Geography

Taiwan 2002

Geography

Kinmen (Quemoy)
The 12 islands of the Kinmen 金門 group are located off the southeastern coast of Fujian Province, covering an area of 150.45 sq. km. They lie at approximately 118 deg 4' E longitude and 24 deg 7' N latitude, a key position in the Taiwan Strait that blocks the mouth of the Xiamen (Amoy) Bay and protects Taiwan and the Penghu Islands.
The Kinmen Islands are 82 nautical miles west of the Penghu Islands and 150 nautical miles from Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan. The shortest distance from the main island of Kinmen to communist-held territory is only 2,310 meters.
Although the satellite islets are low and flat, Kinmen itself is hilly. Mount Taiwu 太武山 is the highest point of the island, rising to 253 meters in the eastern part of the island. Mount Shuhao 菽蒿山 stretches into the sea where precipitous cliffs have formed as a result of sea wave erosion. Most rivers in Kinmen are short and narrow with unsteady flows, so it is necessary to construct reservoirs for water supply and irrigation.
Due to the hilly terrain, there are several harbors around Kinmen. Liaolo Bay 料羅灣 on the south of the island is the most famous. Tzukan Harbor 子感港 of Liaolo Bay is deep enough to accommodate ships of several thousand tons.
Rain showers in the Kinmen area usually occur from April to August, and typhoons often strike the islands in July and August. East winds last for about eight months a year. The average temperature varies from 13 deg C to 28 deg C. The average relative humidity is 85 percent.

Copyright (C) July 2002, Government Information Office. All rights reserved. Site design by L.F. Lee
Best viewed with Netscape 4.x or IE 5.x (medium font) at 800 x 600 True Color (32 bit) resolution

		Geography
		Kinmen (Quemoy) The 12 islands of the Kinmen 金門 group are located off the southeastern coast of Fujian Province, covering an area of 150.45 sq. km. They lie at approximately 118 deg 4' E longitude and 24 deg 7' N latitude, a key position in the Taiwan Strait that blocks the mouth of the Xiamen (Amoy) Bay and protects Taiwan and the Penghu Islands. The Kinmen Islands are 82 nautical miles west of the Penghu Islands and 150 nautical miles from Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan. The shortest distance from the main island of Kinmen to communist-held territory is only 2,310 meters. Although the satellite islets are low and flat, Kinmen itself is hilly. Mount Taiwu 太武山 is the highest point of the island, rising to 253 meters in the eastern part of the island. Mount Shuhao 菽蒿山 stretches into the sea where precipitous cliffs have formed as a result of sea wave erosion. Most rivers in Kinmen are short and narrow with unsteady flows, so it is necessary to construct reservoirs for water supply and irrigation. Due to the hilly terrain, there are several harbors around Kinmen. Liaolo Bay 料羅灣 on the south of the island is the most famous. Tzukan Harbor 子感港 of Liaolo Bay is deep enough to accommodate ships of several thousand tons. Rain showers in the Kinmen area usually occur from April to August, and typhoons often strike the islands in July and August. East winds last for about eight months a year. The average temperature varies from 13 deg C to 28 deg C. The average relative humidity is 85 percent. Copyright (C) July 2002, Government Information Office. All rights reserved. Site design by L.F. Lee Best viewed with Netscape 4.x or IE 5.x (medium font) at 800 x 600 True Color (32 bit) resolution