Name: 臺灣的地理竟是顆定時炸彈？！ (Why Taiwan's Geography is a Ticking Time Bomb)
Uploaded: 2025-12-17T13:42:00.000Z
Duration: 13 min 3 s

第二類條件句型

What if I told you that one of the most densely populated places on earth is also 75% wild, uninhabited mountains?

如果我告訴你，地球上人口最密集的地方之一，竟然有 75% 是野生、無人居住的山區呢？

Or that this small, seismically active island has more than 260 peaks taller than any mountain in the continental United States east of the Rockies?

又或者，這個地震活躍的小島，擁有超過 260 座高峰，高度都比美國大陸洛磯山脈以東的任何一座山還要高？

情態副詞

From an eternal fire to a line that literally split the island in two, here are 15 incredible geography facts you never knew about Taiwan.

從永恆之火到一條字面上將島嶼一分為二的斷層，這裡有 15 個關於臺灣你從未知道的驚人地理事實。

And we're going to start with the land that makes this island so unique.

而我們要從這片讓這座島嶼如此獨特的大地開始說起。

While Taiwan may look like a small leaf shaped island on a world map, it's one of the most mountainous places on earth.

雖然臺灣在世界地圖上看起來像是一片小小的葉子形狀的島嶼，但它卻是地球上最山地最多的地方之一。

An astonishing 2/3 of the island is covered by rugged, forested mountain ranges.

令人驚訝的是，島上 2/3 的面積被崎嶇、森林覆蓋的山脈所覆蓋。

這可不只是一兩座小山丘而已。

Taiwan boasts over 260 peaks that soar over 3,000 meters.

臺灣擁有超過 260 座聳立超過 3,000 公尺的高峰。

The five main mountain ranges run down the spine of the island like a backbone, with the central mountain range being the largest.

五大山脈如同脊樑般貫穿島嶼，其中中央山脈是最大的。

This extreme topography dictates all life on Taiwan.

這種極端地形決定了臺灣上的一切生命。

It's the reason why the island's 23.5 million people are squeezed onto the flat coastal plains of the west, making that region incredibly dense, while the east coast remains wild, remote and sparsely populated.

這就是為什麼島上 2350 萬人口都擠在西部的平坦沿海平原，使得該地區人口密度極高，而東海岸則保持著原始、偏遠且人口稀少。

Towering over the island and all of its neighbors is Yushan, or jade mountain.

聳立在島嶼及其所有鄰居之上的是玉山，也就是玉山。

At 3952 meters, it's the tallest mountain in all of East Asia, definitively surpassing Japan's iconic Mount Fuji.

海拔 3952 公尺，是整個東亞最高的山，明確超越了日本標誌性的富士山。

It gets its poetic name from the fact that its peak in the depths of winter is often capped with thick frost or snow that glitters like white jade against the blue sky.

它詩意的名字來自於冬季深處的山頂經常覆蓋著厚霜或雪，在藍天映襯下閃耀著像白玉一樣的光芒。

Yushan is the centerpiece of Yushan national park and a tremendous source of national pride.

玉山是玉山國家公園的中心，也是國家引以為傲的巨大來源。

So much so that it's featured on the 1000 new Taiwan dollar bill.

甚至被印在 1000 元新臺幣紙鈔上。

Despite its formidable height, it's a relatively accessible climb for those with proper permits and experience.

儘管海拔很高，但對於持有適當許可證和經驗的人來說，攀登相對容易。

Making the trek to its summit a rite of passage for many Taiwanese and a bucket list goal for many international mountaineers.

完成登頂的旅程對許多臺灣人來說是一種成長的考驗，對許多國際登山者來說則是人生必做的目標。

Taiwan's entire existence is owed to its violent and dynamic location on the Pacific Ring of Fire.

臺灣的整個存在都歸功於它在太平洋火環帶上暴力且活躍的位置。

The island is situated at the complex junction where the Philippine Sea plate is actively crashing into and sliding under the Eurasian plate.

這個島嶼位於菲律賓海板塊與歐亞板塊碰撞並滑入下方複雜的交界處。

This tectonic collision is not a past event.

這場板塊碰撞並非過去的事件。

This constant compression is precisely what buckled the seafloor and threw thrust the land upward, creating the island's massive mountain ranges.

持續的擠壓正是讓海床隆起、陸地向上推擠，創造出島嶼巨大山脈的原因。

The trade off for this beautiful landscape is constant geologic activity.

擁有這片美麗風景的代價是持續的地質活動。

Taiwan experiences thousands of earthquakes every year, though most are too small to be felt.

