Taiwan

Taiwan,officially theRepublic of China(ROC),is a countryinEast Asia.The mainisland of Taiwan, also known asFormosa, lies between theEastandSouth China Seain the northwesternPacific Ocean, with thePeople's Republic of China(PRC) to the northwest,Japanto the northeast, and thePhilippinesto the south. It 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 itshighly urbanizedpopulation is concentrated. The combinedterritories under ROC controlconsist of168 islandsin total covering 36,193 square kilometres (13,974 square miles).Thelargest metropolitan areais formed byTaipei(the capital),New Taipei City, andKeelung. With around 23.9 million inhabitants, Taiwan is among themost densely populated countries.
Taiwan has been settled for at least 25,000 years. Ancestors ofTaiwanese indigenous peoplessettled the island around 6,000 years ago. In the 17th century, large-scaleHan Chineseimmigration began under aDutch colonyand continued under theKingdom of Tungning, the first predominantly Han Chinese state inTaiwanese history. The island wasannexed in 1683by theQing dynastyof China andcededto theEmpire of Japanin 1895. TheRepublic of China, which hadoverthrown the Qing in 1912under the leadership ofSun Yat-sen, took control following thesurrender of Japanin 1945. The immediate resumption of theChinese Civil Warresulted in the loss of theChinese mainlandtoCommunist forces, whoestablished the People's Republic of China, andthe flight of the ROC central government to Taiwanin 1949. The effective jurisdiction of the ROC has since been limited to Taiwan,Penghu, and smaller islands.
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 aone-party stateundermartial lawto amulti-party democracy, with democratically elected presidents beginning in1996. Taiwan'sexport-oriented economyis the21st-largestin the world by nominal GDP and the20th-largestby PPP measures, with a focus on steel, machinery, electronics, and chemicals manufacturing. Taiwan is adeveloped country.It is ranked highly in terms ofcivil liberties,healthcare,andhuman development.
Thepolitical status of Taiwanis contentious.Despite being a founding member, the ROC no longer represents China as a member of theUnited Nationsafter UN members voted in 1971 torecognize the PRCinstead.The ROC maintained its claim of being the solelegitimate representative of Chinaand its territory until 1991, when it ceased toregard the Chinese Communist Party as a rebellious groupand acknowledged its control over mainland China.Taiwan is claimed by the PRC, which refuses to establish diplomatic relations with countries that recognise the ROC. Taiwanmaintains official diplomatic relationswith 11 out of 193 UN member states and theHoly See.Many others maintain unofficial diplomatic ties throughrepresentative officesand institutions that function asde factoembassies and consulates. International organizations in which the PRC participates either refuse to grant membership to Taiwan or allow it to participate on a non-state basis. Domestically, the major political contention is between thePan-Blue Coalition, who favors eventualChinese unification under the ROCand promoting apan-Chinese identity, contrasted with thePan-Green Coalition, which favors eventualTaiwanese independenceand promoting aTaiwanese identity; in the 21st century, both sides have moderated their positions to broaden their appeal.
In hisDaoyi Zhilüe(1349),Wang Dayuanused "Liuqiu" as a name for the island, or the part of it closest toPenghu.Elsewhere, the name was used for theRyukyu Islandsin general orOkinawaspecifically; the nameRyūkyūis the Japanese form ofLiúqiú. The name also appears in theBook of Sui(636) and other early works, but scholars cannot agree on whether these references are to the Ryukyus, Taiwan or evenLuzon.
The name Formosa (福爾摩沙) dates from 1542, when Portuguese sailors noted it on theirmapsasIlha Formosa(Portuguesefor "beautiful island").The nameFormosaeventually "replaced all others in European literature"and remained in common use among English speakers into the 20th century.
In 1603, a Chinese expedition fleet anchored at a place in Taiwan called Dayuan, a variant of "Taiwan".In the early 17th century, theDutch East India Companyestablished a commercial post atFort Zeelandia(modern-dayAnping) on a coastal sandbar called "Tayouan",after theirethnonymfor a nearbyTaiwanese aboriginaltribe, possiblyTaivoan people.This name was also adopted into the Chinese vernacular as the name of the sandbar and nearby area (Tainan). The modern word "Taiwan" is derived from this usage, which is written in different transliterations (大員，大圓，大灣，臺員，臺圓or臺窩灣) in Chinese historical records. The area occupied by modern-day Tainan was the first permanent settlement by both European colonists and Chinese immigrants. The settlement grew to be the island's most important trading center and served as its capital until 1887.
