Taitung County
| Taitung County 臺東縣 | |||
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| County | |||
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| Coordinates: 22°56′N 120°56′E / 22.933°N 120.933°ECoordinates: 22°56′N 120°56′E / 22.933°N 120.933°E | |||
| Country |
 Republic of China | ||
| Province | Taiwan Province | ||
| Seat | Taitung City | ||
| Largest city | Taitung City | ||
| Boroughs | 1 cities, 15 (2 urban, 13 rural) townships | ||
| Government | |||
| • County Magistrate | Justin Huang (KMT) | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 3,515.2526 km2 (1,357.2466 sq mi) | ||
| Area rank | 3 of 22 | ||
| Population (December 2014) | |||
| • Total | 224,470 | ||
| • Rank | 22 of 22 | ||
| • Density | 64/km2 (170/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | CST (UTC+8) | ||
| Website | |||
| Symbols | |||
| Flower | Moth orchid (Phalaenopsis) | ||
| Tree | Camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora) | ||
| Taitung County | |||||||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 台東縣 or 臺東縣 | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Simplified Chinese | 台东县 | ||||||||||||||||||
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Taitung County (Chinese: 台東縣 or 臺東縣; pinyin: Táidōng Xiàn) is the third largest county in Taiwan, located in the eastern coast.
Name
While its name means "Eastern Taiwan", it is also known as "Houshan" (Chinese: 後山; pinyin: hòushān; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: āu-soaⁿ) by many of the locals, meaning behind the mountains or the back mountains.
History
Qing Dynasty
In 1887, the new Taiwan Province included Taitung Prefecture as one of four prefectures.[1]
Empire of Japan
During the Japanese rule of Taiwan, Taitung County was administered as Taitō Prefecture.
Republic of China
After the handover of Taiwan from Japan to the Republic of China on 25 October 1945, Taitung was established as a county of Taiwan Province on 25 December the same year.
Geography
Taitung runs along the south east coast of Taiwan. Taitung county, possessing 3,515 km2 is the 3rd largest county in Taiwan after Hualien County and Nantou County. Mainland Taitung County's coastline is 166 km long. The Huatung Valley runs along the northern half of the county. Taitung currently has a population of 234,123.[2]
Due in part to its remote location and isolation by mountains from Taiwan's main population centers, Taitung was the last part of the island to be colonized by Han Chinese immigrants (late 19th century). Throughout the 20th century Taitung remained an economic backwater. Sparsely populated even today, this isolation may have been a blessing in disguise, as Taitung mostly escaped the urbanization and pollution that have come to plague much of the island's lowland areas.
In addition to the area on Taiwan proper, the county includes two major islands, Green Island and Orchid Island. Green Island was home to an infamous penal colony used for political prisoners during the "White Terror" period of Chinese Nationalist (KMT) rule (from 1947 until the end of martial law in 1987). Orchid Island, home of the Tao people (Taiwanese aborigines closely related to the people of the northern Philippines), has become a major tourist attraction despite the government-operated Taiwan Power Company's controversial use of part of the island as a nuclear waste dump.
Government
Administrative divisions
Taitung County is divided into 1 city, 2 urban townships, 8 rural townships and 5 mountain indigenous townships. The seat of the county is located at Taitung City, where it houses the Taitung County Government and Taitung County Council. The current Magistrate of Taitung County is Justin Huang of the Kuomintang.
