Location:
Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China
Geographic coordinates:
22 15 N, 114 10 E
Map references:
Southeast Asia
Area:
total: 1,092 sq km
water: 50 sq km
land: 1,042 sq km
Area - comparative:
six times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
total: 30 km
border countries: China 30 km
Coastline:
733 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 3 NM
Climate:
tropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from
spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall
Terrain:
hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Tai Mo Shan 958 m
Natural resources:
outstanding deepwater harbor, feldspar
Land use:
arable land: 5.05%
other: 93.94% (1998 est.)
permanent crops: 1.01%
Irrigated land:
20 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
occasional typhoons
Environment - current issues:
air and water pollution from rapid urbanization
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Marine Dumping (associate member), Ship Pollution
(associate member)
Geography - note:
more than 200 islands