| The
island of Taiwan is adrift 160km (99mi) off the coast of mainland China.
The island's total area is 35,563 sq km (13,869 sq mi) - it's 394km
(244mi) long and 144km (89mi) wide. Taiwan's spine is a ridge of steep
mountains, falling away to a rocky coastline on the east and a narrow,
fertile plain (where 90 per cent of the population lives) on the west.
Mount Yushan is, at 3952m (12,963ft), the highest peak in North-East Asia
outside of Tibet. The small islands of Penghu, Lanyu, Green, Liuchiu,
Kinmen, Matsu and Wuchiu are controlled by Taiwan. |
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| The
island's high mountain forests are predominantly cyprus, although camphor
used to grow in abundance. Taiwan was once home to many endemic species,
including the Formosan black bear, the Formosan Sika deer and the Formosan
landlocked salmon. In its headlong scurry towards economic prosperity,
Taiwan has managed to destroy most of the western coast's habitat and wipe
out a species or two, although the inaccessibility of the rest of the
island has made it a natural wildlife reserve. But in the last 20 years
Taiwan has declared 67 reserves, including six national parks, and
instituted some fairly hefty environmental legislation.
Although Taiwan is subtropical, the mountains can
be chilly in summer (June to August) and snowy in winter (December to
February). During winter it rains pretty much non-stop in the north-east,
while the south-west is much warmer and drier. Summer is hot and sticky
all over the low parts of the island, with drenching rains in the
mountains. Daytime temperatures in Taipei are around 30°C (86°F) in
summer and 20°C (68°F) in winter. |