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Taiwan

Country in East Asia / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Taiwan,[upper-roman 2][lower-alpha 13] officially the Republic of China (ROC),[upper-roman 1][lower-alpha 14] is a country[32] in East Asia. It is located at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeast, and the Philippines to the south. The territories controlled by the ROC consist of 168 islands[lower-alpha 15] with a combined area of 36,193 square kilometres (13,974 square miles).[18][43] The main island of Taiwan, also known as Formosa, has an area of 35,808 square kilometres (13,826 square miles), with mountain ranges dominating the eastern two-thirds and plains in the western third, where its highly urbanized population is concentrated. The capital, Taipei, forms along with New Taipei City and Keelung, the largest metropolitan area in Taiwan. With around 23.9 million inhabitants, Taiwan is among the most densely populated countries.

Quick facts: Republic of China.mw-parser-output .plainlist...
Republic of China
Anthem: 
中華民國國歌
Zhōnghuá Mínguó Guógē
"National Anthem of the Republic of China"
Flag anthem: 
中華民國國旗歌
Zhōnghuá Míngúo Gúoqígē
"National Flag Anthem of the Republic of China"
National seal:
中華民國之璽
Seal of the Republic of China
%E4%B8%AD%E8%8F%AF%E6%B0%91%E5%9C%8B%E4%B9%8B%E7%92%BD.svg
National flower:
梅花
Plum blossom
Meihua_ROC.svg
Republic_of_China_%28orthographic_projection%29.svg
CapitalTaipei[lower-alpha 1][2]
25°04′N 121°31′E
Largest cityNew Taipei City
Official languagesStandard Chinese[lower-alpha 2][5][6][7]
Official scriptTraditional Chinese[8]
National languages[lower-alpha 3]
Ethnic groups
(2016)[12]
Religion
(2020)[13]
Demonym(s)Taiwanese[14]
GovernmentSemi-presidential republic[15][16]
 President
Tsai Ing-wen
Lai Ching-te
Chen Chien-jen
You Si-kun
Chen Chu
Hsu Tzong-li
Huang Jong-tsun
LegislatureLegislative Yuan[lower-alpha 7]
Establishment
c. August 1624[17]
14 June 1661
5 September 1683
17 April 1895[lower-alpha 8]
10 October 1911[lower-alpha 9]
 Taiwan and Penghu restored to ROC rule[lower-alpha 10]
25 October 1945
25 December 1947
20 May 1948
7 December 1949
25 October 1971
31 July 1992
Area
 Total
36,197 km2 (13,976 sq mi)[18][14]
Population
 1 July 2022 estimate
Neutral increase 23,894,394[19] (56th)
 2010 census
23,123,866[20]
 Density
650/km2 (1,683.5/sq mi) (10th)
GDP (PPP)2023 estimate
 Total
Increase $1.71 trillion [21] (20th)
 Per capita
Increase $73,340[21] (15th)
GDP (nominal)2023 estimate
 Total
Increase $790.7 billion[21] (21st)
 Per capita
Increase $33,907[21] (30th)
Gini (2017)Negative increase 34.1[22]
medium
HDI (2021)Increase 0.926[lower-alpha 12][26]
very high · 19th
CurrencyNew Taiwan dollar (NT$) (TWD)
Time zoneUTC+8 (National Standard Time)
Date format
Driving sideright
ISO 3166 codeTW
Internet TLD
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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 to western Taiwan began under a Dutch colony and continued under the Kingdom of Tungning, the first predominantly Han Chinese state in Taiwanese history. The island was annexed in 1683 by the Qing dynasty of China and ceded to the Empire of Japan in 1895. The Republic of China, which had overthrown the Qing in 1911, took control following the surrender of Japan in 1945.[lower-alpha 16] Japan would renounce sovereignty over Taiwan in 1952. The immediate resumption of the Chinese Civil War resulted in the loss of the Chinese mainland to Communist forces, who established the People's Republic of China and the flight of the ROC central government to Taiwan in 1949. The effective jurisdiction of the ROC has since been limited to Taiwan, Penghu, and smaller islands.

In the early 1960s, Taiwan entered a period of rapid economic growth and industrialization called the "Taiwan Miracle".[44] 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 since 1996. Taiwan's export-oriented industrial 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.[45][46] It is ranked highly in terms of civil liberties,[47] healthcare,[48] and human development.[lower-alpha 12][26]

The political status of Taiwan is contentious.[49] The ROC no longer represents China as a member of the United Nations after UN members voted in 1971 to recognize the PRC instead.[50] The ROC maintained its claim of being the sole legitimate representative of China and its territory until 1991, when it ceased to regard the CCP as a rebellious group and recognized its jurisdiction over Mainland China.[51] Taiwan is claimed by the PRC, which refuses to establish diplomatic relations with countries that recognise the ROC. Taiwan maintains official diplomatic relations with 12 out of 193 UN member states and the Holy See.[52] Many others maintain unofficial diplomatic ties through representative offices and institutions that function as de facto embassies and consulates. International organizations in which the PRC participates either refuse to grant membership to Taiwan or allow it to participate only on a non-state basis. Domestically, the major political contention is between parties favoring eventual Chinese unification and promoting a pan-Chinese identity, contrasted with those aspiring to formal international recognition and promoting a Taiwanese identity; into the 21st century, both sides have moderated their positions to broaden their appeal.[53][54]