Editing Geography of Taiwan (section)

== Physical boundaries ==
{{Main list|List of islands of Taiwan}}

The total land area of Taiwan is {{convert|36,197|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}},<ref>{{cite web |title=Land and Climate |work=Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of China |publisher=Statistical Bureau, Republic of China (Taiwan) |year=2020 |url=https://eng.stat.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=41870&ctNode=2815 |access-date=29 August 2022 |archive-date=29 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220829105935/https://eng.stat.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=41870&ctNode=2815 |url-status=live }}</ref> slightly larger than [[Belgium]]. It has a coastline of {{convert|1,566.3|km|mi|abbr=on}}.<ref name="World Factbook">{{cite web |title=Taiwan |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/taiwan/ |work=The World Factbook |publisher=United States Central Intelligence Agency |access-date=6 May 2019 |archive-date=9 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210109223447/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/taiwan/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The ROC claims an [[exclusive economic zone]] of {{convert|83,231|km2|mi2|abbr=on}} with {{convert|200|nmi|1|abbr=on|lk=in}} and a territorial sea of {{convert|12|nmi|abbr=on|1}}.{{refn|name=World Factbook}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://law.moj.gov.tw/Eng/Fnews/FnewsContent.asp?msgid=1116&msgType=en |title=Law on the Exclusive Economic Zone and the Continental Shelf of the Republic of China (中華民國專屬經濟海域及大陸礁層法) |access-date=21 May 2007}}</ref>

The island of Taiwan, the largest of the archipelago, was known in the West until after [[World War II]] as ''Formosa'', from the [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] {{lang|pt|Ilha Formosa}} ({{IPA|pt|ˌiʎɐ fuɾˈmɔzɐ|}}), "beautiful island".<ref>{{cite book |chapter=Chapter 3: History |chapter-url=http://www.gio.gov.tw/taiwan-website/5-gp/yearbook/docs/ch03.pdf |title=The Republic of China Yearbook 2011 |year=2011 |publisher=Government Information Office, Republic of China (Taiwan) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120514004941/http://www.gio.gov.tw/taiwan-website/5-gp/yearbook/docs/ch03.pdf |archive-date=14 May 2012 |page=46}}.</ref> It is {{convert|394|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} long and {{convert|144|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} wide,<ref name="population-data">{{cite web |title=1.1 Number of Villages, Neighborhoods, Households and Resident Population |url=http://sowf.moi.gov.tw/stat/month/m1-01.xls |format=XLS |work=Monthly Bulletin of Interior Statistics |publisher=Ministry of the Interior, Republic of China (Taiwan) |date=November 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140329071215/http://sowf.moi.gov.tw/stat/month/m1-01.xls |archive-date=29 March 2014 |df=dmy}}</ref> and has an area of {{convert|35,808|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}}.{{sfnp|Exec. Yuan|2014|p=40}} The northernmost point of the island is [[Cape Fugui]] in [[New Taipei]]'s [[Shimen District]]. The [[Geographic Center of Taiwan|central point of the island]] is in [[Puli, Nantou|Puli Township]], [[Nantou County]]. The southernmost point on the island is [[Cape Eluanbi]] in [[Hengchun|Hengchun Township]], [[Pingtung County]].

The main island is separated from the southeast coast of [[mainland China]] by the [[Taiwan Strait]], which ranges from {{convert|220|km|mi|sigfig=2|abbr=on}} at its widest point to {{convert|130|km|mi|sigfig=2|abbr=on}} at its narrowest. Part of the continental shelf, the Strait is no more than {{convert|100|m|ft|abbr=on}} deep, and has become a land bridge during [[glacial period]]s.<ref name="Chang">{{cite journal |last=Chang |first=K.C. |author-link=Kwang-chih Chang |others=translated by W. Tsao, ed. by B. Gordon |title=The Neolithic Taiwan Strait |journal=Kaogu |year=1989 |volume=6 |pages=541–550, 569 |url=http://http-server.carleton.ca/~bgordon/Rice/papers/App.18ChangKC89.pdf |access-date=30 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120418153210/http://http-server.carleton.ca/~bgordon/Rice/papers/App.18ChangKC89.pdf |archive-date=18 April 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all}}</ref> [[Niushan Island]] in Nanlai village, Aoqian town, Pingtan County, Fuzhou, Fujian is the closest China (PRC)-administered island to the main island.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://kknews.cc/zh-tw/other/42bogkq.html |script-title=zh:台灣海峽——平潭島東端的牛山島 |date=13 May 2019 |access-date=1 April 2020 |quote=仔細研究地圖發現大陸與台灣兩地最接近的地方至少也有125海里，這個地點就是福建省平潭縣海壇島（即平潭島）東端的——牛山島。 |language=zh-Hant}}</ref>

To the south, the main island is separated from the [[Philippines|Philippine]] island of [[Luzon]] by the {{convert|250|km|mi|0|abbr=on}}-wide [[Luzon Strait]]. The [[South China Sea]] lies to the southwest, the [[East China Sea]] to the north, and the [[Philippine Sea]] to the east.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://twgeog.geo.ntnu.edu.tw/english/General/general.htm |title=Geography of Taiwan: A Summary |author=[[National Taiwan Normal University]], Geography Department |access-date=21 May 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071214215831/http://twgeog.geo.ntnu.edu.tw/english/General/general.htm |archive-date=14 December 2007 |df=dmy}}</ref>

Smaller islands of the archipelago include the [[Penghu islands]] in the Taiwan Strait {{convert|50|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} west of the main island, with an area of {{convert|127|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}}, the tiny islet of [[Xiaoliuqiu]] off the southwest coast, and [[Orchid Island]] and [[Green Island, Taiwan|Green Island]] to the southeast, separated from the northernmost islands of the Philippines by the [[Bashi Channel]]. The islands of [[Kinmen]] and [[Matsu Islands|Matsu]] near the coast of [[Fujian]] across the [[Taiwan Strait]] have a total area of {{convert|180|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}};{{sfnp|Exec. Yuan|2014|p=46}} the [[Pratas]] and [[Taiping Island|Taiping]] islets in the South China Sea are also administered by the ROC, but are not part of the Taiwanese archipelago.<ref name="cri1">{{cite news |url=https://www.crisisgroup.org/asia/north-east-asia/taiwan-strait-china/333-preventing-war-taiwan-strait |title=Preventing War in the Taiwan Strait &#124; Crisis Group |date=27 October 2023 }}</ref><ref name="turton19">{{cite news |url=https://medium.com/american-citizens-for-taiwan/the-island-claims-taiwan-versus-the-roc-d468e12a8178 |title=The Island Claims: Taiwan versus the ROC |date=3 February 2019 }}</ref>