In 1996 the population of Taiwan number- ed over 21.4 million. The population density of the Taiwan area was, at 590 persons per square kilometer, the second highest in the world after Bangladesh. Taipei City is the most crowded urban area in Taiwan, with 9600 persons per kmē, and is followed by Kaoshiung City, with 9200 persons per kmē. While about 60 percent of the popu- lation resides in the four metropolies of Taipei, Kaoshiung, Taichung and Tainan, this trend towards concentrated urbani- zation has slowed down over the last decade. 
By the end of 1995, Taipei City has ex- perienced negative population growth for seven consecutive years, and around the city proper, highly populated urban areas have emerged. Seven cities and 22 town- ships in Taipei County, with a total of 3.31 million, form an indipendent economic and industrial network. 
Besides the majority of the Han, there are currently nine major aboriginal peoples in Taiwan, the Atayal, Saisyat, Bunun, Tsou, Paiwan, Rukai, Puyuma, Ami and the Yami. In 1995 they counted about 370000 people, more than one-third of them were Ami. Many indigenous people live on land in mountainous regions zoned as reservations, which cannot be sold to non-aborigines.

The first map uses the most common method of showing the population density of one area. The data is divided in a ranged classification, using colours to differentiate the specific areas.

The second map uses a different method.
Uniform point symbols (dots) represent the value of an attribute referenced to an area. The more dots in one area, the higher the value of a specific attribute. The dot map can show details of the geographic character of a distribution more clearly than any other type of map.

To view this maps, click on the pictures to the right.

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