Farmers and others who work in the hot sun wear cone-shaped straw hats. Most city people wear Western-style clothing. The Taiwanese people speak various Chinese dialects. About half the people practice a local traditional religion that blends Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. About 42 percent are Buddhists and about 8 percent Christians.
Most adults can read and write.
For the country's literacy rate, see . The law requires children to have six years of elementary school and three years of high school. Land and climate. This area does not include the Quemoy and Matsu island groups, which are part of Fujian province. Thickly forested mountains run from north to south and cover about half of Taiwan.