Geography and Climate

The Republic of China (ROC) is popularly known as “Taiwan” because the land over which the ROC government exercises sovereignty most importantly encompasses the large island of Taiwan, situated in the West Pacific between Japan and the Philippines. In addition, it comprises a number of smaller islands, most notably the archipelagoes of Penghu (the Pescadores), Kinmen and Matsu. Together, Taiwan and its associated islands have a combined area of approximately 36,200 sq km (13,970 sq miles)—about the size of the Netherlands—and a population of 23 million, more populous than three-quarters of the world’s nations.

Taiwan proper, measuring nearly 400 km (245 miles) from north to south and around 145 km (90 miles) from east to west at its widest, has more than its share of natural splendor. Mountain ranges with many peaks reaching over 3,000 meters—including East Asia’s highest, Jade Mountain—and forested foothills occupy over half of its area.

The main island is uniquely blessed in the world for having within such a relatively small area a full range of climatic zones from tropical to temperate. This, in combination with fertile soil and abundant rainfall, makes it an agricultural paradise, where virtually any kind of fruit or vegetable can be grown. It also makes the island a recreational paradise. In the winter, one can go skiing on the frigid slopes of Hehuan Mountain in Nantou County and then travel a mere 200 km (120 miles) to balmy Pingtung County to enjoy skin diving at coral reefs along the island’s southern tip.

The smaller islands, meanwhile, have their own unique natural features, such as the basaltic pillars on one of the Penghu Islands and the marine hot springs along the shore of Green Island and Turtle Island.

The rock formations sculpted by wind and sea erosion on Peace Island off the coast of Keelung are a major tourist attraction in northeastern Taiwan. (Tang Wei-kuang, courtesy of the Tourism Bureau)

Flora and Fauna

Taiwan’s tropical-to-temperate spectrum of climatic zones and contrasting topographies have endowed the island with a rich diversity of flora and fauna. Some 80 species of mammals, 500 species of birds, 80 species of reptiles, 37 species of amphibians, about 3,000 species of fish and more than 18,000 identified species of insects (including 400 butterfly species) are known to inhabit Taiwan. The abundant plant life in Taiwan includes about 640 species of ferns, 29 species of gymnosperms and over 3,500 species of angiosperms.

To protect the ecosystems in which these plants and animals reside, the government has reserved 19 percent of the nation’s land area as part of a multitier system of protected areas, comprising 7 national parks, 20 nature reserves, 6 forest reserves, 17 wildlife refuges and 33 wildlife habitats.

Perhaps the most famous Taiwanese species of fauna is the Formosan landlocked salmon. It is believed to have become trapped in the frigid mountain waters of central Taiwan during the last Ice Age when ocean levels dropped dramatically and the salmon could no longer migrate back and forth between fresh water and salt water. To protect the endangered species, the Formosan Landlocked Salmon Refuge was established in the upper reaches of the Dajia River in Shei-pa National Park.

National Parks

Kenting National Park: http://www.ktnp.gov.tw 
Yushan (Jade Mountain) National Park: http://www.ysnp.gov.tw 
Yangmingshan National Park: http://www.ymsnp.gov.tw 
Taroko National Park: http://www.taroko.gov.tw 
Shei-pa National Park: http://www.spnp.gov.tw 
Kinmen National Park: http://www.kmnp.gov.tw 
Dongsha Atoll National Park: http://dongsha.cpami.gov.tw