5 Numbers About Taiwan’s Landscape
If you’ve read my previous works, you probably know a bit of Taiwanese history and culture. Or at least not confusing Taiwan with Thailand anymore. This piece, on the other hand, is about nature and landscape. By learning some geographic facts, you will have a rough idea of how this island actually looks like and why the sailors in the Age of Discovery couldn’t help but called it “Formosa”.
1. The Area of Taiwan: 36,000 km2
36,000 square kilometers is around 14,000 square miles. Taiwan is slightly bigger than Belgium and smaller than the Netherlands. Theoretically, it shouldn’t take long to travel around the island. In fact, it only takes about two hours by high-speed railway to go from 台北 (Taipei, the city in the north) to 高雄 (Kaohsiung, the city in the south). However, there are plenty of places that are difficult to reach due to the following fact of Taiwan’s landscape.
2. 3000m-High Mountains Meet 4000m-Deep Ocean
Taiwan may not be a big place, however, it is where high mountains meet the deep ocean. Taiwan is right between two plates: the Eurasia Plate and the Philippines Sea Plate. When the plates crash into each other, the force of nature makes Taiwan grow tall. That’s why there are mountains that are 3000 meters high in the middle of the island, making the traffic from east to west difficult.
On the other hand, Taiwan is on the edge of the Pacific Ocean, the largest and deepest ocean in the world. The water goes down to 4000 meters deep just 50 km away from the east coast of Taiwan. Visit 清水斷崖 (the QingShui Cliff) in 花蓮 (Hualien) to witness the drastic change of landscape. Whether you’re a mountain lover or ocean person, it only takes an hour drive from Hualien City to both places.
3. Mount Jade: 3952 m, Higher than Mount Fuji
To be more specific, there are more than 100 mountains in Taiwan that are over 3000 meters high. Mount Jade, also know as Mount Yu or 玉山 (Yushan), is the highest of them all. The peak is up to 3952 m, marking it the highest mountain in northeast Asia, even higher than Mount Fuji in Japan. To make the way to the top, we have to start from 南投 (Nantou), the only land-lock county on the island.
As a lifelong resident of Taipei, I couldn’t be more grateful to the mountains. Every time a low pressure on the Pacific Ocean turns into a typhoon and comes right after us, the high mountains become natural fences and block its way. As a result, Taipei usually remains unharmed after a typhoon strike. We enjoy movies and karaoke instead of looking for shelters on a typhoon day because the mountains got our back.
4. One-Third of Whales Calls Taiwan Home
There are around 80 kinds of whales and dolphins on earth. According to the records of marine biologists, 27 of them have shown up around Taiwan. Go on a whale-watching from 宜蘭 (Yilan) or 花蓮 (Hualien). There’s an 80% chance to spot them wandering. They are often here because of the Kuroshio Current. It is fast, helping whales and their fellow ocean companies move. Meanwhile, the warm water brings a large amount of fish to Taiwan. Seafood is all too common here. Harbors like 東港 (the Dong Harbor) even hold annual “Tuna Festival” to honor their fishing tradition.
Except for the warm Kuroshio Current, the southern half of Taiwan is in the tropical climate zone. It makes a good home for corals. 墾丁 (Kenting), the very south of Taiwan, is famous for corals. Visit there during March and April to catch the breeding season of these delicate creatures.
5. Over 100 Endemic Species Living in Taiwan
Long before human beings, Taiwan used to connect with the Eurasia Continent. After the ice age, when the ice burg started to melt, the sea level rose and separated Taiwan from the continent for good. Taiwan then turned into an isolated place, preserving a wide variety of special animals and plants. Just like Australia and New Zealand. Although there’s no accurate number of all the species, we believe that Taiwan possesses at least a thousand endemic species, making it the paradise of biologists.
The good news is, it doesn’t take a 3-day trip to see them in the wild. 陽明山 (Yangming Mountain), the garden of Taipei City, is home to many of the endemic butterflies, frogs, and birds. Immerse yourself in nature and then try the hot spring in 北投 (Beitou) to call it a day.
For those who can read Mandarin, feel free to visit my Mandarin Blog: Donna Wang, 多拿王拿很多
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