Taiwan Tourism 160 Attractions

Author: Liu Biquan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-01-01
Features: Taiwan is a large island of China, located on the continental shelf of the southeastern coast of the motherland. It lies between 119°18′03″E to 124°34′30″E in longitude and 20°45′25″N to 25°56′30″N in latitude. Taiwan is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the east, the Ryukyu Islands to the northeast, separated by about 600 kilometers; the Bashi Channel to the south, with the Philippines about 300 kilometers away; and the Taiwan Strait to the west, facing Fujian with the narrowest point being 130 kilometers. Taiwan has been an integral part of Chinese territory since ancient times. It controls the center of the Western Pacific shipping lanes and serves as a crucial transportation hub for China's maritime connections with countries in the Pacific region. The Taiwan Strait runs in a northeast-southwest direction, connecting the East China Sea to the South China Sea, stretching about 200 nautical miles in length and 70 to 221 nautical miles in width, with an average width of approximately 108 nautical miles. It is a major maritime transportation route in China and also an international one. Ships traveling between the East China Sea and the South China Sea pass through here. Ships from Europe, Africa, South Asia, and Oceania to China's eastern coastal regions also transit through this area. Vessels from the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Persian Gulf, and Indian Ocean to the Japan Sea generally pass through this route as well. The Taiwan Province includes the main island of Taiwan and 21 islands such as Orchid Island, Green Island, and Diaoyu Island, as well as the 64 islands of the Penghu Archipelago, with the main island of Taiwan covering an area of 35,873 square kilometers. The currently referred-to Taiwan region also includes the islands of Jinmen and Mazu, controlled by the Taiwan authorities, in Fujian Province, with a total area of 36,006 square kilometers.