Taiwan has a very diverse environment in which the climate, mountains, and the ocean all play a big role. The ocean surrounds all of Taiwan, because it's an island. Mountains run through the center of Taiwan, making travel difficult. The climate is tropical, meaning that it is hot and humid almost year-round.
The environment of Taiwan is special because Taiwan is a large island. Long ago, the island rose up out of the ocean from volcanos. That is why Taiwan has so many mountains that take up most of the space on the island. The fact that Taiwan is seperated from mainland China by ocean has also had a large impact on Taiwan's history and culture. That separation also meant that Taiwan had its own set of unique animals, many of which are not very common or very big. Do you know of any Taiwanese animals?
The flat coastal plain makes it easy for people to live and build their houses here. It also helps them farm for rice which requires flat and level paddies. The climate also makes it easy to grow many different types of tropical fruits. Since we are close to the sea, a lot of people work as fisherman or in the harbor unloading ships.
