NATURAL TAIWAN

FACT FOCUS

Yushan, also known as Jade Mountain, is the highest peak in East Asia.
Around 20 percent of the country’s land area is protected.

Taiwan is situated in the West Pacific between Japan and the Philippines. Its jurisdiction extends to the archipelagos of Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu, as well as numerous other islets. The total area of Taiwan and its outlying islands is around 36,197 square kilometers. At about the size of the Netherlands, but with a population of some 23 million, Taiwan is more populous than three-quarters of the world’s nations.

Taiwan boasts diverse flora and fauna, including the endemic Formosan sika deer. (Chin Hung-hao)

Taiwan has an abundance of natural splendor. Mountain ranges with 268 peaks that reach over 3,000 meters and forested foothills occupy more than half of its area. The main island also features volcanic mountains, tablelands, coastal plains and basins. The Diaoyutai Archipelago, which lies northeast of Taiwan, and a number of islands in the South China Sea, including the Dongsha (Pratas), Nansha (Spratly), Xisha (Paracel) and Zhongsha (Macclesfield Bank) islands, are also part of the country’s territory.

Yushan, the highest peak in Taiwan, is an iconic landmark and a national symbol. (Courtesy of National Yushan Park/ Photo by Tsui Tsu-hsi)

Sitting in the path of warm ocean currents off the east coast of continental Asia, Taiwan is uniquely blessed with climatic zones that range from tropical to temperate. This, combined with fertile soil and abundant rainfall, makes it an agricultural paradise where virtually any kind of fruit or vegetable can be cultivated.

Land area: 36,197 square kilometers,Length of Taiwan: 394 kilometers,Agricultural land: 7,900 square kilometers,Width of Taiwan: 144 kilometers

It also makes the island a recreational wonderland. In the winter, a traveler could watch snow fall on the north peak of Hehuanshan in Nantou County and then travel a mere 200 kilometers to balmy Pingtung County to enjoy diving at coral reefs along the island’s southern tip.

The smaller islands, meanwhile, have their own unique natural features, such as the columnar basalt on the Penghu Islands and the marine hot springs along the shores of Green Island and Guishan Island.

Flora and Fauna

Taiwan’s tropical-to-temperate climate and wide range of topographies endow the island with a rich diversity of flora and fauna. Some 123 species of mammals, 758 species of birds, 117 species of reptiles, 43 species of amphibians, 404 species of butterflies and 2,975 species of fish are known to inhabit Taiwan. The island’s plant life comprises 790 species of ferns, 5,718 species of angiosperms and 108 species of gymnosperms. To protect the ecosystems in which these plants and animals reside, the government has designated about 20 percent of the nation’s land as protected areas, comprising nine national parks and one national nature park, 22 nature reserves for special ecosystems, six forest reserve areas, 21 wildlife refuges and 39 major wildlife habitats.

Among the most famous endemic species is the Formosan landlocked salmon (Oncorhynchus masou formosanus). The fish is believed to have become trapped in the frigid mountain waters of central Taiwan during the last ice age when ocean levels dropped dramatically, preventing its migration between fresh 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-Yangmingshan,Shei-Pa,Taroko,Yushan,Taijiang,Shoushan,Kenting,Kinmen,South Penghu,Dongsha Atoll

The Archway