So why don't more people live in Taiwan's east coast?

那麼，為什麼沒有更多的人居住在臺灣東海岸呢？

As usual it has to do with the country's economics physical geography and history Taiwan Taiwan is a mountainous island situated in the Western Pacific Separated from mainland China by the Taiwan Strait.

與往常一樣，這與該國的經濟、自然地理和歷史有關 臺灣 臺灣是一個位於西太平洋的多山島嶼，與中國大陸隔臺灣海峽相望。

It covers approximately 36,000 square kilometers about the same size as the US state of Maryland and lies at the convergence of the Philippine sea plate and the Eurasian plate making it a geologically dynamic region prone to earthquakes and typhoons Both of which are a huge part of today's story Of course the island's most striking geographic feature is the central mountain range which runs north to south Dividing Taiwan into distinct eastern and western regions These mountains are some of the tallest in East Asia with Yushan standing as the highest peak at 3,952 meters roughly the same height as the Grand Tetons in Wyoming The range consists of steep forested slopes narrow ridges and deep gorges with terrain that remains Largely undeveloped due to its difficulty of access.

臺灣位於菲律賓海板塊和歐亞板塊的交匯處，地質多變，地震和颱風頻發、山脈由陡峭的森林斜坡、狹窄的山脊和深邃的峽谷組成，由於交通不便，大部分地形尚未開發。

The eastern side of the island is particularly rugged where the mountains rise Abruptly from the Pacific Ocean in contrast Western Taiwan is much flatter and features more extensive plains and rolling hills Taiwan's rivers are short and fast-flowing due to the island's steep topography.

臺灣島東部地勢崎嶇，山脈從太平洋上陡然拔地而起，相比之下，臺灣島西部則平坦得多，平原廣闊，丘陵連綿起伏 由於地勢陡峭，臺灣的河流短小，水流湍急。

The Joshui River the longest stretches only about 186 kilometers Many rivers originate in the central mountains and carve deep valleys as they descend towards the coasts making them crucial for Hydroelectric power the Taroko Gorge a famous natural wonder was formed by the Liyue River Cutting through marble rock over millions of years creating one of Taiwan's most breathtaking landscapes Taiwan's geography plays a huge role in shaping its human settlement patterns economy and Infrastructure despite being a relatively small island the rugged interior and East Coast remain largely undeveloped Meanwhile, the fertile Western Plains have supported dense population and economic growth But it's not all about the physical geography.

太魯閣峽谷是著名的自然奇觀，由鯉魚溪經過數百萬年切割大理石岩石形成，是臺灣最令人歎為觀止的景觀之一。 儘管臺灣是一個相對較小的島嶼，但崎嶇的內陸地區和東海岸在很大程度上仍未開發、肥沃的西部平原支撐著密集的人口和經濟增長。

There are historic reasons at play, too Taiwan is quite unlike most other countries in the world Mostly because while it is an independent country with independent elections an independent military and Independent trade deals.