臺灣每年都會發生數千次地震，不過大多數都小到感覺不到。

Geothermal energy an incredible abundance of natural hot springs.

地熱能，以及令人難以置信的豐富天然溫泉。

From the public baths of Taipei's Beitu district to wild riverside springs hidden deep in the mountains.

從臺北北投的公共浴池，到隱藏在深山裡的野溪溫泉。

The same tectonic forces that shake Taiwan also create some bizarre and fascinating geologic quirks.

撼動臺灣的相同板塊力量，也造就了一些奇特且迷人的地質現象。

In the far south, within Kenting national park, you can find a site called Chuhuo, which literally means eternal fire.

在最南端的墾丁國家公園裡，你可以找到一個叫做「出火」的地方，字面意思就是永恆之火。

Here, natural gas, or methane, seeps through fissures in the ground and stays perpetually lit with flames dancing from the rocks.

在這裡，天然氣或甲烷會從地縫中滲出，並藉由岩石上舞動的火焰，永恆地燃燒著。

This natural phenomenon has been burning for hundreds of years.

這種自然現象已經燃燒了好幾百年。

In other parts of southern Taiwan, like Kaohsiung, you can find active mud volcanoes.

在臺灣南部其他地方，像是高雄，你可以找到活躍的泥漿火山。

These aren't your typical lava spewing volcanoes.

這些可不是你平常看到噴發巖漿的火山喔。

Instead, they're spots where pressurized underground gas and mud force their way to the surface, creating bubbling lunar like landscapes of gray conical mounds.

它們其實是地下高壓的氣體和泥漿，強行湧出地表，形成像月球表面一樣，佈滿灰色錐形土丘的冒泡景觀。

Both are a direct and visceral reminder of the powerful geology simmering just beneath the surface.

這兩者都直接且強烈地提醒我們，地底下正醞釀著一股強大的地質力量。

A key geographic line, the Tropic of Cancer, cuts directly through the middle of Taiwan.

一個重要的地理分界線，北迴歸線，正好貫穿臺灣的中心。

This line on a map, which marks the northernmost latitude where the sun can be directly overhead, has very real consequences for the island's climate and agriculture.

地圖上的這條線，標示著太陽能直射的北限，對臺灣的氣候和農業有著非常實際的影響。

It splits Taiwan into two distinct climate zones.

它將臺灣劃抽成兩個截然不同的氣候區。

The north, including the capital, Taipei, is subtropical with mild damp winters and hot, humid summers.

北部，包括首都臺北，屬於亞熱帶，冬季溫和潮濕，夏季炎熱潮濕。

The south, including cities like Kaohsiung, is fully tropical, enjoying warm, dry winters and a distinct rainy season.

南部，包括高雄等城市，則是完全的熱帶氣候，冬季溫暖乾燥，並有明顯的雨季。

This climatic diversity is the primary reason Taiwan is known as the Fruit Kingdom.

這種氣候多樣性是臺灣被譽為「水果王國」的主要原因。

不過這部分我們之後再說，之後再說。

Taiwan is one of the most beautiful countries I've ever been to, and

臺灣是我去過最美麗的國家之一，

I was lucky enough to be able to travel all throughout it earlier this year.

而我很幸運今年早些時候能夠環島旅行。

Which is exactly what I want to talk about right now, my Travel channel.

這也是我現在想在我的旅遊頻道上分享的。

Over the past year, I've been to Taiwan, Japan, Australia and so many more places.

過去一年，我去過臺灣、日本、澳洲還有好多地方。

And I go to places in the US as well, such as when I went to deep eastern Oregon to show that Oregon is actually more of a desert state.

我也會去美國各地，像是之前我去了奧勒岡州東部，來證明奧勒岡其實更像是一個沙漠州。

In every video, I cover the intricate geography and what makes these places so special.

在每個影片裡，我都會介紹這些地方錯綜複雜的地理以及讓它們如此特別的原因。

So go subscribe to my travel Channel and go watch my videos about Taiwan.

所以快去訂閱我的旅遊頻道，看看我關於臺灣的影片。

It's an amazing country that doesn't get enough attention, in my opinion.

我認為這是一個很棒的國家，但卻沒有得到足夠的關注。

Now let's get back to some more fun Taiwan geography facts.

現在，讓我們回到更多有趣的臺灣地理事實。

For centuries, the name most of the world knew for Taiwan was Formosa.

