liangdao 亮島) [0.4 km²] {8}—Beigan Township

Nan'gan and Beigan are equipped with an airstrip, the other islands can only be accessed by boat, seaplane or helicopter.

The table below shows the distances from selected islands of the archipelago to Taiwan and the PRC (source: Google Earth). The map on the right further illustrates the proximity of the outlying islands of Matsu to the PRC, with the PRC territory marked in red.

Island	~ Taiwan	~ PRC
Beigan	166.84 km	12.42 km
Dongjyu	148.17 km	25.41 km
Hsiyin	157.78 km	30.41 km
Kaoteng	173.22 km	8.95 km
Liang Island	166.42 km	18.22 km
Nan'gan	165.32 km	15.67 km
Sijyu	152.09 km	21.29 km
Tungyin	155.52 km	31.68 km

For further information about Lienchiang county (Matsu's administrative name) click here.

TOP   HOME    [◆ Geography/climate]   [Smaller islands]

Other islands close to Taiwan proper

Close to the shores of Taiwan proper there are the following islets:

• Keelung City—Huaping (huaping yu 花瓶嶼) [0.03 km²] {1}, Mianhua (mianhua yu 棉花嶼) [0.13 km²] {2}, and Pengjia (pengjia yu 彭佳嶼) [1.14 km²] {3}. Huaping, Mianhua and Pengjia form a group collectively known as the Three Northern Islets (beifang sandao 北方三島).
• Yilan County—Guishan Island (guishan dao 龜山島) aka Kueishan Island/Turtle Island [2.841 km²] {4}.
• Taitung County—Green Island/Lyudao (lüdao 綠島) [15.1 km²] {5} and Orchid Island (Lanyu 蘭嶼) aka "Ponso no Tao" [48.38 km²] {6} plus Little Lanyu (xiao Lanyu 小蘭嶼) aka "Jimagaod" [1.75 km²] {7} 5.6 km off Orchid Island. Restrictions to visit Lanyu, imposed by the Japanese, were lifted in 1967.
• Pingtung County—Liuchiu Island (liuqiu yu 琉球嶼) aka Siaoliouciou (xiao liuqiu 小琉球)/Lamay Island/Lambai Island/Gold Lion Island [6.802 km²] {8}. A constellation of coral reefs called "Seven Star Reef" (qixingyan 七星岩) aka "Vele Rete rocks" ca. 8 nautical miles (15 km) off Eluanbi 鵝鑾鼻 is not considered to be islands.

— — — Maps of islands close to Taiwan proper — — —

Note: Green Island and Orchid Island are equipped with an airstrip, the other islands can only be accessed by boat, seaplane or helicopter. Green Island originally had an indigenous population of Amis and Yami aborigines, Han Chinese settlers began moving there in the 19^th century during the Qing dynasty.

TOP   HOME    [◆ Geography/climate]   [Smaller islands]

South China Sea

• Pratas Islands
• Taiping Island

The South China Sea (nanhai 南海) is formally claimed by the ROC in its entirety, but in fact the ROC controls only two small areas there—the Pratas Islands and Taiping Island, the latter being part of the Spratly Islands (nansha qundao 南沙群島).

The Pratas Islands and the Spratlys (aka Coral Islands) are disputed—the Pratas Islands are claimed by the ROC and the PRC; the Spratlys in total by the PRC, ROC, and Vietnam, in part by Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines. In addition, the ROC explicitly claims the following island groups in the South China Sea but does not control any part of them—Macclesfield Bank (zhongsha qundao 中沙群島) and Paracel Islands (xisha qundao 西沙群島).

Please note that the ROC began claiming the Spratly Islands as its territory only after the end of WWII. According to Chapter 1 in the China Handbook 1937-1943, published by the Chinese Ministry of Information in 1943, ROC territory in the south extended to Triton Island (Zhongjian dao 中建島) of the Paracel Group.

Pratas Islands

The Pratas Islands (dongsha qundao 東沙群島) [2.4 km²] aka Dongsha Atoll include Pratas Island (dongsha dao 東沙島) [1.74 km²] where the ROC armed forces operate an airfield with a 1,550 m runway, North Vereker Bank (beiweitan 北衛灘), and South Vereker Bank (nanweitan 南衛灘).

