Taiwan
A developed island nation with a contentious international status.
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main island of Taiwan, also known as Formosa, lies between the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. It has an area of 35,808 square kilometers, with mountain ranges dominating the eastern two-thirds and plains in the western third. The combined territories under ROC control consist of 168 islands covering 36,193 square kilometers. The largest metropolitan area is formed by Taipei (the capital), New Taipei City, and Keelung. With around 23.9 million inhabitants, Taiwan is among the most densely populated countries. The political and international status of Taiwan is contentious.
- Capital
- Taipei
- Region
- Eastern Asia
- Languages
- Chinese
- Currency
- New Taiwan dollar
- Largest City
- New Taipei City
- Official Language
- Mandarin Chinese (with significant Hokkien, Hakka, and Indigenous usage)
- Primary Industry
- Semiconductors and High-Tech Manufacturing
Lore & Background
Taiwan has been settled for at least 25,000 years. Ancestors of Taiwanese indigenous peoples settled the island around 6,000 years ago. In the 17th century, large-scale Han Chinese immigration began under Dutch colonial rule and continued under the Kingdom of Tungning. The island was annexed in 1683 by the Qing dynasty and ceded to the Empire of Japan in 1895. The Republic of China, controlled by Chiang Kai-shek and the Kuomintang, assumed control following the surrender of Japan in World War II. With the loss of mainland China to the Communists in the Chinese Civil War, the government of the Republic of China moved to Taiwan in 1949.
In Their Own Story
The morning mist clings to the terraced tea fields of Alishan as a high-speed rail blurs past, connecting the bustling metropolis of Taipei with the quiet coastal towns.
Reader's Guide
From the early 1960s, Taiwan saw rapid economic growth and industrialization known as the 'Taiwan Miracle'. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the ROC transitioned from a one-party state under martial law to a multi-party democracy, with democratically elected presidents beginning in 1996. Taiwan's export-oriented economy is the 21st-largest in the world by nominal GDP and the 20th-largest by PPP measures, with a focus on steel, machinery, electronics, and chemicals manufacturing. Taiwan is a developed country. It is ranked highly in terms of civil liberties, healthcare, and human development.
Did You Know?
- The name Formosa dates from 1542, when Portuguese sailors noted it on their maps as Ilha Formosa, Portuguese for 'beautiful island'.
- The official name of the country in English is the 'Republic of China'.
- Taiwan maintains official diplomatic relations with 11 out of 193 UN member states and the Holy See.
- The Republic of China participates in most international forums under the name 'Chinese Taipei'.
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