So why don't more people live in Taiwan's east coast?

では、なぜ台湾の東海岸にはもっと多くの人が住んでいないのだろうか？

As usual it has to do with the country's economics physical geography and history Taiwan Taiwan is a mountainous island situated in the Western Pacific Separated from mainland China by the Taiwan Strait.

台湾は西太平洋に位置する山がちな島で、台湾海峡によって中国本土と隔てられている。

It covers approximately 36,000 square kilometers about the same size as the US state of Maryland and lies at the convergence of the Philippine sea plate and the Eurasian plate making it a geologically dynamic region prone to earthquakes and typhoons Both of which are a huge part of today's story Of course the island's most striking geographic feature is the central mountain range which runs north to south Dividing Taiwan into distinct eastern and western regions These mountains are some of the tallest in East Asia with Yushan standing as the highest peak at 3,952 meters roughly the same height as the Grand Tetons in Wyoming The range consists of steep forested slopes narrow ridges and deep gorges with terrain that remains Largely undeveloped due to its difficulty of access.

面積は約36,000平方キロメートルで、アメリカのメリーランド州とほぼ同じ大きさである。フィリピン海プレートとユーラシアプレートの収束点に位置し、地質学的に地震や台風の多いダイナミックな地域である、山脈は森林に覆われた急斜面からなり、狭い尾根や深い峡谷がある。

The eastern side of the island is particularly rugged where the mountains rise Abruptly from the Pacific Ocean in contrast Western Taiwan is much flatter and features more extensive plains and rolling hills Taiwan's rivers are short and fast-flowing due to the island's steep topography.

島の東側は特に起伏が激しく、太平洋から山々が急にそびえ立っている。一方、西側は平地が多く、なだらかな丘陵地帯が広がっている。

The Joshui River the longest stretches only about 186 kilometers Many rivers originate in the central mountains and carve deep valleys as they descend towards the coasts making them crucial for Hydroelectric power the Taroko Gorge a famous natural wonder was formed by the Liyue River Cutting through marble rock over millions of years creating one of Taiwan's most breathtaking landscapes Taiwan's geography plays a huge role in shaping its human settlement patterns economy and Infrastructure despite being a relatively small island the rugged interior and East Coast remain largely undeveloped Meanwhile, the fertile Western Plains have supported dense population and economic growth But it's not all about the physical geography.

多くの河川は中央山脈に源を発し、深い渓谷を刻みながら海岸に向かって下っていく、肥沃な西部平原は、人口密度と経済成長を支えてきた。 しかし、物理的な地形がすべてではない。

There are historic reasons at play, too Taiwan is quite unlike most other countries in the world Mostly because while it is an independent country with independent elections an independent military and Independent trade deals.

歴史的な理由もあるが、台湾は独立国でありながら、独立選挙、独立軍、独立貿易協定を持つという点で、世界の他の多くの国とはまったく異なっている。

It's not actually recognized as an independent state and this has a lot to do with how and why Taiwan was settled by China and One of the most important things to remember in this story is that the island has been home to indigenous peoples for thousands of years These people are not directly related to the Chinese In fact, they are Austronesian speaking groups who arrived along the same migration patterns as New Zealand, Polynesia Hawaii and Indonesia these indigenous groups developed distinct cultures and lived in scattered communities Primarily in the mountainous interior and along the coasts their presence remains a significant part of Taiwan's identity today Though they make up only about 2% of the population or about 600,000 people So in a way Taiwan is as much of a colonized country as many parts of the Western Hemisphere But let's get back to how modern Taiwan was established the earliest mentions of Taiwan interacting with China begin around the year 230 when military troops from the Eastern Wu Kingdom of China's Three kingdoms period landed on its shores though There is some debate on whether this was actually Taiwan that they landed on or not Various reports would include some mention of Taiwan albeit under different names for the next 1,400 years During the 1600s Taiwan became a contested territory the Dutch established a colony in the south the Spanish briefly held territory in the north and Chinese settlers mostly from Fujian province Gradually moved on to the island the Dutch were eventually expelled by Koxinga a Ming loyalist who used Taiwan as a base of resistance against the Qing Dynasty however his rule was short-lived as Qing forces took control of Taiwan in 1683 and Incorporated it into their Empire for over two centuries Taiwan remained under Qing rule though its position on the Empire's periphery meant it was often overlooked this changed in 1895 when the Qing were forced to cede Taiwan to Japan after their defeat in the first Sino-Japanese war the Japanese brought Modernization to the island building infrastructure railways and industry while also implementing strict colonial rule Though resistance existed Japan's influence reshaped Taiwan leaving a legacy that persists in aspects of its architecture education and economy after Japan's defeat in World War two Taiwan was handed back to China in 1945 and this proved to be very lucky for the Taiwan that exists today While remaining as a backwater through much of China's history Taiwan would eventually occupy a prominent place in the Chinese Civil War which had begun in the late 1920s The Nationalist Republic of China government under Chiang Kai-shek fought against the communist forces led by Mao Zedong despite initial advantages the Nationalists suffered a series of devastating defeats due to poor leadership corruption and dwindling public support by 1949 the communists had gained control of mainland China Forcing the Nationalist government to retreat to Taiwan Chiang Kai-shek and his followers established their base on the island bringing with them millions of refugees military forces and much of China's cultural and financial wealth at the time though the Nationalist government continued to claim sovereignty over all of China its control was Effectively limited to Taiwan and a few offshore islands It was during this period that saw much of the Western world namely the United States Canada and Western Europe aligned with Taiwan and recognized it as a country leaving mainland China as a global outsider however between 1950 and 1971 this recognition gradually eroded as Western countries sought to recognize mainland China as the sole China in order to establish trade with the much larger economic base and Because mainland China still claimed ownership of Taiwan it mandated that no country could recognize Taiwan as an independent country Despite the fact that it is independent for all intents and purposes This isolated Taiwan from global diplomacy, but not from global trade despite its diplomatic isolation Taiwan's economy surged in the late 1900s transforming from an agrarian society into a global industrial and technological powerhouse Democratic reforms began in the late 1980s culminating in the first direct presidential election in 1996 since then Taiwan has functioned as a democratic society distinct from mainland China Despite Beijing's continued claims over the island which leads us to today's population divide Hey, sorry for the interruption.