Use of the current Chinese name (臺灣/台灣) became official as early as 1684 during theQing dynastywith the establishment ofTaiwan Prefecturecentered in modern-dayTainan. Through its rapid development the entire Taiwanese mainland eventually became known as "Taiwan".
The official name of the country in English is the "Republic of China". Shortly after the ROC's establishment in 1912, while it was still located on the Chinese mainland, the government used the short form "China" (Zhōngguó,中國) to refer to itself, derived fromzhōng("central" or "middle") andguó("state, nation-state").The term developed under theZhou dynastyin reference to itsroyal demesne,and was then applied to the area around Luoyi (present-dayLuoyang) during theEastern Zhouand later to China'sCentral Plain, before being used as an occasional synonym for the state during the Qing era.The name of the republic had stemmed from the party manifesto of theTongmenghuiin 1905, which says the four goals of the Chinese revolution was "to expel theManchurulers, to reviveChunghwa, to establish a Republic, and to distribute land equally among the people."Revolutionary leaderSun Yat-senproposed the nameChunghwa Minkuoas the assumed name of the new country when the revolution succeeded.
During the 1950s and 1960s, after the ROC government had withdrawn to Taiwan, it was commonly referred to as "Nationalist China" (or "Free China") to differentiate it from "communist China" (or "Red China").Over subsequent decades, the Republic of China has become commonly known as "Taiwan", after the main island. To avoid confusion, the ROC government in Taiwan began to put "Taiwan" next to its official name in 2005.In ROC government publications, the name is written as "Republic of China (Taiwan)", "Republic of China/Taiwan", or sometimes "Taiwan (ROC)".
"Taiwan Area" was defined to mean the island of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu, and other territory under ROC's effective control,in contrast to "Mainland Area" which refers to ROC territory outside the Taiwan Area and under Chinese Communist control.
The Republic of China participates in most international forums and organizations under the name "Chinese Taipei" as a compromise with the People's Republic of China (PRC). For instance, it is the name under which it has participated in theOlympic Gamesas well as theAPEC."Taiwan authorities" is sometimes used by the PRC to refer to the government in Taiwan.
Taiwan was joined to the Asian mainland in theLate Pleistocene, until sea levels rose about 10,000 years ago.Human remains andPaleolithicartifacts dated 20,000 to 30,000 years ago have been found.Study of the human remains suggested they wereAustralo-Papuanpeople similar toNegrito populationsin the Philippines.Paleolithic Taiwanese likely settled theRyukyu Islands30,000 years ago.Slash-and-burnagriculture practices started at least 11,000 years ago.
Stone tools of theChangbin culturehave been found inTaitungandEluanbi. Archaeological remains suggest they were initially hunter-gatherers that slowly shifted to intensive fishing.The distinctWangxing culture, found inMiaoli County, were initially gatherers who shifted to hunting.
Around 6,000 years ago, Taiwan was settled by farmers of theDapenkeng culture, most likely from what is now southeast China.These cultures are the ancestors of modernTaiwanese Indigenous peoplesand theoriginatorsof theAustronesian language family.Trade with thePhilippinespersisted from the early 2nd millennium BCE, including the use of Taiwanesejadein the Philippine jade culture.
The Dapenkeng culture was succeeded by a variety of cultures throughout the island, including theTahuandYingpu; the Yuanshan were characterized by rice harvesting. Iron appeared in such cultures as theNiaosung culture, influenced by trade with China andMaritime Southeast Asia.ThePlains Indigenous peoplesmainly lived in permanent walled villages, with a lifestyle based onagriculture,fishing, andhunting.They had traditionallymatriarchal societies.
ThePenghu Islandswere inhabited byHan Chinesefishermen by 1171, and in 1225 Penghu was attached toJinjiang.TheYuan dynastyofficially incorporated Penghu under the jurisdiction ofTong'anCounty in 1281.Penghu was evacuated in the 15th century by theMing dynastyas part of theirmaritime ban, which lasted until the late 16th century.In 1349,Wang Dayuanprovided the first written account of a visit to Taiwan.By the 1590s, a small number of Chinese fromFujianhad started cultivating land in southwestern Taiwan.Some 1,500-2,000 Chinese lived or stayed temporarily on the southern coast of Taiwan, mostly for seasonal fishing but also subsistence farming and trading, by the early 17th century.In 1603,Chen Divisited Taiwan on an anti-wokouexpedition and recorded an account of the Taiwanese Indigenous people.
