List of islands of Taiwan
The islands comprising the Taiwan Area under the jurisdiction of the Republic of China (ROC) are classified into various island groups. The island of Taiwan, also known as Formosa, is the largest island and the main component of the ROC-controlled territories. Islands that are claimed by the ROC but not administered, including those under the control of the People's Republic of China, and those disputed with other countries such as Senkaku Islands and most of South China Sea Islands, are excluded from this list.
At the adoption of Additional Articles of the Constitution of the Republic of China in the 1990s, these islands collectively form the "Free area of the Republic of China" or known alternatively as "Taiwan Area", which legally defines the territorial extent under the actual control of the ROC government.
Some Taiwanese islands have various translations in English due to different systems of romanization in Chinese language in use, or derivation of differing linguistic origins from Mandarin, Hokkien, indigenous languages or other foreign languages. Some islands also have different names derived from particular historical periods which remain in use to this day.[1]
Archipelagos of Taiwan[]
There are in total of 166 islands, these islands can be classified into the following geographical units:
Name | Chinese | Mandarin (Pinyin) |
Taiwanese (Pe̍h-ōe-jī) |
Hakka (Pha̍k-fa-sṳ) |
Other name | No. islands | Major islands | Division |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Taiwan | 臺灣 | Táiwān | Tâi-oân | Thòi-vàn | Formosa | 22 | Taiwan, Orchid, Green, Lamay, Guishan | Multiple |
Penghu | 澎湖 | Pénghú | Phêⁿ-ô | Phàng-fù | Pescadores | 90 | Penghu, Xiyu, Baisha, Cimei, Wang'an | Penghu County |
Kinmen | 金門 | Jīnmén | Kim-mn̂g | Kîm-mùn | Quemoy | numerous | Kinmen, Lieyu, Dadan, Erdan | Kinmen County |
Matsu | 馬祖 | Mǎzǔ | Má-chó͘ | Mâ-chú | 36 | Nangan, Beigan, Dongyin, Xiyin, Dongju, Xiju | Lienchiang County | |
Wuqiu | 烏坵 | Wūqiū | O͘-khiu | Vû-hiu | Ockseu | 2 | Daqiu, Xiaoqiu | Kinmen County |
Tungsha/Dongsha | 東沙 | Dōngshā | Tang-soa | Tûng-sâ | Pratas | 1 | Pratas Island | Kaohsiung Municipality |
Nansha | 南沙 | Nánshā | Lâm-soa | Nàm-sâ | Spratly | 2 | Taiping Island, Zhongzhou Reef | Kaohsiung Municipality |
Note: "Taiwan" has multiple meanings, which may refer to: 1. Common name of the state officially named Republic of China, this contains all 166 islands, 2. Taiwan proper region (本島地區), this contains 22 islands in the geographical unit, excluding the outlying island groups of Kinmen, Matsu, Wuqiu, and the South China Sea islands, 3. The island of Taiwan, this indicates the largest island in the geographical unit and the state.