幾個世紀以來，世界上大多數人對臺灣的稱呼是福爾摩沙。

This name is a relic of the 16th century Age of Discovery.

這個名字是 16 世紀大航海時代的遺留。

In 1544, Portuguese sailors on a trade route to Japan sailed past the island.

1544 年，葡萄牙水手在前往日本的貿易路線上經過了這個島嶼。

They were struck by the breathtaking sight of the island's lush green mountains rising dramatically from the deep blue of the Pacific Ocean.

他們對島上翠綠的山脈從深邃的太平洋中戲劇性地聳立起來的壯麗景象印象深刻。

While they didn't land, they marked this Stunning uncharted land on their maps as Isa Formosa, which simply means beautiful island in Portuguese.

雖然他們沒有登陸，但他們在地圖上標記了這片令人驚嘆的未勘測土地，稱之為 Isa Formosa，在葡萄牙語中意為美麗的島嶼。

This name stuck and Formosa became the standard western name for the island for over 400 years, perfectly capturing the first impression of its stage staggering natural beauty that continues to define Taiwan to this day.

這個名字沿用了下來，福爾摩沙在 400 多年裡成為西方對該島的標準名稱，完美捕捉了其令人驚嘆的自然美景的第一印象，這種美景至今仍定義著臺灣。

While Formosa was the name given by outsiders, the name Taiwan comes from the island itself, though not in the way you might think.

雖然福爾摩沙是外來者給的名字，但臺灣這個名字來自島嶼本身，但方式可能和你想像的不太一樣。

It didn't originally refer to the whole island.

In the 1620s, the Dutch East India Company established a trading post and fortress, Fort Zealandia, on a small sandbar off the coast of the modern day city of Tainan.

在 1620 年代，荷蘭東印度公司在現今臺南市外海的一個小沙洲上建立了貿易站和堡壘，名為熱蘭遮城。

The local indigenous tribe in that area was known as the Taivon people.

該地區的當地原住民族被稱為臺窩人。

The Dutch recorded this name and this place as Taiwan or Taion.

荷蘭人將這個名字和這個地方記錄為 Taiwan 或 Taion。

Over time, this name, which initially referred to just one small sandbar and its local inhabitants, was gradually applied by Chinese and European mapmakers to the entire island, eventually replacing Formosa as the common name.

隨著時間的推移，這個最初只指一個小沙洲及其當地居民的名字，逐漸被中國和歐洲的製圖師應用到整個島嶼上，最終取代福爾摩沙成為通用名稱。

This is one of the most profound facts in all of human geography.

這是整個人類地理中最深刻的事實之一。

Long before any Han Chinese migration, Taiwan was inhabited exclusively by Austronesian peoples.

在任何漢人遷徙之前很久，臺灣就已經由南島民族獨自居住。

Through extensive linguistic and genetic research, scientists now believe that Taiwan is the Erhaimat, or ancestral homeland of the entire Austronesian language family.

透過廣泛的語言學和基因研究，科學家們現在相信臺灣是南島語系的 Erhaimat，也就是祖先的家園。

This incredible group of people includes the Maori of New Zealand, native Hawaiians, the people of the Philippines and Indonesia, and

這個令人難以置信的族群包括紐西蘭的毛利人、夏威夷原住民、菲律賓和印尼的人民，以及

甚至馬達加斯加的馬達加斯加人。

This means that Taiwan was the starting point for the greatest maritime migration in human history.

這意味著臺灣是人類史上最偉大航海遷徙的起點。

A seafaring expansion that began around 4,000 years ago and settled over half the globe, all stemming from the original inhabitants of of this small mountainous island.

這場航海擴張始於約 4,000 年前，足跡遍及全球一半以上的地區，一切都源自這個小小的山地島嶼的原住民。

During the Qing dynasty's rule of Taiwan, a fascinating and literal line was drawn on a map.

在清朝統治臺灣期間，地圖上劃出了一條引人入勝且名副其實的界線。

As Han Chinese immigrants flocked to the fertile western plains to farm, conflicts with the indigenous tribes who inhabited the foothills and mountains became intense.

隨著漢人移民湧入肥沃的西部平原耕種，與居住在山麓和山區的原住民部落的衝突日益激烈。

The Qing government's solution was to create a border called the Tunyu Ditch or Earth Ox Ditch.

清朝政府的解決辦法是設立一條稱為「土牛溝」的邊界。

This was a physical boundary line, a combination of a trench and an earthen mound that snaked for hundreds of kilometers.