In 1591, Japan sent envoys to deliver a letter requesting tribute relations with Taiwan. They found no leader to deliver the letter to and returned home. In 1609, a Japanese expedition was sent to survey Taiwan. After being attacked by the Indigenous people, they took some prisoners and returned home. In 1616, a Japanese fleet of 13 ships were sent to Taiwan. Due to a storm, only one ship made it there and is presumed to have returned to Japan.
In 1624, theDutch East India Company(VOC) establishedFort Zeelandiaon the coastal islet of Tayouan (in modernTainan).The lowland areas were occupied by 11 Indigenouschiefdoms, some of which fell under Dutch control, including theKingdom of Middag.When the Dutch arrived, southwestern Taiwan was already frequented by a mostly transient Chinese population numbering close to 1,500.The VOC encouraged Chinese farmers to immigrate and work the lands under Dutch control and by the 1660s, some 30,000 to 50,000 Chinese were living on the island.Most of the farmers cultivated rice for local consumption and sugar for export while some immigrants engaged in deer hunting for export.
In 1626, theSpanish Empireoccupied northern Taiwan as a trading base, first atKeelungand in 1628 buildingFort Santo DomingoatTamsui.This colony lasted until 1642, when the last Spanish fortress fell to Dutch forces.The Dutch then marched south, subduing hundreds of villages in the western plains.
Following the fall of the Ming dynasty in Beijing in 1644,Koxinga(Zheng Chenggong) pledged allegiance to theYongli Emperorand attacked the Qing dynasty along the southeastern coast of China.In 1661, under increasing Qing pressure, he moved his forces from his base inXiamento Taiwan,expelling the Dutchthe following year. The Dutch retook the northern fortress at Keelung in 1664, but left the island in 1668 in the face of indigenous resistance.
The Zheng regime, known as theKingdom of Tungning, proclaimed its loyalty to the overthrown Ming, but ruled independently.However,Zheng Jing's return to China to participate in theRevolt of the Three Feudatoriespaved the way for the Qing invasion and occupation of Taiwan in 1683.
Following the defeat ofKoxinga's grandson by an armada led by AdmiralShi Langin 1683, the Qing dynasty formally annexed Taiwan in May 1684, making it aprefectureof Fujian province while retaining its administrative seat (now Tainan) under Koxinga as the capital.
The Qing government generally tried to restrict migration to Taiwan throughout the duration of its administration because it believed that Taiwan could not sustain too large a population without leading to conflict. After the defeat of the Kingdom of Tungning, most of its population in Taiwan was sent back to the mainland, leaving the official population count at only 50,000, including 10,000 troops. Despite official restrictions, officials in Taiwan solicited settlers from the mainland, causing tens of thousands of annual arrivals by 1711. A permit system was officially recorded in 1712, but it likely existed as early as 1684; its restrictions included only allowing those to enter who had property on the mainland, family in Taiwan, and who were not accompanied by wives or children. Many of the male migrants married local Indigenous women. Over the 18th century, restrictions were relaxed. In 1732, families were allowed to move to Taiwan.By 1811, there were more than two million Han settlers in Taiwan, and profitable sugar and rice production industries provided exports to the mainland.In 1875, restrictions on entering Taiwan were repealed.
Three counties nominally covered the entire western plains, but actual control was restricted to a smaller area. A government permit was required for settlers to go beyond theDajia River. Qing administration expanded across the western plains area over the 18th century due to continued illegal crossings and settlement.The Taiwanese Indigenous peoples were categorized by the Qing administration into acculturated aborigines who had adopted Han culture and non-acculturated aborigines who had not. The Qing did little to administer or subjugate them. When Taiwan was annexed, there were 46 aboriginal villages under its control, likely inherited from the Kingdom of Tungning. During the earlyQianlongperiod there were 93 acculturated villages and 61 non-acculturated villages that paid taxes. In response to theZhu Yiguisettler rebellion in 1722, separation of aboriginals and settlers became official policy via 54 stelae used to mark the frontier boundary. The markings were changed four times over the latter half of the 18th century due to continued settler encroachment. Two aboriginal affairs sub-prefects, one for the north and one for the south, were appointed in 1766.
