The territories currently administered by Chinese Taipei include Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu, archipelagoes in the South China Sea and Green Island and Orchid Island off the Pacific coast of Taiwan. These areas are collectively referred to as the Taiwan area. Taiwan's most prominent physiographic feature is its 270-km central mountain range, which boasts more than 200 peaks that are higher than 3,000 meters above sea level.
Foothills lead from the central range to tablelands and coastal plains in the west and south.
The eastern shore is relatively steep and the northern tip of the island is dominated by volcanic mountains over 1,000 meters in elevation. The Taiwan area is the second most densely populated area in the world, with a population of more than 21.5 million. Taipei City ranks as Taiwan's largest metropolitan area, followed by Kaohsiung City in the south. Over the past decades, Chinese Taipei's population has been graying. The number of people aged 65 and over exceeded 7.85 percent of the population.