Taiping Island

Taiping (taiping dao 太平島) [0.49 km²] aka Itu Aba is the largest naturally formed island of the Spratly Islands. The armed forces of the ROC established a permanent presence on that islet on July 11, 1956. An airfield with a 1,200 m runway was completed on Dec. 12, 2007, and a new lighthouse and wharf were inaugurated on Dec. 12, 2015. The island was visited by ROC presidents twice—by Chen Shui-bian on Feb. 2, 2008 and by Ma Ying-jeou on Jan. 28, 2016.

Taiping was listed as an important military-controlled area (zhongyao junshi sheshi guanzhiqu 重要軍事設施管制區) by the ROC MND in 2000, and a regulation drafted by the MND and CGA on who is allowed to enter the area was imposed in 2013. Accordingly, four kinds of civilians are permitted to access the area after their requests are approved—
1) those who perform public duty and participate in affairs of defense and security,
2) those who are in industrial or commercial organizations having contracts with the MND and participate in affairs of defense and security,
3) foreign nationals who conduct or participate in affairs of defense and security, and
4) people who conduct equipment maintenance or do academic research.
The MND's Air Force Command (guofangbu kongjun silingbu 國防部空軍司令部) is the agency to decide if a request is approved or not.

On July 12, 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), based in the Dutch city The Hague, ruled that Taiping is legally a "rock" under international law and not an island, a verdict strongly rejected by the ROC government. Interestingly, claims by leading politicians in both camps in Taiwan concerning ROC sovereignty over the islands of the South China Sea and their surrounding waters are identical, and they also agree that Taiping clearly meets the criteria of an island as defined in Article 121 of the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). UNCLOS was done at Montego Bay (Jamaica) on Dec. 10, 1982 and entered into force on Nov. 16, 1994. Article 121 deals with the "Regime of islands" and reads as follows:

1. An island is a naturally formed area of land, surrounded by water, which is above water at high tide.
2. Except as provided for in paragraph 3, the territorial sea, the contiguous zone, the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and the continental shelf of an island are determined in accordance with the provisions of this Convention applicable to other land territory.
3. Rocks which cannot sustain human habitation or economic life of their own shall have no EEZ or continental shelf.

TOP   HOME    [◆ Geography/climate]   [Smaller islands]

Further information on selected ROC-controlled islands

The table below lists the coordinates of selected islands, reference point is the middle of the respective island. (Source: Google Earth)

Next, the column on the right shows the respective distance to Taiwan proper.

The table below lists the 3-digit postal codes of selected islands administered, controlled or claimed by the ROC (islands and islets belonging to the archipelagos of Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu not included).

TOP   HOME    [◆ Geography/climate]   [Smaller islands]

Alphabetical small islands index

A list of all smaller islands mentioned on this page in alphabetical order is shown directly below.