During the 200 years of Qing rule in Taiwan, thePlains Indigenous peoplesrarely rebelled against the government and the mountain Indigenous peoples were left to their own devices until the last 20 years of Qing rule. Most of the more than 100 rebellions during the Qing period, such as theLin Shuangwen rebellion, were caused by Han settlers.Their frequency was evoked by the common saying "every three years an uprising, every five years a rebellion" (三年一反、五年一亂), primarily in reference to the period between 1820 and 1850.
Many officials stationed in Taiwan called for an active colonization policy over the 19th century. In 1788, Taiwan Prefect Yang Tingli supported the efforts of a settler named Wu Sha to claim land held by theKavalan people. In 1797, Wu Sha was able to recruit settlers with financial support from the local government but was unable to officially register the land. In the early 1800s, local officials convinced the emperor to officially incorporate the area by playing up the issue of piracy if the land was left alone.In 1814, some settlers attempted to colonize central Taiwan by fabricating rights to lease aboriginal land. They were evicted by government troops two years later. Local officials continued to advocate for the colonization of the area but were ignored.
The Qing took on a more active colonization policy after 1874 when Japaninvaded Indigenous territoryin southern Taiwan and the Qing government was forced to pay an indemnity for them to leave.The administration of Taiwan was expanded with new prefectures, sub-prefectures, and counties. Mountain roads were constructed to make inner Taiwan more accessible. Restrictions on entering Taiwan were ended in 1875 and agencies for recruiting settlers were established on the mainland, but efforts to promote settlement ended soon after.In 1884,Keelungin northern Taiwan was occupied during theSino-French Warbut the French forces failed to advance any further inland while their victory at Penghu in 1885 resulted in disease and retreat soon afterward as the war ended. Colonization efforts were renewed underLiu Mingchuan. In 1887, Taiwan's status was upgraded to aprovince.Taipeibecame the permanent capital in 1893. Liu's efforts to increase revenues on Taiwan's produce were hampered by foreign pressure not to increase levies. A land reform was implemented, increasing revenue which still fell short of expectation.Modern technologies such as electric lighting, a railway, telegraph lines, steamship service, and industrial machinery were introduced under Liu's governance, but several of these projects had mixed results. A campaign to formally subjugate the Indigenous peoples ended with the loss of a third of the army after fierce resistance from the Mkgogan and Msbtunux peoples. Liu resigned in 1891 due to criticism of these costly projects.
By the end of the Qing period, the western plains were fully developed as farmland with about 2.5 million Chinese settlers. The mountainous areas were still largely autonomous under the control of Indigenous peoples. Indigenous land loss under the Qing occurred at a relatively slow pace due to the absence of state-sponsored land deprivation for the majority of Qing rule.
Following the Qing defeat in theFirst Sino-Japanese War(1894–1895), Taiwan, its associated islands, and the Penghu archipelago were ceded toJapanby theTreaty of Shimonoseki.Inhabitants wishing to remain Qing subjects had to move to mainland China within a two-year grace period, which few saw as feasible.Estimates say around 4,000 to 6,000 departed before the expiration of the grace period, and 200,000 to 300,000 followed during the subsequent disorder.On 25 May 1895, a group of pro-Qing high officials proclaimed theRepublic of Formosato resist impending Japanese rule. Japanese forces entered the capital at Tainan and quelled this resistance on 21 October 1895.About 6,000 inhabitants died in the initial fighting and some 14,000 died in the first year of Japanese rule. Another 12,000 "bandit-rebels" were killed from 1898 to 1902.Subsequent rebellions against the Japanese (theBeipu uprisingof 1907, theTapani incidentof 1915, and theMusha incidentof 1930) were unsuccessful but demonstrated opposition to Japanese rule.
The colonial period was instrumental to the industrialization of the island, with its expansion of railways and other transport networks, the building of an extensive sanitation system, the establishment of a formaleducation system, and an end to the practice ofheadhunting.The resources of Taiwan were used to aid the development of Japan. The production ofcash cropssuch as sugar greatly increased, and large areas were therefore diverted from the production of rice.By 1939, Taiwan was the seventh-greatest sugar producer in the world.
