Page 15 - An Overview of Penghu

I Geography and Climate
Mao Isle
Although no one is
living on the Island, a
hundred thousand sea birds
build their nests there.
1
Location
Penghu Prefecture consists of 63 islands scattered across the southern
Taiwan Strait, between 119°18'E to 119°43'E and 23°10'N to 23°50'N. On its
east, Taiwan can be seen sitting across the other side of Penghu Waterway.
The shortest distance between the main island of Taiwan and Penghu is 24
nautical miles (74 nautical miles from Magong to Kaohsiung, 52 nautical
miles to Anping, and 195 nautical miles to Keelung). On its west, Fujian
Province sits across the Taiwan Strait, and the shortest distance between the
two is 75 nautical miles (95 nautical miles from Magong to Xiamen). The
Northern Tropic cuts right through the center of Penghu Archipelago. (Note: 1
nautical mile equals 1.852 kilometers.)
Terrain
The terrains of the many islands of the Penghu Archipelago do not vary
much, with most characterized by flat low lands. The average altitude falls
between 50 and 60 feet, and there is barely anything that can be identified as
mountains. The highest point can be observed at Mao Isle in Wangan Village,
which is 240 feet high, followed by that at Dayu (233 feet high) and
Dongyuping (200 feet high). The highest points in Magong Town, Huxi
Village, Baisha Village and Xiyu Village are 141 feet, 151 feet, 124 feet and
178 feet, respectively; the first highest point is in Xiyu Village. (Note: 1 foot
equals 0.303 meters.) Meanwhile, there is nothing besides a small stream of
water flowing to low-lying lands that can be called a river. The coastline is
crooked, with cliffs in the north and west. The surrounding area is dotted with
reefs.
Geology
The geology of Penghu Archipelago is categorized as the Quaternary
Diluvium, or sand covered by basalt. From the presence of Trachyte,
Rhyolite, and Diorite, we assume that several volcanic eruptions occurred
during the early era of the Islands. In general, the Islands of Penghu
Archipelago were originally rock bases left after basalt crumbled down.
Those rock bases became islands after being eroded by seawater. The soil of
Penghu is categorized as sandy loam, which is relatively dry. Hardly any trees
or grasses can be seen on the Island. The surfaces of said islands are scraped
away every year by seasonal winds that last half a year, leaving behind a
barren landscape.
Climate
Due to the influences of the sea and seasonal winds, spring and autumn
in Penghu are utterly short, to the extent that it almost feels like there are only
summer and winter in a year. While the cool winds blowing through April to
August make people forget about the summertime heat, the seasonal winds
between September and March can be so vicious that transportation between
the Islands has to be suspended. The temperature will also drop to the point
where people feel slightly cold. On the other hand, rainfall is scarce,
preventing the growth of trees, so forests are nowhere to be seen on the
Archipelago.