Beigan 北竿———Matsu (Lienchiang County)
Bei Island 北小島———Diaoyutai (Yilan County) ⚔
Chamu 查母嶼———Penghu (Penghu County)
Chimei 七美嶼———Penghu (Penghu County)
Chiwei Island 赤尾嶼———Diaoyutai (Yilan County) ⚔
Chongbei Islet 沖北岩———Diaoyutai (Yilan County) ⚔
Chongnan Islet 沖南岩———Diaoyutai (Yilan County) ⚔
Chutou 鋤頭嶼———Penghu (Penghu County)
Dacang 大倉嶼———Penghu (Penghu County)
Daqiu 大坵嶼———Wuqiu (Kinmen County)
Diaoyutai Island 釣魚台———Diaoyutai (Yilan County) ⚔
Dinggou 錠鉤嶼———Penghu (Penghu County)
Dongji 東吉嶼———Penghu (Penghu County)
Dongjyu 東莒———Matsu (Lienchiang County)
Dongyuping 東嶼坪嶼———Penghu (Penghu County)
Ertan 二膽島———Kinmen (Kinmen County)
Feilai Islet 飛瀨———Diaoyutai (Yilan County) ⚔
Green Island / Lyudao 綠島———(Taitung County)
Guishan Island 龜山島———(Yilan County)
Guoyu 過嶼———Penghu (Penghu County)
Hsiyin 西引島———Matsu (Lienchiang County)
Hsiyu 西嶼———Penghu (Penghu County)
Huangwei Island 黃尾嶼———Diaoyutai (Yilan County) ⚔
Huaping 花瓶嶼———Three Northern Islets (Keelung City)
Huayu 花嶼———Penghu (Penghu County)
Hujing 虎井嶼———Penghu (Penghu County)
Jiangong Islet 建功嶼———Kinmen (Kinmen County)
Jiangjun'ao 將軍澳嶼———Penghu (Penghu County)
Jibei 吉貝嶼———Penghu (Penghu County)
Jilong 雞籠嶼———Penghu (Penghu County)
Kaoteng 高登島———Matsu (Lienchiang County)
Kinmen Island 金門島———Kinmen (Kinmen County)
Liang 亮島———Matsu (Lienchiang County)
Little Kinmen 小金門———Kinmen (Kinmen County)
Little Lanyu 小蘭嶼———(Taitung County)
Liuchiu Island 琉球嶼———(Pingtung County)
Menghuyu 猛虎嶼———Kinmen (Kinmen County)
Mianhua 棉花嶼———Three Northern Islets (Keelung City)
Mudou 目斗嶼———Penghu (Penghu County)
Nan'gan 南竿———Matsu (Lienchiang County)
Nan Island 南小島———Diaoyutai (Yilan County) ⚔
Niaoyu 鳥嶼———Penghu (Penghu County)
Orchid Island / Lanyu 蘭嶼———(Taitung County)
Paisha 白沙島———Penghu (Penghu County)
Peiting 北碇島———Kinmen (Kinmen County)
Penghu proper 澎湖本島———Penghu (Penghu County)
Pengjia 彭佳嶼———Three Northern Islets (Keelung City)
Pratas Island 東沙島———Pratas Islands (South China Sea/Kaohsiung City) ⚔
Shihyu 獅嶼———Kinmen (Kinmen County)
Sijyu 西莒———Matsu (Lienchiang County)
Ta-tan 大膽島———Kinmen (Kinmen County)
Taiping 太平島———Spratly Islands (South China Sea/Kaohsiung City) ⚔
Tongpan 桶盤嶼———Penghu (Penghu County)
Tungting 東碇島———Kinmen (Kinmen County)
Tungyin 東引島———Matsu (Lienchiang County)
Wang'an 望安島———Penghu (Penghu County)
Xiaomen 小門嶼———Penghu (Penghu County)
Xiaoqiu 小坵嶼———Wuqiu (Kinmen County)
Xiji 西吉嶼———Penghu (Penghu County)
Xiyuping 西嶼坪嶼———Penghu (Penghu County)
Yuanbei 員貝嶼———Penghu (Penghu County)
Zhongtun 中屯嶼———Penghu (Penghu County)

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Geology: Faults, earthquakes, volcanism and more

• Faults
• Earthquakes
• Hot springs
• Volcanism

Faults

Taiwan is situated at the seismically active Pacific Rim which is also called "Ring of Fire", and the island is criss-crossed by dozens of faults, resulting in frequent earthquakes. Major research on Taiwan's faults is done by the Geological Survey and Mining Management Agency (GSMMA) under the MOEA. On Jan. 4, 2022 the Central Geological Survey (CGS, i. e. the predecessor agency of GSMMA) published a study (including a map with versions in English and Chinese) on known faults in Taiwan, recording a total of 36 active faults across the island (see following list).

