Geography

Located along the southeast coast of the Asian Continent at the western edge of the Pacific Ocean, between Japan and the Philippines and right in the center of the East-Asian island arc, Taiwan forms a vital line of communication in the Asia-Pacific region.

Ilha Formosa

Taiwan Island or, like the first Portuguese sailorman called it: 'Ilha Formosa' (beautiful island) is located in Eastern Asia. Surrounded by water, the island is the China Sea and has the Strait of Taiwan to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. The distance from the northern part of the island and the southern extremity is about 394 km and only 144 km from the east to the west coast. The island is mostly made of steep mountains (its highest peak is the Jade Mountain or Yu Shan at 3 952m) and tropical and sub-tropical forest. 

Being in the Pacific Ring of Fire, the Taiwan Island is affected by earthquakes. Its tropical climate brings also a typhoon season from May to September and a rain season in the summer time. In the northern part of the island, precipitations are frequent all year around because this region is affected by two monsoons each year. The southern part has only the summer monsoon (April to September), making this region a wonderful place for winter vacations.

The Taiwan Island it’s cut in half from north to south by a chain of steep mountains. On the west coast, you will find the major cities (Taipei, Kaohsiung, Taichung, and Tainan), urban installations, and most of its population. On the other side of the mountains, you will find agricultural area, small aboriginal villages, and rural pace of life. The center region of the island is mostly made of mountains, bamboo forest, and tea plantations. This region is ideal for hiking trips and nature sightseeing tours.