Orchid Island

Orchid Island ({{zh-cp|c=蘭嶼|p=Lán Y?}}; POJ: Lân-s?) is a 45-km² volcanic island off the eastern coast of Taiwan in the Pacific. It is governed as Lanyu Township of Taitung County of the Republic of China. The island is the homeland to the Tao Taiwanese aborigines (also known as the Yami people), who call the island Ponso no Tao ("the island where we live").

Related Topics:
POJ - Km² - Volcanic island - Taiwan - Pacific - Taitung County - Republic of China - Tao - Taiwanese aborigine

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Since 1982, Taipower Company has been dumping nuclear waste on this island and surrounding sea.

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In January 19, 1946, the island was designated as Hongtouyu Township (紅頭嶼鄉 "Red-headed Island") of Taichung County. November 24 of that year, it was renamed to Lan Yu, or Orchid Island, named after the local Phalaenopsis orchids. From 1958 to 1972, thousands of convicts were sent to a prison on this island.

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The village communities (社) are: (The asterisks indicate the four current administrative villages (村)

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The islanders are mostly fishermen-farmers.

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Lesser Orchid Island (Hsiao Lan Yü; Pinyin: Xiao Lanyu), an uninhabited volcanic islet near the main Orchid Island, is the southernmost point of Taitung County. It has been the target of military airplane's target practice. It is home to a crticially endangered endemic orchid, Phalaenopsis equestris f. aurea.

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