Geography of Quemoy Island
, the largest of the six Quemoy islands, which cover 60 square miles (155 km2) in the Taiwan Strait. It is 5 miles (8 km) east of the Chinese mainland and 135 miles (217 km) west of Taiwan. When the Communists gained control of China in 1949, Quemoy and nearby Matsu became outposts of the Chinese Nationalists on Taiwan. China shelled the islands repeatedly during the 1950's but did not attempt to invade them.