台湾は実際には独立国家として認められておらず、このことは台湾が中国やインドネシアによって開拓された経緯や理由と大きく関係している。この話で忘れてはならない最も重要なことのひとつは、台湾には何千年もの間、先住民族が住んでいたということだ、ニュージーランド、ポリネシア、ハワイ、インドネシアと同じ移動パターンでやってきたオーストロネシア語を話すグループであり、これらの先住民族は独自の文化を発展させ、主に山岳地帯の内陸部や海岸沿いに点在するコミュニティで暮らしていた、そのため、台湾は西半球の多くの地域と同様に、あ

I'm not in Taiwan anymore I'm now in Vietnam and you better believe that I brought my Huel with me.

私はもう台湾にはいない。今はベトナムにいるが、フュエルは持ってきた。

Huel spelled H-U-E-L is the Global nutrition brand trusted by over 400 million people including me Their black edition ready to drink is a complete meal in a bottle High in protein low in sugar and packed with all of the nutrients your body needs to perform and feel its best And right now new customers can try it for 15% off and get a free gift using my exclusive offer at Huel.com slash Jeff Unfortunately, my bag of Huel is starting to run a little low and this has become a huge problem Traveling around the world means that my nutrition is not as good as it should be But with Huel I'm at least able to start my day off, right?

HuelはH-U-E-Lと綴り、私を含む4億人以上に信頼されている世界的な栄養ブランドです。高タンパク低糖質で、体が最高のパフォーマンスを発揮し、最高の気分を味わうために必要な栄養素がすべて詰まっています。comスラッシュジェフ 残念ながら、私のHuelのバッグは少し少なくなってきていて、これは大きな問題になっています。

So I'm definitely trying to figure out how I can get more Huel delivered to me while I'm here in Southeast Asia But you can get Huel right now So remember that's 15% off plus a free gift by using my exclusive code at Huel.com slash Jeff.

だから、東南アジアにいる間、どうしたらもっとHuelを届けてもらえるか考えているんだ。でも、今すぐHuelを手に入れることができる。Huel.comのスラッシュ・ジェフで僕の専用コードを使えば、15％オフ＋無料プレゼントがもらえることを覚えておいてね。

Unlock a healthier easier way to eat with Huel Taiwan's population is overwhelmingly concentrated along its western coast where nearly 90% of its people live while the central and eastern regions remain Sparsely populated and at play here are the historic geographic and current conditions that Taiwan finds itself in That's a lot to cover.

台湾の人口は西海岸に圧倒的に集中しており、人口の90％近くが西海岸に住んでいる。

So let's dive in.

では、飛び込もう。

The most immediate factor is Taiwan's topography The simple fact is that the island's central and eastern regions are dominated by the central mountain range a series of steep Forested peaks that run from north to south these mountains with elevations exceeding 3,000 meters in many places Make large-scale urban development Extremely difficult.