1. Sanchiao Fault (shanjiao duanceng 山腳斷層),
2. Hukou Fault (hukou duanceng 湖口斷層),
3. Hsinchu Fault (xinzhu duanceng 新竹斷層),
4. Hsincheng Fault (xincheng duanceng 新城斷層),
5. Shihtan Fault (shitan duanceng 獅潭斷層),
6. Sanyi Fault (sanyi duanceng 三義斷層),
7. Tachia Fault (dajia duanceng 大甲斷層),
8. Tiehchenshan Fault (tiezhanshan duanceng 鐵砧山斷層),
9. Tuntzuchiao Fault (tunzijiao duanceng 屯子腳斷層),
10. Changhua Fault (zhanghua duanceng 彰化斷層),
11. Chelungpu Fault (chelongpu duanceng 車籠埔斷層),
12. Tamaopu-Shuangtung Fault (damaopu shuangdong duanceng 大茅埔 - 雙冬斷層),
13. Chuhsiang Fault (chuxiang duanceng 初鄉斷層),
14. Chiuchiungkeng Fault (jiuqiongkeng duanceng 九芎坑斷層),
15. Meishan Fault (meishan duanceng 梅山斷層),
16. Tachienshan Fault (dajianshan duanceng 大尖山斷層),
17. Muchiliao Fault (mujiliao duanceng 木屐寮斷層),
18. Liuchia Fault (liujia duanceng 六甲斷層),
19. Chukou Fault (chukou duanceng 觸口斷層),
20. Kouhsiaoli Fault (kouxiaoli duanceng 口宵里斷層),
21. Hsinhua Fault (xinhua duanceng 新化斷層),
22. Houchiali Fault (houjiali duanceng 後甲里斷層),
23. Tsochen Fault (zuozhen duanceng 左鎮斷層),
24. Hsiaokangshan Fault (xiaogangshan duanceng 小崗山斷層),
25. Chekualin Fault (chegualin duanceng 車瓜林斷層),
26. Chishan Fault (qishan duanceng 旗山斷層),
27. Chaochou Fault (chaozhou duanceng 潮州斷層),
28. Hengchun Fault (hengchun duanceng 恆春斷層),
29. Milun Fault (milun duanceng 米崙斷層),
30. Lingding Fault (lingding duanceng 嶺頂斷層),
31. Rueyshui Fault (ruisui duanceng 瑞穗斷層),
32. Chimei Fault (qimei duanceng 奇美斷層),
33. Yuli Fault (yuli duanceng 玉里斷層),
34. Chihshang Fault (chishang duanceng 池上斷層),
35. Luyeh Fault (luye duanceng 鹿野斷層), and
36. Lichi Fault (liji duanceng 利吉斷層).

Please note that the National Museum of Natural Science (NMNS) under the MOE operates a Chelungpu Fault Preservation Park 車籠埔斷層保存園區 in Nantou County's Zhushan 竹山.

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Earthquakes

As a consequence of its geological features, earthquakes are common in the Taiwan area. A ban on the construction of buildings over four stories was lifted by the Executive Yuan on Nov. 14, 1974 (China Yearbook 1976, p. 488). The following chronology lists temblors measuring 6 or higher on the Richter scale in the Taiwan area since WWII—quakes with lower intensity are shown only when human lives were lost. For temblors later than Jan. 1, 1995 the Central Weather Administration (CWA) under the MOTC provided image files with a map and intensity report in English, additional quake intensity maps for all temblors after Jan. 1, 2000 (courtesy © CWA); please click on the ℹ symbol to view.

Notes
The magnitudes of the quakes in the table above are listed according to the figures provided by the CWA and might in some cases differ from information offered by other sources. For example, the 921 Earthquake on Sept. 21, 1999 had a magnitude of 7.3, but the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported that temblor having a magnitude of 7.7; the USGS also gave the date as Sept. 20, 1999 due to the time difference—that particular quake hit Nantou County early in the morning at 1:47 a.m. local time, which was at noon 12:47 EST the previous day at the USGS HQ in Reston (Virginia), or 17:47 UTC.

As the data in above table clearly indicate, the seismically most active region in the Taiwan area is the island's east coast (Hualien County, Taitung County, and Yilan County)—since WWII, more than two thirds of all strong temblors struck there. In this context, an interesting map created by Hsu Shih-hung 許世弘 ("Hsu.shihhung") and placed on Chinese Wikipedia showing Taiwan's seismicity can be found here.

115 of the 117 fatalities in the 2016 Meinong temblor occurred when the residential complex Wei Guan Golden Dragon Building (weiguan jinlong dalou 維冠金龍大樓) in Tainan City’s Yongkang District toppled to one side. According to media reports, an investigation showed that the construction process had included the use of cooking-oil cans and polystyrene materials inside the 17-story building’s walls and pillars. The chairman of the development company, its design manager, two architects and a construction technician were later found responsible for the disaster and convicted.

In the table above, the ranking of Taiwan’s cities, counties and special municipalities in terms of earthquake occurance since WWII is as follows.

