Matsu Islands
The Matsu Islands (Chinese 馬祖列島 / 马祖列岛, Pinyin Mǎzǔ Lièdǎo, W.-.G. Ma³-tsu³ Lieh⁴-tao³, Zhuyin ㄇㄚˇ ㄗㄨˇ ㄌㄧㄝˋ ㄉㄠˇ) are a small archipelago of 19 islands in the Taiwan Strait off the coast of China's Fujian Province, to which they also historically belong. They are administered by the Republic of China on Taiwan, where they form Lienchiang County (連江縣 / 连江县, Liánjiāng Xiàn, Lien²-chiang¹ Hsien⁴, Zhuyin ㄌㄧㄢˊ ㄐㄧㄤ ㄒㄧㄢˋ), based in Nangan. The islands have a total area of 29.6 km², and the population was 11,310 at the end of 2012.
A special feature of Matsu and Kinmen County with the island groups Kinmen and Wuqiu is that they have been under the control of the National Chinese Provincial Administration of Fujian in Jincheng (Kinmen) since the Taiwan conflict after the Chinese Civil War. These three island groups, along with the Dongsha Islands and some of the Nansha Islands (notably Taiping Dao), are the only part of the territory controlled by the Republic of China that does not belong to Taiwan Province or to one of the six non-governmental cities on the island of Taiwan.
From the perspective of the People's Republic of China, the archipelago is administratively Mazu Township in Lianjiang County, which is part of the county-level city of Fuzhou. Mazu has the postal code 350122206 of the Mainland China Post.
In the past, this dispute was repeatedly settled by military means and threatening gestures. Just like Kinmen, which is also located near the coast of Fujian, the Matsu Islands were strongly marked by military presence in the past. The military administration of the islands, which had been in effect since July 1956, was not lifted until November 7, 1992.
Name
The islands are named after the Chinese mother deity Matsu, a popular deity among sailors and fishermen.
Communities
The part of Lienchang County administered by the Republic of China is divided into four rural communes (鄉 / 乡, Xiāng), which in turn consist of several islands, reefs and villages.
| Name | Chinese | Pinyin |
| Ones. |
| Community of Nangan | 南竿鄉 / 南竿乡 | Nángān Xiāng | 10,6450 | 7663 |
| Nangan Island | 南竿島 / 南竿岛 | Nángān Dǎo | 10,4332 | - – |
| Huangguan Island | 黃官嶼 / 黄官屿 | Huángguān Yǔ | 00,1917 | - – |
| Liuquan Reef | 劉泉礁 / 刘泉礁 | Liúquán Jiāo | 00,0142 | - – |
| Beiquan Reef | 北泉礁 / 北泉礁 | Běiquán Jiāo | 00,0041 | - – |
| Xiejiao Reef | 鞋礁 | Xié Jiāo | 00,0018 | - – |
| Community of Beigan | 北竿鄉 / 北竿乡 | Běigān Xiāng | 08,9424 | 2425 |
| Beigan Island | 北竿島 / 北竿岛 | Běigān Dǎo | 06,4363 | - – |
| Daqin | 大坵 / 大丘 | Dàqiū | 00,5373 | - – |
| Xiaoqiu | 小坵 / 小丘 | Xiǎoqiū | 00,1604 | - – |
| Gaodeng | 高登 | Gāodēng | 01,3907 | - – |
| Wuming Island | 無名島 / 无名岛 | Wúmíng Dǎo | 00,0774 | - – |
| Qiaotou | 峭頭 / 峭头 | Qiàotóu | 00,0364 | - – |
| Jinyu Island | 進嶼 / 進屿 | Jìn Yǔ | 00,0311 | - – |
| Sanlian Island | 三連嶼 / 三连屿 | Sānlián Yǔ | 00,0254 | - – |
| Gui Island | 龜嶼 / 龟屿 | Guī Yǔ | 00,0034 | - – |
| Bangshan | 蚌山 | Bèngshān | 00,0594 | - – |
| Luoshan | 螺山 | Luóshān | 00,0488 | - – |
| Tiejian Island | 鐵尖島 / 铁尖岛 | Tiějiān Dǎo | 00,0098 | - – |
| Queshi | 鵲石 / 鹊石 | Quèshí | 00,0083 | - – |
| Hali | 蛤蜊 | Hálí | 00,0780 | - – |
| Zhongdao Island | 中島 / 中岛 | Zhōng Dǎo | 00,0193 | - – |
| Baimiao | 白廟 / 白庙 | Báimiào | 00,0188 | - – |
| Laoshu | 老鼠 | Lǎoshǔ | 00,0016 | - – |
| Community of Juguang | 莒光鄉 / 莒光乡 | Jǔguāng Xiāng | 05,2587 | 1618 |
| Dongju Island | 東莒島 / 东莒岛 | Dōngjǔ Dǎo | 02,6391 | - – |
| Xiju Island | 西莒島 / 西莒岛 | Xījǔ Dǎo | 02,3651 | - – |
| Xiniu Island | 犀牛嶼 / 犀牛屿 | Xīniú Yǔ | 00,0779 | - – |
| Dayu Island | 大嶼 / 大屿 | Dà Yǔ | 00,0113 | - – |
| Lin'ao | 林坳 | Línào | 00,1314 | - – |
| Sheshan | 蛇山 | Shéshān | 00,0315 | - – |
| Yongliu Island | 永留嶼 / 永留屿 | Yǒngliú Yǔ | 00,0024 | - – |
| Dongyin Parish | 東引鄉 / 东引乡 | Dōngyǐn Xiāng | 04,7594 | 1350 |
| Dongyin Island | 東引島 / 东引岛 | Dōngyǐn Dǎo | 03,2193 | - – |
| Xiyin Island | 西引島 / 西引岛 | Xīyǐn Dǎo | 01,1250 | - – |
| Liangdao Island | 亮島 / 亮岛 | Liàng Dǎo | 00,3575 | - – |
| Langyan | 浪岩 | Làngyán | 00,0020 | - – |
| Nanyin | 南引 | Nányǐn | 00,0458 | - – |
| Shuangzi Reef | 雙子礁 / 双子礁 | Shuāngzǐ Jiāo | 00,0095 | - – |
| Beigu Reef | 北固礁 | Běigù Jiāo | 00,0002 | - – |
Lienchang County (連江縣 / 连江县)