City
- Taitung City (臺東市)
Townships
Urban townships
- Chenggong Township (成功鎮)
- Guanshan Township (關山鎮)
Rural townships
- Beinan Township (卑南鄉)
- Changbin Township (長濱鄉)
- Chishang Township (池上鄉)
- Dawu Township (大武鄉)
- Donghe Township (東河鄉)
- Luye Township (鹿野鄉)
- Lüdao Township (Green Island) (綠島鄉)
- Taimali Township (太麻里鄉)
Mountain indigenous townships
- Daren Township (達仁鄉)
- Haiduan Township (海端鄉)
- Jinfeng Township (金峰鄉)
- Lanyu Township (Orchid Island) (蘭嶼鄉)
- Yanping Township (延平鄉)
Politics
Taitung County voted one Democratic Progressive Party legislator out of one seat to be in the Legislative Yuan during the 2016 Republic of China legislative election.[3]
Demographics
| Historical population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1985 | 276,389 | — |
| 1990 | 256,803 | −7.1% |
| 1995 | 254,375 | −0.9% |
| 2000 | 245,312 | −3.6% |
| 2005 | 235,957 | −3.8% |
| 2010 | 230,673 | −2.2% |
| 2015 | 222,452 | −3.6% |
| Source:"Populations by city and country in Taiwan". Ministry of the Interior Population Census. | ||
Taitung County is home to seven aboriginal ethnics, including Bunun, Paiwan, Rukai, Amis, Puyuma, Tao and Kavalan.[4] Taitung County is home to the largest aboriginal to overall population of a county or city in Taiwan, standing at 35.5%.[5]
Education
Education in Taitung County is administered under the Education Department of the Taitung County Government.[6]
Culture
Taitung County possesses a very diverse collection of aboriginal cultures.[7] Because Taitung is probably one of the least affected counties by the colonization of the Han Chinese, most of the aboriginal cultures are still very much a part of everyday society.
Energy
Taitung County houses the Lanyu Power Plant, a 6.5 MW fuel-fired power plant located in Orchid Island.
Tourist attractions
Buildings
Harbors
Historical sites
Beinan Cultural Park, Dulan Site, Green Island Human Rights Culture Park.
Museums
Lanyu Flying Fish Cultural Museum, National Museum of Prehistory, Taitung Art Museum, Taitung County Museum of Natural History, Taitung Story Museum, Wu Tao Chishang Lunch Box Cultural History Museum.
Natures
Bashian Caves, Dapo Pond, Dulan Mountain, East Coast National Scenic Area, East Rift Valley National Scenic Area, Green Island, Jhihben National Forest Recreation Area, Orchid Island, Sanxiantai, Taitung Forest Park.
Transportation
Air
Taitung County houses the international Taitung Airport in the mainland Taitung County of Taitung City and another two airports at the outlying islands, which are Lyudao Airport in Green Island and Lanyu Airport in Orchid Island.
Rail
Taitung County is crossed by two Taiwan Railways Administration lines of South-Link Line and Hualien–Taitung Line. The stations consist of Chishang, Dawu, Guanshan, Guzhuang, Haiduan, Jinlun, Kangle, Longxi, Luye, Ruihe, Ruiyuan, Shanli, Taimali, Taitung and Zhiben Station.
Notable natives
- Yang Chuan-kwang, 1960 Summer Olympics decathlon medalist
- Tank, singer
- A-mei, singer
- David Freeman, missionary (費大衛)
Relative location
 |
Hualien County | | ||
 Kaohsiung City Pingtung County |
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Philippines Sea (Pacific Ocean) | ||
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| Pingtung County |
See also
References
- ↑ Davidson, James W. (1903). The Island of Formosa, Past and Present : history, people, resources, and commercial prospects : tea, camphor, sugar, gold, coal, sulphur, economical plants, and other productions. London and New York: Macmillan & co. p. 244. OL 6931635M.
- ↑ http://www.taitung.gov.tw/en/cp.aspx?n=79388C7B350E8CE9&themesite=BAA86C8F16BADDE6
- ↑ "2016 The 14th Presidential and Vice Presidential Election and The 9th Legislator Election".
- ↑ "Taitung County Government English".
- ↑ "Amis remains Taiwan's biggest aboriginal tribe at 37.1% of total".
- ↑ http://www.boe.ttct.edu.tw/home.php
- ↑ http://www.taitung.gov.tw/en/CP/1328/population1-1.aspx
External links
- Taitung County Government Website (Chinese)
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Taitung County. |
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