The deadliest earthquake in the Taiwan area during the Japanese colonial period (1895-1945) struck on April 21, 1935 in Sanyi 三義 (today's Miaoli County) with a magnitude of 7.1 and claimed 3,276 lives. For a list of major temblors in Taiwan during that period click here.

Other manifestations of geological activity in this context are Taiwan's hot springs (wenquan 溫泉) and volcanism (huoshan 火山).

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Hot springs

The most famous spots with hot springs in Taiwan are located in Beitou 北投 (Taipei City) and the Yangmingshan 陽明山 area (Taipei City/New Taipei City), Jinshan 金山, Wanli 萬里 and Wulai 烏來 (all in New Taipei City), Taian 泰安 (Miaoli County), Jiaoxi 礁溪 (Yilan County), Dakeng 大坑 (Taichung City), Guguan 谷關 (Taichung City), Guanziling 關子嶺 (Tainan City), Baolaibulao 寶來不老 (Kaohsiung City), Sichongxi 四重溪 (Pingtung County), Rueisuei 瑞穗 (Hualien County), Zhiben 知本 (Taitung County), and Green Island 綠島 (off Taitung County), to name just a few.

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Volcanism

Several islets/island groups close to Taiwan have volcanic origins: Penghu 澎湖, Green Island 綠島, Orchid Island 蘭嶼, the Three Northern Islands 北方三島 off Keelung and especially Guishan Island 龜山島 (aka Gueishan Island/Kueishan Island/Turtle Island). Noteworthy volcanic mountains on Taiwan proper include the Tatun Volcano Group 大屯火山群, the Keelung Volcano Group 基隆火山群, Guanyin Mountain 觀音山, and Caoling Mountain 草嶺山. On Oct. 17, 2011 the Taiwan Volcano Observatory – Tatun (Datun huoshan guancezhan 大屯火山觀測站, abbrev. TVO) was established at the Jingshan Nature Center (Jingshan ziran zhongxin 菁山自然中心) in Taipei's Yangmingshan National Park.

Guishan Island, located 9.1 km off northeastern Taiwan's Yilan county, was long regarded the only active volcano in the Taiwan area, representing the top of an andesite stratovolcano which rises from the seafloor to an elevation of 401 m above sea level. According to scientists, at least four eruptions took place there in the past 7,000 years, the last one around 1785 A.D.

There is some controversy in Taiwan whether the Tatun Volcano Group should be considered an active volcano or not. On Dec. 23, 2016 TVO Director Lin Cheng-horng 林正洪 published a scientific article reporting the existence of a volcanic magma chamber there, but according to comments from the Central Weather Bureau (CWB, i. e. the predecessor agency of the CWA) on Feb. 21, 2017 the finding does not mean that the volcanoes in the group are active. On May 29, 2019 TVO researchers announced that volcanic activity detected beneath the Tatun Volcano Group proved that Tatun was indeed an active volcano.

A team led by Lin subsequently also reported it found a volcanic conduit under Yangmingshan National Park, which according to the researchers could become a vent if any of the volcanoes in the north of the country erupted. The team found that a 2 km deep and 500 m wide volcanic vent had formed under the area of Dayoukeng 大油坑 of the Tatun Volcano Group, after nesting data collected through more than 1,000 seismic readings at the Tatun group from 2014 to 2017.

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Climate

• Climate data (1981-2010)
• Weather warnings
• Tropical cyclones

Taiwan's climate is subtropical in the north and tropical in the south. The hot, humid summers last from May/June to October, coinciding with typhoon season; the winters are short and mild, snowfall in winter usually only on peaks above 3,000 m. The peculiar shape of the Lanyang Plain (rimmed by mountains in the south and west, open to the sea in the east) produces a climate with frequent rainfalls during the northeast monsoon in winter. Plum rain (meiyu 梅雨) season occurs between spring and summer.

Mean annual temperature: 22 ºC (January 15 ºC with 5º variation between north and south, July 27 ºC to 28 ºC). The island receives an average precipitation of ca. 2,500 mm annually—between 1981 and 2010 the city of Suao in Yilan County had an annual average of 4,439.8 mm, and in Huoshaoliao 火燒寮 (Dongshi Borough 東勢里, Pingxi District 平溪區, New Taipei City) it can even exceed 6,000 mm. The annual mean relative humidity averages ca. 60 to 90 percent.

