Terrain: eastern two-thirds mostly rugged mountains; flat to
gently rolling plains in west
Elevation extremes: lowest point: South China Sea 0 m highest point: Yu Shan 3,997 m
Natural resources: small deposits of coal, natural gas,
limestone, marble, and asbestos
Land use:
arable land: 24%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 5%
forests and woodland: 55%
other: 15%
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: earthquakes and typhoons
Environment—current issues: air pollution; water pollution from industrial emissions, raw sewage; contamination of drinking water supplies; trade in endangered species; low-level radioactive waste disposal
Environment—international agreements: party to: none of the selected agreements signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
People
Population: 22,113,250 (July 1999 est.)