FORMOSA, for-milsk called by the Chinese Taiwan, an island lying off the coast of the Chinese province of Ffi-chien, from which it is separated by a strait from 90 to 220 miles wide. Formosa, which, with a group of about 12 islands called the Pescadors, was ceded by China to Japan in 1895, is crossed by the meri dian 121° E. and the tropic of Cancer, and has a maximum length of 235 miles, while its breadth varies from 70 to 90 miles; area, 13,839 Square miles. Forming one link in the volcanic chain that extends from the Aleutian Islands southward to New Guinea, it constitutes the eastern escarpment of what was once the great Malayo-Chinese continent, and is connected by a submarine plateau with the Chinese main land. The back-bone of the island, extending north and south, is formed of a range of densely wooded mountains, called by the Chinese Chu-Shan, which rise to upward of 14,000 feet, the highest known peak, Mount Morrison, being given as 14,362 feet. Eastward of this range lies a narrow strip of mountainous country, presenting to the Pacific a precipitous cliff-wall with in many places a sheer descent of from 3,000 to 7,000 feet, while a very short distance farther east the floor of the ocean sinks to a great depth at an extremely steep gradient The western side of the range consists of a single broad alluvial plain, stretching from north to south of the island, seamed by innu merable water channels, and terminating at the coast-line in mud flats and sand-banks. Yet on this side of the island the land is rapidly encroaching upon the sea, as the conse quence of the gradual elevation of the western seaboard and the deposition in and around the embouchures of the rivers of the large amount of sediment brought down by them from the mountains. This latter process is primarily due to the heavy rainfall of the northern, cen tral and eastern portions of the island, where the rain-clouds of the northeast monsoon, after crossing the warm Kiosiwo or Japanese Gulf Stream, on coming in contact with the moun tain barrier of the island become chilled and discharge their contents in rains of excessive violence. Apart from this heavy rainfall, the climate is not exceptional, the insular position ensuring a modification of the heat by sea breezes. The mean of summer is 80° to 90° F.; of winter, 50° to 60°. Malarial fever is, how ever, prevalent in the north, and violent ty phoons are very common at certain seasons.
The island is famous for the luxuriance of its vegetation; many of the hothouse plants of warm temperature climes grow wild on the mountain slopes and in the valleys, such as orchids, azaleas, lilies, rhododendrons and con volvulus; besides which there is a profusion of ferns, treeferns, camphor- and teak-trees, pines, firs, wild fig-trees, liquidambars, bananas, bamboos, palms, indigo and other dye plants, fibre and paper plants, oil and soap plants. tobacco, coffee and tapioca. `Rice paper" •is prepared from the pith of a tree peculiar to Formosa. Of animal life it is noticeable that there are at least 43 species of birds peculiar to the island, that insects are scarce and that noxious wild animals are few; but that fish is plentiful near the coast. The resemblance of the animals found on the island to those on the mainland is one reason for believing there was once a land connection. However there are
a number of animals on the island which appear to be of quite a different species from those found in China. This is especially true of some of the birds, mice, squirrels and deer. The chief minerals are coal, of which there is a large supply, gold, salt, petroleum, natural as and sulphur. Agriculture is an in in dustry, but the people engaged n mining are becoming more numerous.
Since the treaty of Tientsin, in 1858, there have been ports open for foreign commerce; those opened in accordance with the conditions of the treaty are An-ping, Tainan, Takow and Tam-sui. An-ping and Tam-sui have the largest amount of commerce. The principal exports (valued at f1,543,021 in 1915) are camphor, tea, rice, sugar, jute, hemp and dye woods. The chief imports (valued at i1,277, 295 in 1915) are a coarse cloth for clothing, opium, fruits, lumber metal metal goods and manu factured tobacco. The most of the trade is with Japan, China and the United States being next in importance. Imports from the United States were valued at about $1,000,000 in 1912, and exports at about $2,500,000. Formosa con trols the camphor markets of the world. The eastern slope of the mountains is covered with the largest camphor forest yet discovered. The value of camphor exported in 1914 was 1384,801; and from Formosa alone there is shipped be tween 6,000,000 and 7,000,000 pounds. Since Formosa was annexed to Japan, the Japanese government has made most successful efforts to preserve the sources of supply of camphor. When the island belonged to China the cam phor-trees killed to collect the gum were not replaced and the camphor forests were being destroyed. The Japanese government insists that for every tree destroyed another one must be planted; and it is also establishing camphor plantations, so that in future the Formosa cul tivated camphor will be a commodity of com merce. The price of the camphor varies be cause of the dangers incurred in collecting it. Savage tribes which have never been subdued inhabit the camphor forests, and they never hesitate to attack the camphor gatherers unless the latter are well armed and in bands large enough to protect each other. The Japanese government has now a large armed force of policemen, to protect the camphor gatherers, and the cost of protection is added to the selling price of the gum. The sale of the camphor is a government monopoly; it is not difficult to obtain a permit to gather camphor, but every pound must be sold to the Japanese government, which determines the price. Japan limits the amount to be exported, and will not buy a pound in excess of the limit. The cultivation of the tea fields is receiving attention from Japan, the export of this product being in 1914 valued at f635,874. The chief town is Kainan City (Pop. 53,794). There were 312 miles of railway and 125 miles of light rail way in 1914. Shipping entered at Formosan ports in 1913, 438 vessels with a tonnage of 792,724 tons. The currency is Japanese. For mosa was visited by a disastrous earthquake on 17 March 1906, when over 1,200 persons lost their lives.