FORMOSA (Taiwan), an important island in the Western Pacific ocean between the Southern and the Eastern China seas, and separated from the province of Fukien on the Chinese mainland by the Formosa strait, 90 m. in width at its narrowest. The name Formosa was given to the island on account of the majestic beauty of its scenery by the early Spanish navigators, but the Japanese who acquired it after the Sino-Japanese War of 1895 adopted the Chinese term Taiwan as the official name. Formosa forms part of the marginal belt of islands and peninsulas which constitute the Asiatic section of the Circum-Pacific-f old mountain belt. It is in the form of an elongated oval with a N.N.E.–S.S.W. axis about 225 m. in length. The breadth varies from 6o to 8o m. and the total area is 13,429 square miles. The outstanding feature of its build is the lofty mountain axis which occupies the central and eastern parts of the island. The main water-parting lies near the eastern rim, and on this side there is a rapid descent to great ocean depths. Magnificent sea-cliffs, form ing perpendicular walls from 1,5oo to 2,50o ft. in height, face the Pacific along many sections. A few small river-plains, notably that of the Giran, occur and there is an important longitudinal valley, parallel to the coast in its middle course, which has been utilized for railway construction. The main mountain peaks of which Niitaka Yama (Mt. Morrison 14,720 ft.) and Setzu-Zan (Mt. Sylvia 12,48o ft.) are the most important, lie somewhat west of the main axis, in the centre of the island. Thence there is a relatively gradual descent to the coastal plain of western Formosa which is the heart of the economic life of the island. The shallow Formosa strait (Taiwan Kaikyo) contrasts with the Pacific 'deeps, and facilitates the deposition of silt and the growth of alluvial plains. Apart from the western plain, which has a width of about 20 m., the average height of Formosa exceeds 4,000 feet.
Almost exactly bisected by the tropic of Cancer, and lying between two branches of the Kuro Siwo, the island has a dis tinctly tropical climate. On the plain the mean temperature falls below 15° C only in January. The rainfall is high and well dis tributed throughout the year, although the south is relatively dry in winter. The combination of heat and moisture, in con junction with the variety of the topography, gives an exceptionally rich flora. Most of the land under i,000 ft. (outside the territory of the aborigines) is now used for crops and grass, but luxuriant forests cover the greater part of the mountain zone. A broad belt of palms, banyans, cork trees, camphor trees, tree ferns and dense thickets, up to a height of 3,00o ft., is succeeded by gigantic Cryptomerias and Chamoecyparis which yield place to pines and short grass on the higher summits.
The population of Formosa was 4,592,537 in 193o. It is extremely composite in character. The term "na tives." totalling 3,679,371 in 1924, includes the Chinese and two distinct groups of aborigines. The Chinese, much the most nu merous element and predominant in the coast plain, are in the main derived from Fukien and Kwangtung provinces, but Hakka and Miaotze peoples from the south China plateau are also repre sented. The aborigines are divided into : (a) The Pe-pa-hwan (Anglice, Pepo-hwans) or "Subdued Savages" comprising over 500 tribes which have vowed allegiance to the Government and have, in varying degrees, adopted Chinese manners and modes of life. Their number is estimated at over 116,000. (b) The Chin-hwan or "Wild Savages," who live in the fastnesses of the Eastern Mountains, and seriously retard the economic development of the Prefectures of Taihoku and Takao by their antipathy to all for eigners. These groups, which like the Pe-pa-hwans are probably of Malay affinities, total about 30,000, comprising 146 tribes, of which by far the most intractable is the head-hunting Taiyal group in the north-east. They constitute a serious problem for the Japanese, and are enclosed by the Aiyu-Sen or guard-line, which extends for over 36o m., of which 23o m. are electrified.
Valuable as the island is to Japan, it is not congenial to Japanese emigrants. The total Japanese population in 193o was 220,730, the majority of whom, apart from official and military elements, is found in the mining districts of the north-east and sporadically in the plantations along the western coast plain. Other foreigners, generally limited to the trading ports of the north and west, numbered about 43.00o in 1930.