The Han and Indigenous populations were classified as second- and third-class citizens, and many prestigious government and business positions were closed to them.After suppressing Han guerrillas in the first decade of their rule, Japanese authorities engaged in bloody campaigns against the Indigenous people residing in mountainous regions, culminating in the Musha Incident of 1930.Intellectuals and laborers who participated in left-wing movements were also arrested and massacred (e.g.Chiang Wei-shuiandMasanosuke Watanabe).Around 1935, the Japanese began an island-wideassimilation project.Chinese-language newspapers and curriculums were abolished. Taiwanese music and theater were outlawed. A nationalShintoreligion was promoted in parallel with the suppression of traditional Taiwanese beliefs. Starting from 1940, families were also required to adoptJapanese surnames, although only 2% had done so by 1943.By 1938, 309,000 Japanese were residing in Taiwan.
During the Second World War, the island was developed into a naval and air base while its agriculture, industry, and commerce suffered.Air attacks and the subsequent invasion of thePhilippineswere launched from Taiwan. TheImperial Japanese Navyoperated heavily from Taiwanese ports, and its think tank "South Strike Group" was based atTaihoku Imperial University. Military bases and industrial centers, such asKaohsiungandKeelung, became targets of heavyAllied bombings, which destroyed many of the factories, dams, and transport facilities built by the Japanese.In October 1944, theFormosa Air Battlewas fought between American carriers and Japanese forces in Taiwan. Over 200,000 ofTaiwanese served in the Japanese military, with over 30,000 casualties.Over 2,000 women, euphemistically called "comfort women", were forced into sexual slavery for Imperial Japanese troops.
AfterJapan's surrender, most Japanese residents wereexpelled.
While Taiwan was under Japanese rule, theRepublic of Chinawas founded onmainland Chinaon 1 January 1912 following theXinhai Revolutionof 1911.Central authority waxed and waned in response towarlordism(1915–28),Japanese invasion(1937–45), and theChinese Civil War(1927–49), with central authority strongest during theNanjing decade(1927–37), when most of China came under the control of theKuomintang(KMT).DuringWorld War II, the 1943Cairo Declarationspecified that Formosa and the Pescadores be returned by Japan to the ROC;the terms were later repeated in the 1945Potsdam Declarationthat Japan agreed to carry out inits instrument of surrender.On25 October 1945, Japan surrendered Taiwan to the ROC, and in theTreaty of San Francisco, Japan formally renounced their claims to the islands, though without specifying to whom they were surrendered.In the same year, Japan and the ROC signeda peace treaty.
While initially enthusiastic about the return of Chinese administration and theThree Principles of the People, Formosans grew increasingly dissatisfied about being excluded from higher positions, the postponement of local elections even after the enactment of aconstitutionon the mainland, the smuggling of valuables off the island, the expropriation of businesses into government-operated monopolies, and thehyperinflationof 1945–1949.The shooting of a civilian on 28 February 1947 triggered island-wide unrest, which was suppressed with military force in what is now called theFebruary 28 Incident.Mainstream estimates of the number killed range from 18,000 to 30,000.Chen was later replaced byWei Tao-ming, who made an effort to undo previous mismanagement by re-appointing a good proportion of islanders and re-privatizing businesses.
After the end of World War II, the Chinese Civil War resumed. A series of Chinese Communist offensives in 1949 led to the capture of its capitalNanjingon 23 April and the subsequent defeat of the Nationalists on the mainland. The Communistsfounded the People's Republic of Chinaon 1 October.On 7 December 1949,Chiang Kai-Shekevacuated his Nationalist government to Taiwanand made Taipei thetemporary capitalof the ROC.Some 2 million people, mainly soldiers, members of the ruling Kuomintang and intellectual and business elites, were evacuated to Taiwan, adding to the earlier population of approximately six million. These people and their descendants became known in Taiwan as "waisheng ren" (外省人). The ROC government took to Taipei many national treasures and much of China'sgoldand foreign currency reserves.Most of the gold was used to pay soldiers' salaries,with some used to issue theNew Taiwan dollar, part of a price stabilization program to slow inflation in Taiwan.
After losing control of mainland China in 1949, the ROC retained control of Taiwan and Penghu (Taiwan, ROC), parts of Fujian (Fujian, ROC)—specifically Kinmen,Wuqiu(now part of Kinmen) and the Matsu Islands and two majorislands in the South China Sea. The ROC also briefly retained control of the entirety ofHainan, parts ofZhejiang(Chekiang)—specifically theDachen IslandsandYijiangshan Islands—and portions ofTibet,Qinghai,XinjiangandYunnan. The Communistscaptured Hainanin 1950, captured the Dachen Islands and Yijiangshan Islands during theFirst Taiwan Strait Crisisin 1955 and defeated theROC revolts in Northwest Chinain 1958. ROC forces entered Burma and Thailand in the 1950s andwere defeated by Communists in 1961. Since losing control of mainland China, the Kuomintang continued to claim sovereignty over 'all of China', which it defined to include mainland China (including Tibet), Taiwan (including Penghu),Outer Mongolia, andother minor territories.