這是一條實體的界線，結合了壕溝和土堆，蜿蜒數百公里。

It was meant to be hard separation between the Han controlled lowlands, the tame world and the indigenous controlled mountains, the wild world.

它旨在嚴格區隔漢人控制的低地（文明世界）與原住民控制的山區（野蠻世界）。

Crossing this line to enter the mountains was officially forbidden.

越過這條線進入山區是明令禁止的。

This ditch was a clear geographic expression of a divided society and shaped the island's settlement patterns for centuries.

這條溝渠清晰地展現了社會的分裂，並在數個世紀裡塑造了島嶼的定居模式。

Today's extreme population density on Taiwan's western plains is a map drawn by history.

今日臺灣西部平原極端的人口密度，是歷史繪製的地圖。

This pattern was set in the 17th century as waves of Han Chinese immigrants from mainland China began settling the island.

這個模式在17世紀就確立了，當時來自中國大陸的漢人移民一波波地開始定居在這個島上。

They naturally chose the fertile flat western plains, the side of the island closest to their homeland and best suited for agriculture.

他們自然而然地選擇了肥沃的西部平原，這是島嶼上離家鄉最近、最適合農業的一側。

This created an immediate geographic division between the immigrant farming society on the plains and the established indigenous tribes who resided in the central mountains.

這在移民的農耕社會和平原與居住在中央山脈的原住民部落之間，造成了立即的地理區隔。

The Qing dynasty later cemented this divide with the Tunyu Ditch.

清朝後來用「土牛溝」鞏固了這個區隔。

This policy, lasting nearly 200 years, firmly established the western plains as the island's economic and political center.

這項政策持續了將近200年，穩固地確立了西部平原作為島嶼的經濟和政治中心。

Every wave of migration since, including the post 1949 influx, has reinforced this original settlement pattern, Creating the massive urban corridor that exists today.

此後每一次的移民潮，包括1949年之後的湧入，都加強了這個最初的定居模式，造就了現今龐大的都市廊帶。

Taiwan is one of the most densely populated countries in the world, Ranking in the global top 20.

臺灣是世界上人口密度最高的國家之一，在全球名列前20。

The island's population of 23.5 million is not spread out evenly because, as previously mentioned, the central two thirds of the island Is made of rugged, uninhabitable mountains.

島上2350萬的人口並非平均分佈，因為正如先前所說，島嶼中間的三分之二是崎嶇、無法居住的山區。

So over 90% of the population is crammed onto the flat, fertile western coastal plain.

所以超過90%的人口都擠在平坦、肥沃的西部沿海平原上。

This creates a massive continuous urban corridor that stretches from the capital Taipei in the north, down through Taichung and all the way to Kaohsiung in the south.

這就造就了從北邊的首都臺北，一路經過臺中，到南邊的高雄，綿延不絕的巨大都市廊帶。

This hyper concentration is the driving force behind Taiwan's modern life.

這種高度集中是臺灣現代生活的驅動力。

It explains its incredible efficiency, its world class high speed rail system and its famous 247 convenience store culture, where there's a 711 or family mart on almost every corner.

這解釋了臺灣令人難以置信的效率、世界級的高鐵系統，以及聞名遐邇的247便利商店文化，幾乎每個街角都有711或全家。

Taiwan is at the forefront of a major global demographic crisis.

臺灣正處於一場重大的全球人口危機的最前線。

It has one of the lowest total fertility rates on earth.

臺灣的總生育率是地球上最低的國家之一。

The replacement rate for a population to remain stable is 2.1 children per woman.

人口穩定所需的世代更替率為每位女性2.1個孩子。

Taiwan's rate has consistently been near or below 1.0, meaning the next generation is set to less than half the size of the previous one.

臺灣的生育率一直接近或低於1.0，這意味著下一代的規模將不到上一代的二分之一。

The reasons for this are a complex mix of human geography, the high cost of living, property and education in the dense urban centers, Combined with some of the world's longest working hours.

這背後的原因是複雜的人文地理、高昂的都市生活、房價和教育成本，再加上全球數一數二的超長工時。

This demographic time bomb means Taiwan has one of the fastest aging populations in the world, creating immense future challenges for its workforce, healthcare and social systems.

這個人口定時炸彈意味著臺灣是世界上人口老化最快的國家之一，這為其勞動力、醫療保健和社會體系帶來了巨大的未來挑戰。

While over 95% of Taiwan's population identifies as Han Chinese, the island is also home to a rich and diverse indigenous culture.

雖然超過95%的臺灣人口認同自己是漢人，但這個島嶼也擁有豐富多元的原住民文化。