Our country is located on the west coast of the Pacific Ocean, in the east of Asia. China's land area is 9.6 million square kilometers, which is the third largest country in the world, second only to Russia with 17.09 million square kilometers and Canada with 9.98 million square kilometers, with a sea area of 3 million square kilometers, ranking tenth in the world. The northernmost point of China is the Heilongjiang grading line near the Mohe River in Heilongjiang Province, the easternmost point is the Black Blind Island at the confluence of the Ussuri River and the Heilongjiang River, the westernmost point is the Pamir Plateau, and the southernmost point is the Zengmu Dark Sand of the Nansha Islands. The length of the coastline of our country is 180,000 km, the length of the land boundary line is 220,000 km.
Orchid Island is located in the eastern part of Taiwan Province of China and is a small island in the western Pacific Ocean. With an area of 45 square kilometers, Orchid Island is the largest island of Taiwan. Orchid Island is mainly composed of Orchid Island and Little Orchid Island, and the area of Little Orchid Island is 15 square kilometers, uninhabited. With a population of about 4,000 people, Orchid Island has the highest proportion of Gaoshan Dawu people, reaching 90%, and only some of them are Han Chinese. Orchid Island is not a large area, there is not much arable land here, and the residents here do not grow rice, but grow sweet potatoes, taro, etc., and also grow melons, ginger, pineapple longan, etc. Orchid Island is surrounded by the sea, and fishing is the main thing here. Orchid Island has a unique and beautiful scenery, because the whole island is composed of andesite and agglomerates or tuff agglomerates, it attracts many overseas tourists every year. Orchid Island has airplane routes due to steamers. Orchid Island Airport has direct routes to Taipei, Kaohsiung, Taitung, etc. The steamship route is between Orchid Island - Green Island - Taitung Port.
The historical development of Orchid Island can be traced back to the 17th century. In 1624, the Dutch invaded the island and took control of the islands near the island, including Orchid Island. In the 17th century, the Netherlands was known as the "coachman of the sea". At that time, the Dutch colonies were scattered all over the world, and the developed shipbuilding industry in the Netherlands at that time was also an important reason for being able to dominate the world. The Netherlands has a high interest in the island of Taiwan because of its important strategic value. At that time, the Netherlands and Japan were the most important cities in Nagasaki, and the island of Taiwan was located on this ** route. In 1662, Zheng Chenggong raised 40,000 troops from Kinmen and other coastal islands of Fujian, and it took 200 warships for one year to recover the island of Taiwan. Orchid Island is also one of the islands controlled by Zheng Chenggong.
In 1683, the Kangxi Emperor sent Shi Lang to lead the naval forces to recover Taiwan and reintegrate Taiwan Province into the territory of the Qing Dynasty. The Qing Dynasty set up an administrative body in Taiwan Province and placed Lanyu under the jurisdiction of Hengchun County. Because the Hongshan rock of Lanyu contains a large amount of iron sulfide, it looks red from a distance, and it is called Hongtou Island. Because the island is rich in phalaenopsis, it was renamed Orchid Island.
In 1894, the Sino-Japanese War broke out between the Qing Dynasty and Japan, and the Qing Dynasty was defeated and forced to sign the Treaty of Shimonoseki with Japan. According to the Treaty of Shimonoseki, the island of Taiwan and its affiliated islands, the Penghu Islands and the Liaodong Peninsula were ceded to Japan. Orchid Island belongs to the island of Taiwan and is partly ceded to Japan. Japan ordered a strict ban on the development of Orchid Island and set up a research area.
In 1945, the United States, the Soviet Union and the United Kingdom jointly issued the Yalta Declaration in Yalta, which determined that the island of Taiwan, the Penghu Islands and Manchuria belonged to Chinese territory. In 1945, Japan handed over the island of Taiwan and its affiliated islands back to China. Orchid Island is also one of the handover islands.
Orchid Island is strategically located close to the Bass Strait. The Bass Strait is located in the strait between the Taiwan island Bataan Islands, which is an important passage for China to enter the Pacific Ocean. Japan is a resource-poor country and relies on large amounts of resources to import. To reach Europe and the Middle East, Japan must pass through the Bass Strait. Oil and gas in the Middle East also reach the Japanese mainland through the Bass Strait and through the Ryukyu Islands.