Taiwan:
Geography

Click to enlarge

Pages for other countries and territories

Other pages in this profile of Taiwan:
People, Government, Economy, Communications & Transportation, Military & Transnational Issues.


Background	Definition In 1895, military defeat forced China to cede Taiwan to Japan. Taiwan reverted to Chinese control after World War II. Following the Communist victory on the mainland in 1949, 2 million Nationalists fled to Taiwan and established a government using the 1946 constitution drawn up for all of China. Over the next five decades, the ruling authorities gradually democratized and incorporated the local population within the governing structure. In 2000, Taiwan underwent its first peaceful transfer of power from the Nationalist to the Democratic Progressive Party. Throughout this period, the island prospered and became one of East Asia's economic "Tigers." The dominant political issues continue to be the relationship between Taiwan and China - specifically the question of eventual unification - as well as domestic political and economic reform.

Location	Definition Eastern Asia, islands bordering the East China Sea, Philippine Sea, South China Sea, and Taiwan Strait, north of the Philippines, off the southeastern coast of China
Geographic coordinates	Definition 23 30 N, 121 00 E
Map references	Definition Southeast Asia
Area	Definition - World rank and map total: 35,980 sq km land: 32,260 sq km water: 3,720 sq km note: includes the Pescadores, Matsu, and Quemoy islands
Area - comparative	Definition slightly smaller than Maryland and Delaware combined
Land boundaries	Definition 0 km
Coastline	Definition 1,566.3 km
Maritime claims	Definition territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate	Definition tropical; marine; rainy season during southwest monsoon (June to August); cloudiness is persistent and extensive all year
Terrain	Definition eastern two-thirds mostly rugged mountains; flat to gently rolling plains in west
Elevation extremes	Definition lowest point: South China Sea 0 m highest point: Yu Shan 3,952 m
Natural resources	Definition small deposits of coal, natural gas, limestone, marble, and asbestos
Land use	Definition - World rank and map arable land: 24% permanent crops: 1% other: 75% (2001)
Irrigated land	Definition NA
Total renewable water resources	Definition 67 cu km (2000)
Natural hazards	Definition earthquakes and typhoons
Environment - current issues	Definition air pollution; water pollution from industrial emissions, raw sewage; contamination of drinking water supplies; trade in endangered species; low-level radioactive waste disposal
Environment - international agreements	Definition party to: none of the selected agreements because of Taiwan's international status signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements because of Taiwan's international status
Geography - note	Definition strategic location adjacent to both the Taiwan Strait and the Luzon Strait