Climate data (1981-2010)

The following tables show climate data provided by selected weather stations operated by the Central Weather Administration (CWA), MOTC. Explanations—①: mean maximum temperatures (unit: ºC); ②: mean temperatures (unit: ºC); ③: mean minimum temperatures (unit: ºC); ④: average precipitation (unit: mm); ⑤: mean relative humidity (unit: percent); ⑥: average number of days with precipitation ≥ 0.1 mm (unit: days); ⑦: sunshine duration (unit: hours).

Climate data Taipei City (1981-2010)

Climate data Kaohsiung City (1981-2010)

Climate data Taichung City (1981-2010)

Climate data Hualien City (1981-2010)

Climate data Jade Mountain/Yushan (1981-2010)

Climate data Sun Moon Lake (1981-2010)

Climate data Penghu (1981-2010)

Climate data Lanyu/Orchid Island (1981-2010)

Climate data Pengjia Island (1981-2010)

The following table shows the respective highest and lowest figures (annual average 1981-2010) measured by CWA's weather stations in the Taiwan area.

Peak minimum/maximum temperatures according to Chinese Wikipedia 維基百科: Taipei –0.2 ºC (February) and 39.3 ºC (August), Kaohsiung 4.4 ºC (December) and 37.2 ºC (June).

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Weather warnings

The duties of the CWA include issuing warnings to the population against dangerous weather conditions, e. g. heat information (gaowen zixun 高溫資訊), cold surge advisory (diwen tebao 低溫特報), extremely heavy rain advisory (haoyu tebao 豪雨特報), dense fog advisory (nongwu tebao 濃霧特報), strong wind advisory (lushang qiangfeng tebao 陸上強風特報) and especially typhoon warnings (taifeng jingbao 颱風警報). The CWA issues its warnings in accordance to certain standards.

In summer, the CWA may issue colour-coded heat warnings according to specific criteria: yellow signal (huangse denghao 黃色燈號), orange signal (chengse denghao 橙色燈號), and red signal (hongse denghao 紅色燈號).

Cold surge advisories are colour-coded as well. In the table below, ground level refers to altitude lower than 200 meters. The CWA notes that considering its geographical and climate conditions, the criteria for Lienchiang County is 4 degrees lower than the other areas.

Precipitation classification according to the CWA's standards is as follows—1. "heavy rain" (dayu 大雨), 2. "extremely heavy rain" (haoyu 豪雨), 3. "torrential rain" (da haoyu 大豪雨), and 4. "extremely torrential rain" (chaoda haoyu 超大豪雨).

Details about dense fog advisory and strong wind advisory by CWA:

• Dense fog advisory—When the observation of horizontal visibility to less than 200 meters of fog appears, a dense fog advisory will be released.
• Strong wind advisory—When the forecast or observation of sustained wind up to strong wind or gusts up to gale, a strong wind/gale/storm advisory will be released for land or sea.

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Tropical cyclones

Taiwan is usually hit by 3-4 typhoons (taifeng 颱風) every year. In the 107 years from 1897 to 2003, a total of 383 typhoons had a landfall on Taiwan or passed offshore without landfall but caused disasters on land. The CWA uses four different categories for the classification of typhoons depending on a storm's strength: 1. "severe typhoon" (qianglie taifeng 強烈颱風), 2. "typhoon" (zhongdu taifeng 中度颱風, literally ‘moderate typhoon' or ‘medium typhoon'), 3. "tropical storm" (qingdu taifeng 輕度颱風, literally ‘mild typhoon'), and 4. "tropical depression" (redaixing diqiya 熱帶性低氣壓). In general, the period between May and October is regarded as Taiwan's typhoon season. The peak frequency is in August, followed by July and September (see table below, provided by CWA). The occurrence of typhoons in December is exceptionally rare but not unheard of—for example, typhoon Nanmadol (nanmadou 南瑪都) made landfall in Taiwan on Dec. 4, 2004, killing two.

Monthly occurrences of typhoons in Taiwan between 1897 and 2003

Major typhoons in the Taiwan area since WWII

A majority of victims claimed by typhoon Morakot in 2009 perished when the village of Shiaolin 小林村 (Jiaxian Township 甲仙鄉, Kaohsiung County) was buried by a massive landslide, the townships of Liugui 六龜鄉, Namaxia 那瑪夏鄉, and Taoyuan 桃源鄉 in the same county were also severely affected by comparable conditions.

