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.

Northern Taiwan experienced extreme rainfall between 19 and 25 October 2025. This chart shows how much rain fell during just seven days — in some locations, over 80 % of the year’s previous total.

It’s been one year since I started sharing my maps and infographics. I honestly never imagined how many people would enjoy them. Thank you for following along, for your feedback, and for your support, it keeps me motivated to create even more!

I was today years old when I realized that Taichung is pretty much right in the middle between Taipei and Tainan. So yes, its name really means “center.” 😄

Challenge for your next Taiwan visit. Key geographic points of the Taiwanese main island. Which ones have you visited? I have been to the northernmost, easternmost, southernmost points, geographic center, and both Tropic of Cancer markers.

Proportion of foreign residents in Taiwan. And it’s not Taipei where most foreigners live.

Taiwan and Florida share many similarities: climate, population size, latitude, tropical storms (hurricanes/typhoons).

Taiwan’s biggest companies by market cap in 2025. You’ve probably never heard of most — but TSMC alone is worth more than all the others combined.

Wishing everyone a joyful Mid-Autumn Festival. May your evening be filled with moonlight, good food, and time with loved ones. 喜迎中秋 謹祝 佳節愉快 闔家團圓

Half of all convenience stores in Taiwan are located in the northernmost part.

☀️ Taiwan’s sunshine hours range from ~1,000 in the north to 3,000+ in the southwest. Surprised? Full “making of” on my Ko-fi page. I also create custom maps & data visuals on any topic, not just Taiwan. Links in comments.

Regions you reach when traveling east or west from Taiwan in a straight line.

Typhoon tracks across Taiwan, 1950–2025. The tracks are random, but since storms usually move northwards, more of them pass through the north than the south. 👉 Full “making of” is on my Ko-fi page. 💡 Like my work? You can support me or book a custom map through my Ko-fi.

Fun fact: Taiwan may be small in size, but its population is larger than that of most European countries.

Taiwan is hit by typhoons about 3–5 times per year (CWA data). From 1911 to 2024, the Central Weather Administration recorded 193 typhoon landfalls. This map shows all landfall locations from 1950 to 2025. Unsurprisingly, most storms strike Taiwan’s east coast, as typhoons usually approach from the

Taiwan relies on imports for about 96% of its energy (2023). This map highlights the main suppliers of fossil fuels used for power generation: Australia: 50% of coal, 40% of gas Qatar: 28% of gas United States: 27% of gas, 9% of oil Saudi Arabia: 31% of crude oil Indonesia: 25% of coal

🇹🇼 Taiwan leads the world in scooters per capita: ~60 per 100 people. No wonder the streets feel like a scooter parade. 🛵

Lighthouses around Taiwan. Most of them can be visited. They are often located in nice scenic coastal areas.

This was one of my first maps, made it about a year ago. And it’s still one of my favorites.

Simplified earthquake map of Taiwan

A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck Yilan on August 27 — the fifth quake of this strength or higher in 2025. I mapped this year’s activity: a major cluster near Chiayi earlier, and otherwise quakes scattered along Taiwan’s east coast.

This 1958 East German school atlas shows Taiwan as a Chinese province—though unclear if ROC or PRC. Since the GDR aligned with the Soviet Union, it was likely already marked as part of the PRC. Also note the city names, spelled as a German would pronounce them.

A glimpse into history: this 1929 German school atlas shows Taiwan under Japanese rule. Cities appear as Taihoku (Taipei), Takao (Kaohsiung), Taitschu (Taichung). Yushan is marked as Niitakayama / Mt. Morrison—then listed at 4,145 m, higher than today’s 3,952 m.

Taiwan’s energy imports 2003–2023: -Coal stable (shift from China → Australia) -Oil steady (Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, US rising) -LNG almost 4× growth (Australia, Qatar) 96% import dependence. Energy demand still rising. Upcoming referendum on nuclear power makes energy safety & independence key issues.

Following up on my previous post about the proportion of foreign residents in Taiwan, here is a list showing the occupations of foreign residents. Please note that the job groups are broad classifications, so not every specific occupation is listed here. Source: National Immigration Agency, Taiwan

Proportions of foreign residents in Taiwan’s counties and cities. Highest in Hsinchu County and Taoyuan City. Lowest in Kinmen and Taitung County. Data includes foreigners with residence permits, except individuals from PR China, Hong Kong, or Macao. Source: NIA Taiwan, 11/2024

Animated rain radar images of typhoon Podul crossing Taiwan. You can see how the high mountain range blocks the clouds and rain. Images from Central Weather Administration Taiwan. Animation was done by me.

Typhoon Podul has left Taiwan this morning. This animation shows the path of typhoon Podul. Images from the Central Weather Agency Taiwan. The animation was made by me.

Everything you need to know about Taiwan‘s major convenience stores. Read more here: alexkunztaipei.com/taiwan-conve...

Probably many people are not aware of it, but Japan is pretty close to Taiwan.

50% of Taiwan’s population lives in the highlighted areas. Map ranks districts and townships by population size. Highlighted areas represent the top 50%. Some districts near major metropolitan areas not included, their populations fall below the halfway mark.

Probably stirring up some controversies… What do you think about the people in Taiwan?

Taiwan’s energy supply is heavily dependent on imports. In 2023, about 96% of all energy sources were imported. This map shows the countries that supply Taiwan with fossil fuels for energy generation.

Top 10 Foreign Nationalities in Taiwan – Ranks 6 to 10 Here are the next five after last week’s Top 5. All numbers refer to foreign residents with ARC, APRC, or Gold Card. ⬇️ Scroll down for each country. 💬 Want to see your country? Comment below! Source: National Immigration Agency

This map shows the number of fatal road traffic incidents recorded in each district across Taiwan between January and April 2025.