這其中也有歷史原因，臺灣與世界上大多數其他國家不同，因為它是一個獨立的國家，擁有獨立的選舉、獨立的軍隊和獨立的貿易協議。

It's not actually recognized as an independent state and this has a lot to do with how and why Taiwan was settled by China and One of the most important things to remember in this story is that the island has been home to indigenous peoples for thousands of years These people are not directly related to the Chinese In fact, they are Austronesian speaking groups who arrived along the same migration patterns as New Zealand, Polynesia Hawaii and Indonesia these indigenous groups developed distinct cultures and lived in scattered communities Primarily in the mountainous interior and along the coasts their presence remains a significant part of Taiwan's identity today Though they make up only about 2% of the population or about 600,000 people So in a way Taiwan is as much of a colonized country as many parts of the Western Hemisphere But let's get back to how modern Taiwan was established the earliest mentions of Taiwan interacting with China begin around the year 230 when military troops from the Eastern Wu Kingdom of China's Three kingdoms period landed on its shores though There is some debate on whether this was actually Taiwan that they landed on or not Various reports would include some mention of Taiwan albeit under different names for the next 1,400 years During the 1600s Taiwan became a contested territory the Dutch established a colony in the south the Spanish briefly held territory in the north and Chinese settlers mostly from Fujian province Gradually moved on to the island the Dutch were eventually expelled by Koxinga a Ming loyalist who used Taiwan as a base of resistance against the Qing Dynasty however his rule was short-lived as Qing forces took control of Taiwan in 1683 and Incorporated it into their Empire for over two centuries Taiwan remained under Qing rule though its position on the Empire's periphery meant it was often overlooked this changed in 1895 when the Qing were forced to cede Taiwan to Japan after their defeat in the first Sino-Japanese war the Japanese brought Modernization to the island building infrastructure railways and industry while also implementing strict colonial rule Though resistance existed Japan's influence reshaped Taiwan leaving a legacy that persists in aspects of its architecture education and economy after Japan's defeat in World War two Taiwan was handed back to China in 1945 and this proved to be very lucky for the Taiwan that exists today While remaining as a backwater through much of China's history Taiwan would eventually occupy a prominent place in the Chinese Civil War which had begun in the late 1920s The Nationalist Republic of China government under Chiang Kai-shek fought against the communist forces led by Mao Zedong despite initial advantages the Nationalists suffered a series of devastating defeats due to poor leadership corruption and dwindling public support by 1949 the communists had gained control of mainland China Forcing the Nationalist government to retreat to Taiwan Chiang Kai-shek and his followers established their base on the island bringing with them millions of refugees military forces and much of China's cultural and financial wealth at the time though the Nationalist government continued to claim sovereignty over all of China its control was Effectively limited to Taiwan and a few offshore islands It was during this period that saw much of the Western world namely the United States Canada and Western Europe aligned with Taiwan and recognized it as a country leaving mainland China as a global outsider however between 1950 and 1971 this recognition gradually eroded as Western countries sought to recognize mainland China as the sole China in order to establish trade with the much larger economic base and Because mainland China still claimed ownership of Taiwan it mandated that no country could recognize Taiwan as an independent country Despite the fact that it is independent for all intents and purposes This isolated Taiwan from global diplomacy, but not from global trade despite its diplomatic isolation Taiwan's economy surged in the late 1900s transforming from an agrarian society into a global industrial and technological powerhouse Democratic reforms began in the late 1980s culminating in the first direct presidential election in 1996 since then Taiwan has functioned as a democratic society distinct from mainland China Despite Beijing's continued claims over the island which leads us to today's population divide Hey, sorry for the interruption.

實際上，臺灣並不被承認為一個獨立的國家，這與中國和印度尼西亞如何以及為何在臺灣定居有很大關係。在這個故事中，最重要的一點是，數千年來，臺灣一直是原住民的家園、這些原住民發展出獨特的文化，分散居住在內陸山區和沿海地區，他們的存在至今仍是臺灣身份的重要組成部分、但讓我們回到現代臺灣是如何建立起來的。最早提到臺灣與中國的互動始於 230 年左右，當時來自中國三國時期東吳王國的軍隊在臺灣海岸登陸，但關於他們登陸的是否真的是臺灣還存在一些爭議、在 1600 年代，臺灣成為一塊有爭議的領土，荷蘭人在南部建立了殖民地，

I'm not in Taiwan anymore I'm now in Vietnam and you better believe that I brought my Huel with me.

我已經不在臺灣了，我現在在越南，你最好相信我把我的 Huel 也帶來了。

Huel spelled H-U-E-L is the Global nutrition brand trusted by over 400 million people including me Their black edition ready to drink is a complete meal in a bottle High in protein low in sugar and packed with all of the nutrients your body needs to perform and feel its best And right now new customers can try it for 15% off and get a free gift using my exclusive offer at Huel.com slash Jeff Unfortunately, my bag of Huel is starting to run a little low and this has become a huge problem Traveling around the world means that my nutrition is not as good as it should be But with Huel I'm at least able to start my day off, right?