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◆ Selected statistics Taiwan/ROC

• Preliminary notes
• Population statistics
• Public health statistics
• Economics and trade statistics
• Financial statistics
• Energy statistics

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Preliminary notes

Statistics can be a helpful indicator for understanding the development stage of a country. For example, underdeveloped agricultural societies often have a high population growth, comparatively low life expectancy, high infant mortality, low number of hospital beds and physicians in relation to its population size, high illiteracy, low per capita GDP and GNI, and so on, while for a modern industrialized economy the respective figures would look much different.

Currently there is no single English-language source offered by ROC government agencies that provides comprehensive, detailed statistical data in all major areas. The data shown below are therefore derived from diverse sources.

The DGBAS’s Statistical Yearbook of the ROC is the most important source for data in this chapter. A table providing links to available versions is shown directly below.

An additional source offered by the DGBAS for English-language statistics about Taiwan is the page "National Statistics".

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Lost treasure

For decades, the most important source for statistical material from Taiwan/the ROC in English was the Taiwan Statistical Data Book, published annually since 1962, initially by the Council for U. S. Aid (Mei yuan yunyong weiyuanhui 美援運用委員會, abbrev. Mei yuan hui 美援會 in Chinese and CUSA in English) which would become the Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD) in 1977.

On Jan. 22, 2014 the CEPD was merged with the Research, Development and Evaluation Commission (RDEC) to constitute the National Development Council (NDC). While the publication of the Taiwan Statistical Data Book had not been affected by the administrative changes until then, the NDC decided to terminate it following the 2019 edition. The image directly below shows the text of an email sent by the NDC in response to a query from the chief researcher on Nov. 10, 2020 confirming the termination of the Taiwan Statistical Data Book.

A page on the NDC website listing previous editions of the Taiwan Statistical Data Book for access and download has since been deleted, but the editions shown below still circulate on the internet as PDF files. The editions 2002 through 2013 were published by the CEPD, the NDC published the editions 2014 through 2019.

Another annual statistical publication that the NDC took over from the CEPD are the Urban and Regional Development Statistics (dushi ji quyu fazhan tongji huibian 都市及區域發展統計彙編, abbrev. URDS) which are listed below in PDF format (1977 edition not available).

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Population statistics

The population statistics shown here include recent data on the following tables:
 ● Total population, population growth, population density
 ● Age groups
 ● Gender balance
 ● Literacy rate

The main source for the population statistics on this page and elsewhere on this website is a Chinese-language database provided by the MOI. Annual data refer to the figure for the end of the year (niandi 年底), monthly data to the figure for the end of the month (yuedi 月底).

Total population, population growth, population density

Population figures for 1946–1970 without data for Kinmen and Lienchiang counties. The population growth figures ("+ / –") refer to the changes in comparison with the previous year. The population density shows the average number of persons per square kilometer. Sources for all figures: MOI (population growth calculated by the chief researcher)

Taiwan/the ROC reached its historical maximum population since 1949 in January 2020 with 23,604,265 persons. The following table shows the population figures for each month in 2019 and 2020. The figures in the column "+ / –" represent the population gains or losses compared with the previous month.

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Age groups

Number of persons provided by the MOI, percentages calculated by the chief researcher.

The UN defines a society as “aging” when 7 percent of its population is older than 65. When that age group accounts for 14 percent of a society, it is called an “aged society”, and when it reaches 20 percent, it is called a “super-aged society”.

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Gender balance

Number of persons provided by the MOI, percentages calculated by the chief researcher.

Please note that the gender imbalance in Taiwan/the ROC reached its highest level at the end of the year 1969—total population then was 13,650,370, with 7,554,131 males (52.697 %) and 6,780,731 females (47.302 %). Since the end of November 2013 females have been outnumbering males in the ROC.

The number of males peaked at the end of January 2017 with 11,719,646 individuals, the number of females reached its highest level at the end of January 2020 with 11,899,957 individuals.

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Literacy rate

The table directly below shows the percentage of illiterates among persons aged 15 and above at the end of the school year.

