Taiwan is said to be located in a zone of plate convergence between the Eurasia Plate and the Philippine Plate (which is part of the Pacific Plate). The ensuing friction from the opposing directional movements of the plates played a part in the building of island chains, especially the Japanese archipelago.
台灣就位於歐亞板塊和菲律賓板塊（太平洋板塊的一部分）交界處，很可能和日本、琉球群島一樣，是由於兩個板塊邊緣摩擦而隆起的島弧。尤其耐人尋思的是，台灣地區附近板塊實際包含的區域和運動方向，到今天還沒有定論。