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The island of Taiwan, situated off the
southeast coast of China and separated from the Chinese mainland
by the Taiwan Strait, is located in the Western Pacific between
Japan and the Philippines. With a total area of about 36,000
square kilometers, the island is 394 kilometers long and 144
kilometers at its widest point.
Taiwan's most prominent geographic feature is its 270-kilometer
central mountain range, which has more than 200 peaks over 3,000
meters high. At 3,952 meters, Mount Jade is the highest point in
East Asia. Foothills from the central mountain range lead to
tablelands and coastal plains in the west and south. The eastern
shoreline is relatively steep, and volcanic mountains over 1,000
meters high dominate the island in the north. Over 60 percent of
the island is classified as mountainous.
Lying on the Tropic of Cancer, Taiwan has a subtropical climate,
except for the extreme southern tip, which is tropical. Warm ocean
currents give the island a climate conducive to the growth of lush
vegetation and two or three rice harvests per year. Rainfall is
abundant, with an average annual precipitation of 2,515
millimeters and the highest recorded rainfall reaching more than
5,600 millimeters. Thundershowers and typhoons often bring heavy
downpours in the summertime. November through February is the
island's driest period.
Summers are long and humid, while winters are short and usually
mild. In the coldest months, snow is visible on the high
mountains. The mean monthly temperature in the lowlands is 16
degree in the winter, and ranges between 24-30 degree the rest of
the year.
Due to Taiwan's subtropical climate, plant life is diverse and
plentiful. Low altitude flora is closely related to that of
southern China, mountain flora is similar to that of western
China, and high alpine flora resembles that of the Himalayan
region. Acacia is ubiquitous in the lower hills, and bamboo groves
and forests are found throughout central and northern Taiwan.
Native plant species are numerous, accounting for roughly 40
percent of the total.
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Taiwan's population |
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PEOPLE IN TAIWAN |
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Taiwan's population
surpassed 22 million by the end of 1999. Taipei City is the island's
largest and most densely populated metropolitan area, followed by
Kaohsiung City in the south. About 60 percent of Taiwan's population
is concentrated in four metropolitan areas: Taipei, Kaohsiung,
Taichung, and Tainan. Over the past few decades, the average age of
Taiwan's population has been rising. In 1999, the number of people
over the age of 65 exceeded 8 percent of the total population, and
this percentage is expected to continue to rise.
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With the exception of
over 402,000 indigenous peoples, the population of Taiwan is
composed almost entirely of Han Chinese. Early Han Chinese
immigrants, or "Taiwanese," are of two groups: the Hakka, mostly
from Guangdong Province; and the Fujianese, from China's
southeastern coastal province of Fujian. These two groups
comprise about 85 percent of the Han population, with the
Fujianese outnumbering the Hakka by about three to one. The last
group of immigrants came from various parts of China with the
ROC government to Taiwan in 1949. They are generally referred to
as "mainlanders," and account for less than 15 percent of the
Han population. Intermarriage between all four
groups--indigenous peoples, Hakkas, Fujianese, and
mainlanders--is quite common, so the distinguishing
characteristics of these groups have become fainter with the
passage of time. |
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The number of native
speakers of Chinese greatly exceeds that of any other language in
the world. Although many Chinese dialects are mutually
unintelligible, all tend to be grouped together under the
classification of "Chinese." Nevertheless, the Chinese people shared
what is known as the "National Language" in Taiwan, "Common
Language" on the Chinese mainland, and "Mandarin" in the English
language. Mandarin is based on the Beijing dialect.
Languages or dialects belonging to the Chinese language family
usually have several similar characteristics: a monosyllabic or
simple phonological system; tones to distinguish different meanings;
a syntax that depends on word order; and a lack of inflection,
grammatical gender, and pluralization.
To represent the sounds of Mandarin, people in Taiwan use the
Mandarin Phonetic Symbols system, collection of 37 phonetic symbols
with marks that signify Mandarin's four tones. Two Romanization
systems for Mandarin are also prevalent in the ROC; Wade-Giles and
Gwoyeu Romatzyh. The Hanyu Pinyin system used on the Chinese
mainland is also gaining popularity in Taiwan. |
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Taiwan's big events |
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EVENTS |
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You'll need to get hold of
a lunar calendar if you want to have any hope of attending Taiwan's
big events - very few of them occur on the same date every year. If
you enjoy fireworks and crowds, visit Yenshui, Luerhmen or Peikang
for the Lantern Festival, on the 15th day of the first moon.
Kuanyin's Birthday, on the 19th day of the second moon, is a good
time to see temple festivities in full swing. During the Ghost
Month, the seventh lunar month, ghosts from hell walk the earth. No
one travels, swims, gets married or moves house, but everyone visits
Taoist temples. National Day (10 October) is celebrated with gusto,
fireworks and a light show in Taipei. Chinese New Year is the first
day of the first lunar month.
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Money & Costs
Currency: New Taiwan dollar (NT$)
Budget meal: AUD$2-6
Moderate restaurant meal: AUD$20-30
Top-end restaurant meal: AUD$60-200
Budget room: AUD$20-40
Mid-range hotel: AUD$60-200 (double)
Top-end hotel: AUD$3000 and upwards
Costs in Taiwan for the traveller are on a par with a good number of
European countries, reflecting the rise in the standard of living on
the island. However, Taiwan is still cheaper than Japan. If you stay
in youth hostels, live on noodles and travel by bus, you could get
by on AUD$30 to AUD$40 a day. If you want a bathroom of your own, a
few souvenirs, a couple of taxi trips and a decent meal or two a
day, budget AUD$70 to AUD$100 a day. Staying in Taipei will cost you
more than heading out into the country.
Travellers' cheques and
cash can be changed at international airports and large banks, but
you'll have trouble with travellers' cheques in rural areas. Stick
to US dollars for cash and cheques if you can - other currencies
will cause you problems. When changing cheques, shop around, as
commission costs can vary widely. There are no legal private money
changers in Taiwan, but some jewellery shops will change cash. Major
international credit cards can be used at big hotels and flash
restaurants or to get cash advances at your card's offices.
Tipping is not the done
thing in Taiwan. The only people who really expect you to tip are
hotel bellhops and airport porters, who will expect about AUD$2 a
bag. Big hotels and restaurants will stick 10 per cent service
charge and 5 per cent value added tax on your bill. Taiwan is not a
third world country, so don't expect to haggle yourself a bargain -
you may be able to get a slight discount (around 10 per cent) in
street markets and small shops.
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Getting there and away |
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GETTING THERE & AWAY |
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Taiwan has international
airports at Taoyuan, near Taipei, and Kaohsiung. You can fly to
Taiwan from just about anywhere in the world except mainland China.
Ferries run between Okinawa in Japan and Keelung and Kaohsiung in
Taiwan. There are also weekly boats between Kaohsiung and Macau.
You'll need to pay about US$10 to leave the country.
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Getting around |
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GETTING AROUND |
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Taipei's world class subway system (MRT) is often the best option
for getting around the capital. Going underground into its long,
cool tunnels also provides welcome relief from the heat and bustle
of the city. Taipei and other cities have excellent bus services -
it's a good idea to have your destination written down in Chinese
characters so you can check before getting on a bus. Flights and
buses travel between all the major cities. A train line
circumnavigates the island and the service is good. There are four
classes - the first three are more expensive than buses, the fourth
is cheap but slow. Long-distance share taxis are expensive. The
Taiwanese are very friendly people and always willing to help, so
don't be afraid to ask directions!
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APROC
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