Why So Few People Live On Taiwan's East Coast

Taiwan is home to over 23 million people spread across an island about half the size of the U.S

state of South Carolina. But despite its small size, Taiwan's population is not spread out equally

In fact, the vast majority, or about 90%, hugs its west coast, leaving its central and east coast

relatively empty. So why don't more people live in Taiwan's east coast? As usual, it has to do

with the country's economics, physical geography, and history. Taiwan is a mountainous island situated in the western Pacific

separated from mainland China by the Taiwan Strait. It covers approximately 36,000 square kilometers

about the same size as the U.S. 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

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

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 Turaco Gorge, a famous natural wonder, was formed by the Liwu 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. 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, 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 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 1400 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 onto the island. The Dutch were eventually expelled by

Kochinga, 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 II, 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

align with Taiwan and recognize 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. I'm not in Taiwan anymore. I'm now in Vietnam

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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, so let's dive in. 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. 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 Turaco. 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 Hualin 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 Hualin

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 east coast But also Taiwan 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 Kongrei, 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 Keilung 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 Suhua Highway and the Eastern Line Railway

the region remains far less populated than the West. Hualin and Taichung, 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 Hualin and Taitung with just 106,000 people each

Guys, I'm literally walking through Hualin 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

Lex 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 Colombia's empty West Coast

And be sure to check out my adventures in Taiwan right here. Thanks for watching, see you next time