Lying off the southeastern coast of the Chinese mainland, Taiwan, being the biggest island in China and forming an integral whole with the mainland since the ancient time, is an island province composed of two big islands, Taiwan Island and Penghu Island, and more than 80 islets, covering 36 thousand square kilometers.
To the north of Taiwan are the East China Sea and the Liuqiu archipelago is to its northeast. The Pacific Ocean laps Taiwan's eastern shores and the Bashi Straits in the south. Taiwan is located north of the Philippines, and faces Fujian Province across the Taiwan Straits, with the closest distance between the two provinces being just 130 kilometers. The Taiwan Province is of great strategic importance, since it stays at the center point of the western Pacific sea-route. The Taiwan Strait is about 380 kilometers long south to north and 190 kilometers wide at their widest point. It's only 130 kilometers from Taiwan's Xinchu city to Pingtan in Fujian Province. On a clear day you can catch a glimpse of Jilong Mountain, in the north of Taiwan Province, from the high mountains in Fujian Province. Two-thirds of Taiwan Island is rugged mountains and the rest Island of the island is covered by gently rolling plains. The five major mountains on the island are Zhongyang Mountain, Yushan Mountain, Xueshan Mountain, Ali Mountain and Taidong Mountain. Zhongyang Mountain is the center point of the island, and the highest peak, Yushan Mountain, is 3997 meters above sea level.
Taiwan Island is China's biggest island and constitutes 97 percent of the area of the province. And it is known as the richest island in China.