最も直接的な要因は、台湾の地形である。単純な事実として、島の中央部と東部は中央山脈によって支配されており、南北に連なる険しい森林の峰々は、多くの場所で標高3,000メートルを超え、大規模な都市開発を極めて困難にしている。

Flatland is scarce roads and railways must navigate rugged terrain and much of the area remains covered in dense Vegetation or protected national parks such as Kenting and Taroko But while Taiwan is very mountainous overall the western part consists of broad plains and rolling hills that provide ample space for cities infrastructure and perhaps most importantly Agriculture and more to that point the relatively flat land in the West allows for efficient transportation networks the construction of industrial hubs and the expansion of urban centers such as Taipei Taichung and Kaohsiung for example in 1999 Taiwan began construction of its first and only High-speed rail line linking the country's capital at Taipei with its large southern city, Kaohsiung Taiwan's high-speed rail which can travel up to 300 kilometers per hour can only really be built in flatter areas as Such nearly all of Taiwan's west coast is connected to its high-speed rail network Its east coast though It would be very challenging to make it work there due to the mountainous topography This kind of infrastructure keeps the country's population and industry focused on Taiwan's west coast, but it's not all about Infrastructure Taiwan is very prone to natural disasters But while it's a small island not all of Taiwan suffers these disasters in the same way frequent earthquakes and typhoons disproportionately impact the central and eastern regions You see the island sits at the boundary between the Philippine sea plate and the Eurasian plate making it highly seismically active In fact most of Taiwan's east coast between the cities of Taitung and Hualien Sits on the Chishang Fault a very active fault line that creates a large earthquake every few years in 2024 a magnitude 7.4 earthquake ripped through Hualien causing extensive damage and loss of life for the city and region While Taiwan's western cities can feel these same earthquakes They're rarely subjected to the full force in the same way as the country's east coast But also Taiwan's east coast routinely suffers from another devastating natural disaster large and powerful typhoons that form over the Pacific Ocean in 2024 alone Taiwan was hit by three powerful typhoons Typhoon Kong Ray the largest typhoon to hit Taiwan since 1996 sustained winds of up to 185 kilometers per hour this storm slammed into the country's east coast causing Extensive damage during a period of time when Taiwan was still trying to rebuild after its recent earthquake And while the whole country was under a typhoon warning It's the country's east coast that took the brunt of it suffice it to say natural disasters Don't make living in eastern Taiwan easy, but there are other economic factors at play as well One of the biggest factors is Taiwan's economic relationship with mainland China the west coast facing the Taiwan Strait is Strategically positioned to facilitate trade and transportation links with China Which remains Taiwan's largest trading partner with more than 40% of Taiwan's goods exported to its cousin country Major ports such as Kaohsiung Taichung and Keelung handle the vast majority of Taiwan's international trade Serving as gateways for goods moving between Taiwan and the global market this proximity has influenced Taiwan's economic development With industries clustering in areas that provide easy access to shipping routes and international markets the eastern coast in Contrast faces the wide open Pacific Ocean making trade and transportation routes less convenient This proximity to the mainland is reflected throughout history early Chinese settlers who arrived in increasing numbers during the Ming and Qing Dynasties primarily landed on the western side of the island the West's flatter terrain and fertile plains allowed for agriculture While the indigenous populations in the central and eastern mountains resisted large-scale settlement Even during the Japanese colonial era when major infrastructure projects such as railways and roads were developed the emphasis remained on the west coast due to its economic potential and Accessibility while the Taiwanese government has made efforts to develop the east including improved transportation networks such as the Sihua highway And the Eastern Line Railway the region remains far less populated than the West Hualien and Taitung the largest cities in eastern Taiwan are small compared to their western counterparts and function more as regional centers than major urban hubs Today Taiwan's west coast is home to about 90% of all of Taiwan's population Or a little more than 21 million people this would be led by New Taipei with 4 million people Kaohsiung with 2.8 million Taichung and Taipei with 2.7 million Taiwan with 2.1 million and Tainan with 1.8 million people by contrast Central and eastern Taiwan is home to just 2.5 million people smaller than most of Taiwan's west coast cities This region would be led by Hualien and Taitung with just 106,000 people each Guys, I'm literally walking through Hualien as I record this and let me tell you The eastern side of Taiwan is Incredibly beautiful, which is to say if you ever do visit Taiwan Don't skip out on coming to the east coast because the geography here is stunning But if you don't plan on visiting Taiwan anytime soon, and you do want to experience it Be sure to check out the two videos I have on Taiwan over on my travel channel Alex and I first go down the west coast and then back up the east coast and it's a lot of fun I hope you enjoyed learning all about Taiwan If you did, please like the video and subscribe to the channel if you want to watch more videos consider this one on Columbia's empty West Coast and Be sure to check out my adventures in Taiwan right here.

平地が少ないため、道路や鉄道は険しい地形を通らなければならず、多くの地域は鬱蒼とした植生に覆われている。台湾の首都台北と南部の大都市高雄を結ぶ高速鉄道の建設が始まった、台湾の西海岸はほぼ全域が高速鉄道網に接続されているが、東海岸は山がちな地形のため、高速鉄道の建設は非常に難しい、しかし、インフラばかりではない。 台湾は自然災害が多い。しかし、小さな島でありながら、台湾全土が同じように災害に見舞われるわけではない。フィリピン海プレートとユーラシアプレートの境界に位置し、地震活動が非常に活発である。4の地震が

Thanks for watching.

ご視聴ありがとう。

See you next time

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