In addition, it sits on the edges of the Eurasian and Philippine Sea Tectonic Plates. This means that there are huge mountains for such a small island, but also many earthquakes. These earthquakes have led to the further development of unique landscapes as things have shifted over the centuries.
Lastly, because Taiwan is so small, no matter where you are on the island you are within a day’s trip from the mountains or beach. Having grown up in the United States, I am used to having to choose between the mountains or the beach since they are so far apart. But here in Taiwan, I get the best of both worlds!
Taiwan has a rich and beautiful indigenous culture. The unique landscape led to the diversification of many unique indigenous groups across the islands. There are 16 officially recognized tribes and even more that have not received formal recognition. Each tribe has its own unique traditions. There are at least 26 languages that exist among these tribes, though some are extinct and many are endangered.
The Taiwanese indigenous peoples faced many challenges due to the landscapes around the island. They were incredibly creative with how they combatted these challenges to set up their communities. For example, farming on the steep hills and mountains around the island is next to impossible, so they developed terraced farming methods.
The plants and crops that were available to them also deeply influenced their approaches to medicine. They would use plants such as the chameleon plant which would help with many different illnesses.