Huel 拼寫為 H-U-E-L，是全球營養品牌，受到包括我在內的 4 億多人的信賴。他們的黑色即開即飲飲料是瓶裝的全套營養餐，蛋白質含量高，糖分低，富含人體所需的所有營養成分，讓您的身體表現最佳，感覺最好。Com slash Jeff 不幸的是，我包裡的 Huel 已經開始有點不夠用了，這已經成為一個大問題，在世界各地旅行意味著我的營養沒有達到應有的水準，但有了 Huel，我至少可以開始新的一天，對嗎？

So I'm definitely trying to figure out how I can get more Huel delivered to me while I'm here in Southeast Asia But you can get Huel right now So remember that's 15% off plus a free gift by using my exclusive code at Huel.com slash Jeff.

所以，我一定要想辦法讓我在東南亞的時候能得到更多的 Huel 送貨上門的服務。不過，你現在就可以買到 Huel，所以請記住，使用我在 Huel.com slash Jeff 網站上的專屬代碼，就可以享受八五折優惠外加一份免費禮物。

Unlock a healthier easier way to eat with Huel Taiwan's population is overwhelmingly concentrated along its western coast where nearly 90% of its people live while the central and eastern regions remain Sparsely populated and at play here are the historic geographic and current conditions that Taiwan finds itself in That's a lot to cover.

用 Huel 解鎖更健康、更輕鬆的飲食方式 臺灣的人口絕大多數集中在西部沿海地區，近 90% 的人口居住在那裡，而中部和東部地區仍然人煙稀少，這就是臺灣所處的歷史、地理和現狀。

So let's dive in.

那麼，讓我們開始吧。

The most immediate factor is Taiwan's topography The simple fact is that the island's central and eastern regions are dominated by the central mountain range a series of steep Forested peaks that run from north to south these mountains with elevations exceeding 3,000 meters in many places Make large-scale urban development Extremely difficult.

最直接的因素是臺灣的地形。簡單地說，臺灣島的中部和東部地區以中央山脈為主，一系列陡峭的森林山峰從北向南延伸，這些山峰在許多地方的海拔超過 3000 米，使得大規模的城市發展極為困難。