The administration of the island in the settled districts closely follows that of Japan, especially since the new regulations of 192o. There is a Civil Governor-General who supervises the administration of the five prefectures of Taihoku, Shinchiku, Taichu, Tainan and Takao, in which task he is aided by a Prefectural Council. The prefectures, municipalities and villages are to a large extent self-governing, their officials being appointed by the governor of the prefecture to which they belong. Great attention is being devoted to education in accordance with the Japanese policy. By regulations promulgated in 1922, the separate categories of Japanese and native schools have to a large extent disappeared, and both Japanese and natives are now placed under a uniform system of education. There are over Boo elementary and public schools, and several institutions of higher rank, includ ing a medical school and normal schools. There are 27 public schools in the reclaimed aborigines' districts.
The finance of the island is in a satisfactory position, revenue balancing and in some years exceeding expenditure. In 1927-8 both were returned at yen
The revenue is mainly derived from State undertakings, customs and inland taxes.
The economic development of Formosa has changed consid erably under Japanese administration. The Chinese regarded the island as a source of raw materials, such as rice, timber and cam phor, and as a market for the manufactures of the south China coast. The Japanese, by means of an active subsidized steamship service conducted by the Nippon Yusen Kaisha and the Osaka Shosen Kaisha also use Formosa as a source of raw materials— indeed it is their tropical storehouse par excellence—but further have placed Formosan products on the world markets. To achieve this object large sums have been spent by the Imperial and For mosan Governments on the improvement of communications and harbours. Government monopolies, protective tariffs and the sub sidizing of various branches of agriculture and industry are de signed for the same end.
The main agricultural area is the western plain, more especially the section from Taichu to Takow. Mining devel opments are most important in the north-east, in the rugged area behind Keelung. The main crops are rice, sugar cane, tea, jute, sweet potato, beans and ground nuts. Two rice crops per year are grown and, following upon Government aid in canalization and irrigation, the quality has improved. Japan takes about 16% of the total yield, which mainly comes from the western plain south of Taichu and immediately in front of the low forest of the moun tain foothills. The sugar industry is probably the most prosperous and hopeful of all the island developments. This product, grown under the plantation system, is concentrated in the western plain in front of the rice belt from Taichu southwards, whilst a secon dary centre occurs around Shinchiku. There were in 1923 about 300,00o acres under this crop. There are now over 4o sugar refin eries of modern type, but the total output of brown sugar produced by old-fashioned methods still far exceeds that of refined sugar. The main tea plantations are in the north-west, especially in the area between Shinchiku and Taihoku. The principal type is the highly-flavoured Oolong tea, which is mainly exported to the United States via Japan, instead, as formerly, via Amoy. Com mercial fruit growing is another aspect of the agricultural economy of the Formosan plains, the main fruits being bananas, oranges, pineapples and longans.
The forest resources of Taiwan are enormous, and the Govern ment by careful regulation of felling and by reafforestation schemes is attempting to keep these resources as static as possible. The main woods are camphor, pines and several hard woods. The chief lumbering developments have been in the Arisan district, lying to the east of Kagi in the foothills of the Formosan high lands. Special importance attaches to the camphor woods of the island. The tree is widely distributed, flourishing up to a height of 3,500 ft., but some of the most valuable areas lie within the terri tory of the aborigines. The Government originally placed a mo nopoly on Formosan camphor in 1899 in order to protect the native Japanese industry, but since that time the great increase in the demands of the industrial nations, particularly the United States, for camphor to supply the celluloid and kindred trades has much enhanced the value of the monopoly. At present Japan virtually controls the world output of camphor.
Mining activities are mainly confined to the northern portion of the island. The coal mines behind Keelung are producing good bunker coal and lignites. Gold is found near Shin j o on the east coast, whilst alluvial gold is washed out in the Keelung and Zuiho rivers. Gold is becoming increasingly important as one of Formosa's most valuable exports. Copper, sulphur and building stone are also extracted in the same region. Petroleum is found sporadically, and now competes with the American and Sumatran product in the Far East. Salt ,extrac tion, by evaporation, is a Government monopoly of considerable value, and facilitates contact with the aborigines.
