|
|
|
|
|
| Location |
Pacific
Ocean,
120 km
(74.6 mi)
off the
coast of
mainland
China |
|
Coordinates |
 23°46′N
121°0′E
/ 23.767,
121 |
|
Area |
|
- |
Total |
35,801 km²
(13,822.8 sq mi) |
| Rank |
39th |
| Highest
point |
Yu Shan
—
3,952 m
(2.5 mi)
() |
|
Administration |
 Republic
of China |
|
Demographics |
|
|
Population |
|
- |
2005 estimate |
approx.
23
million
(as of
2005) |
|
- |
Density |
{{{density}}}/km² |
|
- |
Ethnic
groups |
Taiwanese
people
98%
Han
Chinese
70%
Hoklo
14%
Hakka
14%
Mainlander
2%
Aboriginal
Taiwanese |
|
Please
note
that all
population
percentages
are
those of
the
total
population
of the
island |
|
Taiwan (traditional
Chinese: 臺灣 or 台灣; simplified
Chinese: 台湾; Hanyu Pinyin:
Táiwān; Tongyong Pinyin: Táiwan;
Wade-Giles: T'ai²-wan¹;
Taiwanese: 大圓, Tâi-oân) is an
island in East Asia. "Taiwan" is
also commonly used to refer to
the territories governed by the
Republic of China (ROC) and to
ROC itself, which governs the
island of Taiwan, Orchid Island
and Green Island in the Pacific
off the Taiwan coast, the
Pescadores in the Taiwan Strait,
and Kinmen and the Matsu Islands
off the coast of mainland Fujian.
The island groups of Taiwan and
Penghu (except the
municipalities of Taipei and
Kaohsiung) are officially
administered as Taiwan Province
of the ROC. However, in
practice, almost all government
power is exercised at the
national and local (city/county)
levels.
Taiwan is also currently claimed
by the People's Republic of
China[1]]
The main island of Taiwan,
also known as Formosa (from
PortugueseIlha) Formosaa,
meaning "beautiful (island)"),
is located in East Asia off the
coast of mainland China,
southwest of the main islands of
Japan but directly west of the
end of Japan's Ryukyu Islands,
and north-northwest of the
Philippines. It is bound to the
east by the Pacific Ocean, to
the south by the South China Sea
and the Luzon Strait, to the
west by the
Taiwan Strait and to the
north by the East China Sea. The
island is 394 kilometers (245
miles) long and 144 kilometers
(89 miles) wide and consists of
steep mountains covered by
tropical and subtropical
vegetation.
