SPACEPHOTOS

Even though clouds and some haze (northern end of island) obscure parts of Taiwan, the entire north-south extent of the island is visible in this synoptic southeast-looking view. On the eastern half of the island, the Chungyang Mountains with steep slopes and dense forests dark area) dominate the landscape. Many of the higher elevations in this rugged mountainous region exceed 10000 feet (3000 meters) above sea level. The highly industrialized and densely populated lowland corridor is visible along the west coast of Taiwan from the capital city of Taipei (north) to the Kaohsiung area along the southwest coast. Several short-flowing rivers (light colored lines) can be traced through the western slopes of the Chungyang Mountains and across the narrow coastal plains.