During one of my recent hikes in Yangmingshan, I stumbled upon this special map: a highly detailed plan of the restroom layout. I genuinely appreciate the effort behind it, but I have to admit I was a bit surprised. The restroom area isn’t exactly large or complicated enough to lose your way.

This winter was very sunny, but northern Taiwan usually doesn’t get much sunshine throughout the year. This map shows how many hours of sunshine different areas in Taiwan received in 2024.

Here is your Friday fun fact: Taiwan would fit entirely within Lake Michigan — not only in terms of area, but even in shape (with a little bit of squeezing).

Few days ago one of my maps was featured on Formosa TV 民視新聞. Very cool 😎 But they say I am Swedish 🤔. It’s understandable. It’s not easy to tell so many European countries apart. Sweden, Germany, Thailand, Taiwan, all kind of the same. See the whole report on YouTube. Link in the comments below.

新年快樂！ Happy new year of the horse 🐎. Wishing everyone good health, fortune, and prosperity.

Here is your Friday Fun Fact: Greenland is almost 60x larger than Taiwan. Greenland’s ice sheet is so thick only Taiwan’s highest mountains, like Yushan, would poke out of it.

Here’s a challenge for your next trip to Taiwan: visit all of its key geographic locations. Which ones have you already been to?

Here’s your Friday fun fact: These are the regions you can reach by traveling in a straight line east or west (along a latitude) or north or south (along a longitude) from Taiwan.

As of December 2025, number of foreign residents in Taiwan has increased compared to the previous year. Most of this growth comes from SEA countries. Figures include only people with a valid residence permit. Actual number of foreigners in Taiwan is higher when including other types of visa holders.

PLA activity around Taiwan declined in January 2026 compared to both January 2025 and December 2025. Aircraft sorties and median line crossings were lower. One exception stands out: balloon activity increased sharply, with near-daily detections. Source: Taiwan Ministry of National Defense.

Did you know? Taipei City runs nearly 400 bus routes. The network is so dense it mirrors the city’s street grid almost perfectly.

Taiwan’s climate is far more extreme than most people expect. Much of the island is temperate, the far south is tropical, and high in the mountains Taiwan even reaches tundra climate comparable to parts of northern Canada, Greenland, or northern Siberia. All of this on one small island.

Taiwan has a population of about 23 million people. But did you know that half of them live in these highlighted urban areas?

This Saturday, Taipei 101 will be watched around the world. Alex Honnold is free climbing the tower live on Netflix. When he reaches the top, this is how far he can see (If weather is good enough).

A cold wave has reached Taiwan. Yes, it can snow here. Despite its subtropical climate, snowfall is common in winter above 3,000 m and can reach much lower elevations during strong cold surges. This map shows where snow is most likely to occur and why altitude matters more than latitude.

How many of these company logos do you recognize? And which one surprised you to see in this map? This map shows where major Taiwanese companies are headquartered and how industries cluster across the island.

Taiwan’s top 10 companies by market capitalization. You may not recognize most of the names, but you are almost certainly using their technology. From smartphones to data centers, Taiwanese firms sit at the core of global supply chains. Which of these companies were you already familiar with?

Which areas of Taiwan are closest to which neighbor.

How many earthquakes does Taiwan see in a year? In 2025, there were 654 earthquakes with M > 3. Most went unnoticed. But the last one stands out: the M 7.0 earthquake in Yilan just after Christmas. Did you feel it?

Taiwan’s county and city emblems/logos. Have you seen them all? Which one is your favorite? Please note that some counties and cities have multiple emblems, one for the county/city and one for the respective government.

Taiwan has officially become a super-aged society: at the end of 2025, 20% of the population was 65 or older. At the same time, the birth rate has been declining for decades, and the population has been shrinking since 2019 with no reversal in sight.

Taiwan has more than 13,000 convenience stores. 7-Eleven and FamilyMart are the two dominant chains, operating roughly 10,000 stores combined. This map shows the number of convenience stores in each district and township across Taiwan.

Taiwan redrawn by its river network. Orange and green colored rivers highlight the main watershed across the island.

Even though Taiwan lies in the subtropical zone, snowfall is possible in winter. It mainly occurs above 3,000 m, with rare events at lower elevations during strong cold waves. The snow season runs from December to February, peaking in January. @foreignersintw.bsky.social has a Snow Chasing Guide

PLA Air Force activity around Taiwan in December 2025. Without the late-December “Justice Mission 2025” exercise, activity would have remained relatively low. The exercise itself, however, pushed December to one of the months with the highest sortie counts in 2025.

