Quemoy

Island off the southeast coast of China, 184 miles (296 km) northwest of Kao-hsiung, Taiwan, and administered, along with the island of Matsu, by Taiwan. Quemoy: area 130 sq km/50 sq mi; Matsu: 44 sq km/17 sq mi; population (Quemoy and Matsu, 1996 est) 53,300. Agricultural produce includes sweet potatoes, groundnuts, sorghum, barley, wheat, and rice. Chinmen, served by the port of Shui-t'ou on the southern coast, is the chief town.

China claims Quemoy; the USA supported Taiwan until 1979, eight years after Taiwan had ceased to be a member of the United Nations. When the islands were shelled from the mainland in 1960, the USA declared they would be defended if attacked. Since 1986 the Taiwanese government has encouraged the growth of tourism on Quemoy, and in 1992 ended 43 years of martial-law rule.