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Geology |
 The
flatlands on the hills of township of Longtan are covered with acidic red soil. The
thick layer below is composed of gravel. However, the red soil contains abundant
amount of iron and the gravel allows drainage of water. The terrain is primarily
made of hills, basins, and flatlands. Of the flatlands, the main ones are located
in the western part of the island of Taiwan, on the west side of the pediment zone.
The area is extensive. The main flatlands from north to south include: Linkou, Taoyuan,
Jhongli, Pingjhen and Bagunggon, Hokou, Houli, Dadu, Bagua and Henchen.
Most flatlands
in Taiwan are covered with red soil and gravel. A cross-section of the terrain can
be clearly seen along the highway in the Linkou section. Generally, gravel is covered
by several meters of red soil. On the red soil, forests of Taiwan acacia are most
frequently seen. Because of irrigation, temperature and improvement in soil composition,
the ways that the flatlands are being used are different. |
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Topography |
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Longtan is located in the hilly area of northern Taiwan in an area that covers 75.2372
square kilometers. Its geographic coordinates are 24°53' N and 121°14' E. Longtan
is the southernmost tip of the Taoyuan plateau bordering Tahan Creek and the Shihmen
Reservoir to the east. It is close to the town of Dasi, the township of Fusing, and
the town of Yangmei. To the south, it borders the two towns of Guansi and Singpu
of Hsinchu County. To the north, it borders the two cities of Pingjhen and Bade.
Because the Taoyuan flatland is shaped like a fan, starting from Shihmen and extending
towards the northwest progressively sloping down towards the Taiwan Strait, this
village’s is more elevated and the terrain is more complicated.
In broad terms,
the area can be divided into a hilly area (Tonluochuan Terrace and Dianzihu Terrace)
and a flat area (Longtan Terrace). Because the hilly area is high and the terrain
is complicated, the cultivable area is small and water is insufficient; therefore,
the area is mainly devoted to tea fields. Because of convenient irrigation and abundance
of ponds, the flat area is mainly covered with rice paddies and tea fields. This is the most densely populated area as well. |
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