Source: MOE main education statistical indicators, see III. Stucture of education; 2. Educational attainment of population—aged 15 and above

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👉 For comparison, the table directly below shows data from the NDC’s Taiwan Statistical Data Book 2019 (age groups: tables 2-6a, 2-6b; literacy rates: table 2-4).

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Public health statistics

The public health statistics shown here include recent data on the following tables:
 ● Life expectancy
 ● Infant mortality rate
 ● Physicians and hospital beds per population

Main source for the public health statistics shown here is the DGBAS’s Statistical Yearbook of the ROC 2020. Other useful statistics concerning that topic can be found on the MOHW website.

Life expectancy

[Unit—years]

Source: Statistical Yearbook of the ROC 2020, 2021, 2022 (table 6)

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Infant mortality rate

[Unit—deaths per 1,000 life births]

Source: MacroTrends.net

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Physicians and hospital beds per population

[Unit—per 10,000 persons]

Source: Statistical Yearbook of the ROC 2020, 2021, 2022 (table 21)

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👉 For comparison, the table directly below shows data from the NDC’s Taiwan Statistical Data Book 2019 (life expectancy, hospital beds: table 14-6; persons per physician: table 14-2).

Note: Life expectancy at birth in years. Hospital beds per 10,000 persons. Persons served by each physician including TCM doctors (*: 1960).

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Economics and trade statistics

The economics and trade statistics shown here include recent data on the following tables:
 ● Annual economic growth rate
 ● GDP and GNI
 ● Percentage of economic sectors in GDP
 ● Exports and imports
 ● Inflation
 ● Unemployment rate

Main source for the economics statistics shown here is the DGBAS’s Statistical Yearbook of the ROC 2006–2020. GDP stands for Gross Domestic Product, GNI for Gross National Income, CPI for Consumer Price Index. Other useful statistics concerning that topic can be found on the websites of the MOEA and of the MOEA’s Bureau of Foreign Trade (BOFT).

Annual economic growth rate

Source: Statistical Yearbook of the ROC 2020, 2021, 2022 (table 39)

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GDP and GNI

[GDP and GNI at current prices.]

Source: Statistical Yearbook of the ROC 2022 (GDP, GNI: table 39; per capita GDP, GNI: table 40)

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Percentage of economic sectors in GDP

Data provided by the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research (CIER)

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Exports and imports

[Unit—million US$]

Sources: Statistical Yearbooks of the ROC—2006 (table 119); 2021, 2022 (table 53), using data from the MOF

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Inflation

Data on the annual change of Consumer Price Indices in Taiwan Area come from the DGBAS’s website "National Statistics". The MOF offers figures about public finance and trade statistics; click here.

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Unemployment rate

Sources: Statistical Yearbook of the ROC 2021 (table 7), MOL figures about labor status

More labor statistics can be found on the website of the MOL, links see below.
MOL statistics—yearly bulletin
Major economic indicators, click here or here.

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👉 For comparison, the tables directly below shows data from the NDC’s Taiwan Statistical Data Book 2019 (GDP, per capita GNI, economic growth, change CPI: table 1-1a; total GNI: table 3-1; structure of production: table 3-8b; exports, imports, trade balance, unemployment rate: table 1-1c).

Note: Total GDP in US$ and GNI in NT$ million at current prices.

Note: Source for the figures 1952 through 1980—Taiwan Statistical Data Book 2004 (at market prices, see table 1-1b).

Note: Exports at f.o.b. prices, imports at c.i.f. prices.

Note: Economic growth rate at 2011 prices, for 1952 at 2006 prices.

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Financial statistics

The financial statistics shown here include recent data on the following tables:
 ● Government revenues and expenditures
 ● Foreign exchange reserves since 1965
 ● Annual currency exchange rates since 1993
 ● Annual average prices (US$) for crude oil and gold since 1978

Main source for the financial statistics shown here is the DGBAS’s Statistical Yearbook of the ROC 2020. For public finance and trade statistics of the MOF click here. Statistics of the ROC Central Bank can be found here.

Government revenues and expenditures

Source: Statistical Yearbook of the ROC 2021, 2022 (revenues: table 90, expenditures: table 91), using data from the MOF, National Audit Office

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Foreign exchange reserves since 1965

Note: Foreign exchange reserves figures for December of the listed year, provided by the ROC Central Bank. (Unit: million US$)

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Annual currency exchange rates since 1993