Flatland is scarce roads and railways must navigate rugged terrain and much of the area remains covered in dense Vegetation or protected national parks such as Kenting and Taroko But while Taiwan is very mountainous overall the western part consists of broad plains and rolling hills that provide ample space for cities infrastructure and perhaps most importantly Agriculture and more to that point the relatively flat land in the West allows for efficient transportation networks the construction of industrial hubs and the expansion of urban centers such as Taipei Taichung and Kaohsiung for example in 1999 Taiwan began construction of its first and only High-speed rail line linking the country's capital at Taipei with its large southern city, Kaohsiung Taiwan's high-speed rail which can travel up to 300 kilometers per hour can only really be built in flatter areas as Such nearly all of Taiwan's west coast is connected to its high-speed rail network Its east coast though It would be very challenging to make it work there due to the mountainous topography This kind of infrastructure keeps the country's population and industry focused on Taiwan's west coast, but it's not all about Infrastructure Taiwan is very prone to natural disasters But while it's a small island not all of Taiwan suffers these disasters in the same way frequent earthquakes and typhoons disproportionately impact the central and eastern regions You see the island sits at the boundary between the Philippine sea plate and the Eurasian plate making it highly seismically active In fact most of Taiwan's east coast between the cities of Taitung and Hualien Sits on the Chishang Fault a very active fault line that creates a large earthquake every few years in 2024 a magnitude 7.4 earthquake ripped through Hualien causing extensive damage and loss of life for the city and region While Taiwan's western cities can feel these same earthquakes They're rarely subjected to the full force in the same way as the country's east coast But also Taiwan's east coast routinely suffers from another devastating natural disaster large and powerful typhoons that form over the Pacific Ocean in 2024 alone Taiwan was hit by three powerful typhoons Typhoon Kong Ray the largest typhoon to hit Taiwan since 1996 sustained winds of up to 185 kilometers per hour this storm slammed into the country's east coast causing Extensive damage during a period of time when Taiwan was still trying to rebuild after its recent earthquake And while the whole country was under a typhoon warning It's the country's east coast that took the brunt of it suffice it to say natural disasters Don't make living in eastern Taiwan easy, but there are other economic factors at play as well One of the biggest factors is Taiwan's economic relationship with mainland China the west coast facing the Taiwan Strait is Strategically positioned to facilitate trade and transportation links with China Which remains Taiwan's largest trading partner with more than 40% of Taiwan's goods exported to its cousin country Major ports such as Kaohsiung Taichung and Keelung handle the vast majority of Taiwan's international trade Serving as gateways for goods moving between Taiwan and the global market this proximity has influenced Taiwan's economic development With industries clustering in areas that provide easy access to shipping routes and international markets the eastern coast in Contrast faces the wide open Pacific Ocean making trade and transportation routes less convenient This proximity to the mainland is reflected throughout history early Chinese settlers who arrived in increasing numbers during the Ming and Qing Dynasties primarily landed on the western side of the island the West's flatter terrain and fertile plains allowed for agriculture While the indigenous populations in the central and eastern mountains resisted large-scale settlement Even during the Japanese colonial era when major infrastructure projects such as railways and roads were developed the emphasis remained on the west coast due to its economic potential and Accessibility while the Taiwanese government has made efforts to develop the east including improved transportation networks such as the Sihua highway And the Eastern Line Railway the region remains far less populated than the West Hualien and Taitung the largest cities in eastern Taiwan are small compared to their western counterparts and function more as regional centers than major urban hubs Today Taiwan's west coast is home to about 90% of all of Taiwan's population Or a little more than 21 million people this would be led by New Taipei with 4 million people Kaohsiung with 2.8 million Taichung and Taipei with 2.7 million Taiwan with 2.1 million and Tainan with 1.8 million people by contrast Central and eastern Taiwan is home to just 2.5 million people smaller than most of Taiwan's west coast cities This region would be led by Hualien and Taitung with just 106,000 people each Guys, I'm literally walking through Hualien as I record this and let me tell you The eastern side of Taiwan is Incredibly beautiful, which is to say if you ever do visit Taiwan Don't skip out on coming to the east coast because the geography here is stunning But if you don't plan on visiting Taiwan anytime soon, and you do want to experience it Be sure to check out the two videos I have on Taiwan over on my travel channel Alex and I first go down the west coast and then back up the east coast and it's a lot of fun I hope you enjoyed learning all about Taiwan If you did, please like the video and subscribe to the channel if you want to watch more videos consider this one on Columbia's empty West Coast and Be sure to check out my adventures in Taiwan right here.

臺灣平地稀少，公路和鐵路必須穿越崎嶇的地形，大部分地區仍被茂密的植被或受保護的國家公園（如墾丁和太魯閣）所覆蓋。但是，雖然臺灣山地眾多，但西部地區由寬闊的平原和起伏的丘陵組成，為城市基礎設施提供了充足的空間，也許最重要的是為農業提供了充足的空間。例如，1999 年，臺灣開始修建第一條也是唯一一條高速鐵路線，將首都臺北與南部大城市連接起來、臺灣的高速鐵路時速可達 300 公里，但只能建在地勢較平坦的地區，是以臺灣幾乎所有的西海岸都與高速鐵路網相連、但臺灣並不完全是基礎設施的問題 臺灣非常容易遭受自然災害，雖

Thanks for watching.

感謝觀看。

See you next time

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