Happy New Year 2026. Wishing everyone a peaceful and prosperous year ahead. This year I chose a retro approach for the image. A few days ago, I came across some pixel art on social media, which gave me the idea to create something similar myself, with the help of AI.

Taiwan’s population density simply divide into three major categories.

New Year’s Eve is coming up. This map shows good locations to watch the Taipei 101 fireworks, including spots that also work well for photography and video.

Taiwan’s road network is longer than the Earth’s circumference at the equator. With around 42,000 km of roads, Taiwan ranks 73rd worldwide. The network is so dense that it effectively redraws the island itself.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Thank you to all followers and supporters. Your likes, shares, and comments have played a key role in growing this account and making these maps and data visualizations visible to more people. Thank you for being part of it.

Taiwan is home to four major language groups. This map shows which language is most commonly used in everyday conversations in each district, reflecting dominant use, not exclusivity.

How far can really see from the top of Taipei 101? On a clear day, visibility can reach up to 65 km. Most directions are blocked by mountains, but there are a few spots where you can see the mouth of the Danshui River, almost as far as Keelung, and parts of Taoyuan.

1899 map with Qing-era place names, even though Taiwan was already under Japanese rule. Taichung is missing. Instead, the map shows Taiwan-fu, a reminder of the brief plan to make central Taiwan the capital before Taipei took that role. This map was kindly sent in by a follower.

A series of historic maps of Taiwan from different periods and perspectives. The map from 1958 comes from an East German (GDR) atlas that labels Taiwan as a Chinese province. The map from 1964, also from an East German publication, goes further by describing Taiwan as occupied by the USA.

Taiwan has 14.6 million registered motorcycles, yet the north south distribution is far from equal. The south has significantly more motorcycles per 100 people. But why? Climate? Transport options? Economy? Lifestyle? What’s your take on this?

Japan plans to deploy surface-to-air missiles on Yonaguni. This map highlights how close the island is to Taiwan. On clear days, Taiwan’s east coast is even visible from Yonaguni.

Looking for the best places to capture the Taipei 101 fireworks? 🎆 My new map highlights the top spots—mostly on the east side where smoke is minimal. Arrive early, expect crowds, and think ahead about how to get home. No secret empty spots—unless you own a rooftop. 😉

German-made cars have a strong reputation in Taiwan. Here are the most popular German brands, based on registered vehicles. Interesting surprise: Opel made the list. Didn’t expect they ever had a foothold here. What’s your take? Which German brands feel the most visible in Taiwan?

PLA Air Force activity around Taiwan in November 2025. “All aircraft” includes fighters, bombers, UAVs, and support types. Data: Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (possible gaps in published figures).

Taiwan has around 14 million motorcycles or motorbikes, mainly scooters. While this number is not exceptionally high in absolute terms, Taiwan ranks at the top globally when adjusted for population — with about 60 motorbikes per 100 people.

From January to August 2025 most tourists came from Japan, Hong Kong and Macao to Taiwan. Generally visitors from East and South East Asia are dominating.

Proportion of foreign residents across Taiwan. Highest number of foreign residents are in Hsinchu County and Taoyuan City. Compared to last year the number of foreign residents has increased in Taiwan.

Number of foreign residents with legal residence permits (ARC, APRC, Gold Card) in Taiwan. September 2025. Data from National Immigration Agency Taiwan. See further comments for number of residents from PRC, HK, Macao in Taiwan.

All typhoon tracks around Taiwan from 1950-2025

Predictions say typhoon Fung-Wong might make landfall on the west coast of Taiwan, which is a rare event. Throughout the last 75 years the majority of typhoons made landfall on the east coast of Taiwan.

Here is your Friday Fun Fact about Taiwan: Taiwan would fit almost entirely into Lake Michigan (Due to the map projection, Taiwan appears stretched.)

Bluesky Challenge: if I reach 100 followers until the end of 2025, I will keep posting here. If not, I will stop posting and you have to follow me where the party is (Threads or Instagram or LinkedIn).

The road network in Taiwan highlights the topography of the island very well.

Roads and trails on Kinmen Islands. Nothing else is shown in this map.

This map shows the road network of Taiwan. Only roads, nothing else. The total length of Taiwan’s road network is about 42,000 km, ranking 73rd worldwide.