List of major islands by area[]
List of Taiwanese islands with over 5 km2 of area.[2]
Order | Name | Chinese | Taiwanese | Hakka | Geographical unit | Administrative Division | Area (km²) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Taiwan Main Island/ Formosa | 臺灣本島 | Tâi-oân pún-tó | Thòi-vàn pún-tó | Taiwan | multiple | 35,807.82 | |
2 | Kinmen Main Island | 金門本島 | Kim-mn̂g pún-tó | Kîm-mùn pún-tó | Kinmen | 4 townships | Kinmen | 134.25 |
3 | Penghu Main Island | 澎湖本島 | Phêⁿ-ô pún-tó | Phàng-fù pún-tó | Penghu | Magong, Huxi | Penghu | 65.41 |
4 | Orchid Island | 蘭嶼 | Lân-sū | Làn-yí | Taiwan | Lanyu | Taitung | 46.82 |
5 | Xiyu Island | 西嶼 | Sai-sū | Sî-yí | Penghu | Xiyu | Penghu | 17.84 |
– [clarification needed] |
Waisanding Shoal | 外傘頂洲 | Gōa-sòaⁿ-téng-chiu | Ngoi-san táng-chû | Taiwan | Kouhu | Yunlin | 17.22 |
6 | Green Island | 綠島 | Le̍k-tó | Liu̍k-tó | Taiwan | Lüdao | Taitung | 15.09 |
7 | Lesser Kinmen Island (Lieyu) | 小金門島 | Sió-kim-mn̂g-tó | Séu-kîm-mùn-tó | Kinmen | Lieyu | Kinmen | 14.85 |
8 | Baisha Island | 白沙島 | Pe̍h-soa-tó | Pha̍k-sâ-tó | Penghu | Baisha | Penghu | 13.88 |
9 | Nangan Island (Matsu) | 南竿島 | Lâm-kan-tó | Nàm-kôn-tó | Matsu | Nangan | Lienchiang | 10.43 |
10 | Cimei/Qimei Island | 七美嶼 | Chhit-bí-tó | Chhit-mî-yí | Penghu | Cimei | Penghu | 7.59 |
11 | Lamay Island | 琉球嶼 | Liû-khiû-sū | Liù-khiù-yí | Taiwan | Liuqiu | Pingtung | 6.80 |
12 | Wang'an Island | 望安島 | Bāng-oaⁿ-tó | Mong-ôn-tó | Penghu | Wang'an | Penghu | 6.74 |
13 | Beigan Island | 北竿島 | Pak-kan-tó | Pet-kôn-tó | Matsu | Beigan | Lienchiang | 6.44 |
List of islands by geographical unit[]
Taiwan proper[]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/11/Kinmen%2CMatsu%2CWuciou.png/300px-Kinmen%2CMatsu%2CWuciou.png)
- Island of Taiwan (Formosa; 臺灣島)
- Kaohsiung
- Cijin (旗津島); formerly a longshore bar connected to the island of Taiwan at the southern tip, this link was severed in 1975 due to Kaohsiung Port construction.
- Keelung City
- Keelung Islet (基隆嶼)
- Hoping Island (和平島)
- The Three Northern Islands (北方三島)
- Huaping Islet (花瓶嶼)
- Mianhua Islet (棉花嶼), the easternmost island under the actual control of the Republic of China[3]
- Pengjia Islet (彭佳嶼)
- Nantou County
- Lalu (拉魯島); a lake island within the Sun Moon Lake
- New Taipei
- Twin Candlestick Islets (Zhútái Shuāng Yǔ; 燭臺雙嶼)
- Pingtung County
- Hsiao Liuchiu (Lamay Islet; 琉球嶼)
- Qixingyan (Seven star reefs;七星岩)
- Taitung County
- Green Island (Lyudao, Samasana; 綠島)
- Orchid Island (Lanyu, Ponso no Tao, Botel Tobago; 蘭嶼)
- Lesser Orchid Island (Hsiao Lanyu, Jimagaod; 小蘭嶼)
- Sansiantai ( 三仙台)
- Yilan County
- Guishan Island / Gueishan Island (Turtle Mount; 龜山島)
- Guiluan Island (Kuei-luan Tao, Kiran-to; 龜卵島, 龜卵嶼)
- Kaohsiung
Penghu/Pescadores[]
- Penghu Islands (Pescadores Islands; 澎湖群島) (Penghu County)[4][5]
- Penghu (澎湖島)
- Hujing Island (Hujing Islet, Huching Island; 虎井嶼)
- Tongpan Island (桶盤嶼)
- Baisha (白沙島)
- Baisha Main Island (白沙島)
- Jibei Island (吉貝嶼)
- Chungtun (Zhongtun) Island (中屯嶼)
- Yuanbei Island (員貝嶼)
- Tiejhen (Tiezhen) Island (鐵砧嶼)
- Gupo Island (姑婆嶼)
- Xianjiao Island (險礁嶼)
- Bird Island (鳥嶼)
- Mudou Island (目斗嶼)
- Siyu (Yuwong, Yü-weng Tao, Gyoō-tō; 西嶼, 漁翁島)
- Xiaomen Yu (Siaomen Islet, Hsiao-men hsü, Shō-mon-sho; 小門嶼)
- Haiqian Reef (海墘礁)
- Cimei (Qimei;七美嶼)
- Wang-an (望安島)