The topography of the island, which implies short, swift-flowing rivers of little use as commercial routes, in conjunction with the problem of the aborigines in the eastern mountains, has concen trated population, roads and railways along the western plain and in the north-east. There are now 6,500 m. of good roads and a railway mileage of 522. Of this the greater part forms the main commercial artery of the western plain between Keelung and Takow, and the remainder part of an uncompleted line in the longitudinal valley parallel to the east coast. These Government railways are fed by narrow gauge mineral and trolley lines which serve the needs of many lumbering districts and sugar plantations, particularly in the Takow and Kagi regions.
The important towns are mainly in the developed western and north-eastern areas, the largest being Tai hoku (pop. 186,760) at the junction of the Tamsui and Keelung rivers. The main port of the island, which taps the rich mining and agricultural areas of Taihoku prefecture, is Keelung with a popula tion, in 1923, of 56,258. The western trunk line passes through a number of large towns, the most important, in order of population, being Tainan (83,497), Kagi (42,293), Takow (39,850), Taichu (38,094) and Shinchiku (36,377). Large towns are rare along the eastern coast, the most important being Giran (21,379) and Kaigan.
Good ports are very infrequent, and are limited to the north and west. Keelung is by far the best port and has been improved to ac commodate ships of 26 ft. draught at low water. The majority of the coal, mineral and camphor exports leave by this port, and it is still more important as the distributing centre for imports. Tam sui, lying north-east of Taihoku, and on the river of the same name, is the natural port for the agricultural produce of the hinterland, but its trade does not warrant the huge expenditure which would be necessary to make it a good second class port. Tamsui and Keelung are both outports of Taihoku, and the foreign settlement of Taitotei below Taihoku. Takow is a great sugar port and with Tamsui is the main terminal for the extensive junk trade with China.
The main competitors in Formosa are Japan and China, but the trade returns now show a remarkable balance in favour of Japan, resulting from the systematic policy of encour aging reciprocal trade. The main exports, in 1923, were, in order of value : sugar, fruits, coal, tea, camphor, rice, gold and fibres. The total exports were valued at 2 53,67 2,000 yen, of which 211,098,000 yen went direct to Japan. China, with Hongkong, absorbed 14,696,000 yen of the remainder, while the United States and the Dutch East Indies took goods to the value of 6,596,000 yen and 3,189,00o yen respectively. The imports of Formosa are considerably less in value than the exports, and are more equally distributed amongst the competing nations. Imports in 1923 were, in order of value : beans, vegetables, straw matting, iron, opium, cotton goods, timber and tobacco, the total being valued at 132, 839,000 yen. Of these, imports from Japan were valued at 86,573,000 yen, from China and Hongkong at 21,993,000 yen, whilst the United States and the Dutch East Indies sent goods valued at 6,370,000 and 4,023,000 yen respectively. These statis tics show clearly the value of Formosa as a constituent part of the Japanese empire. The Chinese population, however, remains an indispensable factor in the development of the island. (P. M. R.) Ethnology.—Apart from recent Japanese and Chinese settlers the peoples in the island include Chinese Hakkas, related to the tribes of Kwangtung province in China and aborigines. The latter belong physically to the Nesiot type conspicuous in the Philippines and the Dutch Indies, with brown skins and long heads, but they have undoubtedly mixed with other eastern Asiatic ele ments, including isolated instances of individuals apparently of pygmy stock who have crinkly hair, an indication of a Papuasian negroid element. In culture and in language they have affinities with the Indonesians, such as the Igorotes of the Philippines. They practise "head-hunting" (q.v.) which regulates the social standing of the men and is connected with marriage ; they have age grades and matriarchy. The lobes of the ear are mutilated ; tattooing is practised and as a puberty ceremony boys and girls have the two upper lateral incisor teeth removed. They practise hoe culture. The unmarried men live apart in bachelor houses, usually built on piles. Property rights are ill defined. Salt is used by some as cur rency. Ancestor worship is notable, and the priestesses are diviners and act as rain-destroyers. (L. H. D. B.)
