P'eng-hu Islands

P'eng-hu Islands

P'eng-hu also spelled  Penghu , Chinese (Wade-Giles)  P'eng-hu Ch'ün-tao , or  P'eng-hu Lieh-tao conventional  Pescadores 

      archipelago and hsien (county) of Taiwan, consisting of about 64 small islands, approximately 30 miles (50 km) west of the coast of Taiwan, from which it is separated by the P'eng-hu Channel. Of volcanic origin, many of the islands consist of weathered basalt, and they are surrounded by coral reefs. The islands are low-lying, most rising only about 100–130 feet (30–40 m) above sea level. The highest peak is about 157 feet (48 m). The islands have a warm climate, being situated in the path of the Kuroshio (Japan Current), and the annual temperature range is from 61° to 82° F (16° to 28° C). The rainfall is roughly 35 inches (900 mm) annually, nearly all of which falls between June and September. For the rest of the year there is a shortage of water, and there are no rivers. In winter the islands are swept by severe winds. The largest islands are P'eng-hu (25 square miles [64 square km]), on which more than half of the population lives, Pai-sha, Yü-weng, and Pa-chao. P'eng-hu, Pai-sha, and Yü-weng are linked by causeways. The total area of the entire group and of the county is 49 square miles (127 square km).

      About half of the islands are cultivated, but the soils are poor and the climate harsh; the main crops—sweet potatoes, peanuts (groundnuts), corn (maize), and millet—are those associated with poor hill country in southern China. A large part of the population are fishermen, and the European name Pescadores (“Fishermen”) was given to the islands by the Portuguese in the 16th century.

      The islands were probably known to the Chinese (under the name Liu-chiu) as early as the 7th century AD. Their name first appears as P'eng-hu (or P'ing-hu) in Chinese sources of the 12th century, and it was at this time that they were probably first settled by Chinese fishermen from Fukien or Chekiang provinces on the mainland. At the beginning of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), the Chinese government built a fort on P'eng-hu, established a civil government there, and imposed taxes on the fisheries. In 1388, however, the entire population was transported to the mainland. P'eng-hu was then abandoned and became a lair for pirates. Only in the reign of the Ming emperor Wan-li (1572–1620) did Chinese settlers again begin to colonize the islands, first establishing fisheries and then in 1625 military colonies. Meanwhile, between 1622 and 1624, the islands had been occupied by the Dutch. At the end of the Ming dynasty, many Fukienese settlers came to the islands to escape the fighting in southeast China, mostly from Chang-chou and Ch'üan-chou. By 1683 there were said to be some 6,000 inhabitants on the islands, who were formally placed under the control of the civil authorities in Taiwan. In 1721 the islands became the base for government punitive action against Chu I-kuei, a rebel on Taiwan.

      In the 19th century, when the Western powers began to have designs on Taiwan, the islands again became an important strategic area. They were occupied by the French in 1884–85, and, after the Sino-Japanese War of 1894–95, they were ceded to Japan, together with Taiwan. Returned to China in 1945, the islands were made a chen (township) under Taiwan and, in 1950, became a hsien of Taiwan province.

      Since 1949 the islands have been under the control of the government of the Republic of China on Taiwan; a Chinese Nationalist naval base, Ma-kung (now the county seat), was established on P'eng-hu. In addition to the fishing industry, the working of the islands' phosphate deposits have also provided income. Pop. (1995 est.) 91,867.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Islands of Turku — The Islands of Turku consists of islands belonging to the Finnish city of Turku:* Ruissalo * Hirvensalo * Kakskerta * SatavaIn spoken Finnish, the Turku archipelago is sometimes referred to the whole Archipelago Sea, situated between the Gulf of… …   Wikipedia

  • Phi Phi Islands — The Phi Phi Islands ( th. หมู่เกาะพีพี) are located in Thailand, between the large island of Phuket and the western Andaman Sea coast of the mainland. Phi Phi Don, the larger and principal of the two Phi Phi islands, is located at… …   Wikipedia

  • Kuril Islands dispute — Coordinates: 44°6′N 146°42′E / 44.1°N 146.7°E / 44.1; 146.7 …   Wikipedia

  • Policies, activities and history of the Philippines in Spratly Islands — This article discusses the policies, activities and history of the Republic of the Philippines in the Spratly Islands. It also discusses the general feelings of Filipino people about the issue, causing this article to discuss some anti Chinese… …   Wikipedia

  • Plavnikovyye Islands — The Plavnikovyye Islands (Russian: острова Плавниковые; Ostrova Plavnikovyye) is a group of islands, in the Kara Sea eastern region, off the coast of Siberia.These islands are covered with tundra vegetation and there are many lakes and swamps.… …   Wikipedia

  • Filmgeschichte Islands — Die Isländische Filmgeschichte ist geprägt durch einen späten internationalen Durchbruch ab 1980 durch Ágúst Guðmundssons Debütfilm Land und Söhne (Land og synir) und nimmt gegenüber der nationalen Literatur oder Bildenden Kunst eine eher… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Kolomeitsev Islands — The Kolomeitsev Islands (Russian: острова Коломейцева; Ostrova Kolomeytseva ) is a group of two small islands, part of the Nordenskjold Archipelago in the Kara Sea coastal region, off the coast of Siberia. These two islands are about 40 km east… …   Wikipedia

  • Faddey Islands — The Faddey Islands (Russian: Oстровa Фаддея; Ostrova Faddeya) is a group of islands covered with tundra vegetation, shingle and ice. It is located in the Laptev Sea coastal region, off Faddey Bay (залив Фаддея) in the coast of Siberia, east of… …   Wikipedia

  • Senkaku Islands — Diaoyutai redirects here. For the Chinese state guesthouse, see Diaoyutai State Guesthouse. Senkaku Islands Disputed islands Other names: Japanese: 尖閣諸島 Chinese: 釣魚台列嶼 or 钓鱼岛及其附属岛屿 Pinnacle Islands …   Wikipedia

  • Cook Islands national rugby league team — Not to be confused with Cook Islands national rugby union team. Cook Islands …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”