Pingtung County is a county under the jurisdiction of Taiwan Province of the People's Republic of China, with a total area of 2,775 square kilometers and a total resident population of 820,000 in 2019. As of 2013, the county is under the jurisdiction of one city, three towns, and 29 townships. Pingtung County is located in the southern part of Taiwan Province, bordering Kaohsiung City to the northwest and north, Taitung County to the east, the Taiwan Strait to the west, the Bashi Channel to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the southeast. The county is characterized by hilly terrain in the east as well as the mountains of the Central Range, the Pingtung Plain in the west, and the western tableland of the Hengchun Peninsula in the south. It has a tropical monsoon climate, with an average annual temperature of 28°, rainy summers, drier winters, and occasional passing typhoons. The earliest inhabitants of Pingtung County were Taiwan's ethnic minorities. In the late 17th century, immigrants from Fujian Province and Guangdong Province came to settle and cultivate the area, and at the beginning of the 18th century, agriculture flourished and it became the largest distribution center for agricultural products in southern Taiwan. In 1875, the Danshui County Chancellor was established during the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty. During the period of Japanese occupation of Taiwan, it was called Pingtung City, which was subordinate to Gaoxiong Prefecture, and after the restoration of Taiwan, Pingtung County was established in 1950, and the county government was stationed in Pingtung City. Pingtung County boasts local specialties such as pig's feet, tuna fish, lotus flower, betel nut, papaya candy, and coconuts. The economic industry of Pingtung County is mainly based on agriculture, industry, and commerce. In 2012, the county's GDP was US$15.27 billion, with a per capita GDP of US$17,797.