Martial law, declared on Taiwan in May 1949,continued to be in effect until 1987,and was used to suppress political opposition. During theWhite Terror, as the period is known, 140,000 people were imprisoned or executed for being perceived as anti-KMT or pro-Communist.Many citizens were arrested, tortured, imprisoned or executed for their real or perceived link to the Chinese Communist Party. Since these people were mainly from the intellectual and social elite, an entire generation of political and social leaders was destroyed.
Following the eruption of theKorean War, US PresidentHarry S. Trumandispatched theUnited States Seventh Fleetinto theTaiwan Straitto prevent hostilities between the ROC and the PRC.The United States also passed theSino-American Mutual Defense Treatyand theFormosa Resolution of 1955, granting substantialforeign aidto the KMT regime between 1951 and 1965.The US foreign aid stabilized prices in Taiwan by 1952.The KMT government instituted many laws andland reformsthat it had never effectively enacted on mainland China.Economic development was encouraged by American aid and programs such as theJoint Commission on Rural Reconstruction, which turned the agricultural sector into the basis for later growth. Under the combined stimulus of the land reform and the agricultural development programs, agricultural production increased at an average annual rate of 4 percent from 1952 to 1959.The government also implemented a policy ofimport substitution industrialization, attempting to produce imported goods domestically.The policy promoted the development of textile, food, and other labor-intensive industries.
As the Chinese Civil War continued, the government built up military fortifications throughout Taiwan. Veterans built theCentral Cross-Island Highwaythrough theTaroko Gorgein the 1950s. During theSecond Taiwan Strait Crisisin 1958,Nike Herculesmissiles were added to the formation of missile batteries throughout the island.
During the 1960s and 1970s, the ROC maintained an authoritarian, single-party government under the Kuomintang'sDang Guosystem while its economy became industrialized and technology-oriented.This rapid economic growth, known as theTaiwan Miracle, occurred following a strategy of prioritizing agriculture, light industries, and heavy industries, in that order.Export-oriented industrializationwas achieved by tax rebate for exports, removal of import restriction, moving from multiple exchange rate to single exchange rate system, and depreciation of the New Taiwan dollar.Infrastructure projectssuch as theSun Yat-sen Freeway,Taoyuan International Airport,Taichung Harbor, andJinshan Nuclear Power Plantwere launched, while the rise of steel, petrochemical, and shipbuilding industries in southern Taiwan saw the transformation of Kaohsiung into a special municipality on par with Taipei.In the 1970s, Taiwan became the second fastest growing economy in Asia.Real growth inGDPaveraged over 10 percent.In 1978, the combination of tax incentives and a cheap, well-trained labor force attracted investments of over $1.9 billion fromoverseas Chinese, the United States, and Japan.By 1980, foreign trade reached $39 billion per year and generated a surplus of $46.5 million.Along with Hong Kong, Singapore, and South Korea, Taiwan became known as one of theFour Asian Tigers.
Because of the Cold War, most Western nations and the United Nations regarded the ROC as the sole legitimate government of China until the 1970s. Eventually, especially afterTaiwan's expulsion from the United Nations, most nations switcheddiplomatic recognitionto the PRC. Until the 1970s, the ROC government was regarded by Western critics as undemocratic for upholding martial law, severely repressing any political opposition, and controlling the media. The KMT did not allow the creation of new parties and competitive democratic elections did not exist.
From the late 1970s to the 1990s, Taiwan underwent political and social reforms that transformed it into a democracy.Chiang Ching-kuo, Chiang Kai-shek's son, served aspremierfrom 1972 and rose to the presidency in 1978. He sought to move more authority to "bensheng ren" (residents of Taiwan before Japan's surrender and their descendants).Pro-democracy activistsTangwaiemerged as the opposition. In 1979, theKaohsiung Incidenttook place inKaohsiungonHuman Rights Day. Although the protest was rapidly crushed by the authorities, it is considered as the main event that united Taiwan's opposition.
In 1984, Chiang Ching-kuo selectedLee Teng-huias his vice-president. After theDemocratic Progressive Party(DPP) was (illegally) founded as the first opposition party in Taiwan to counter the KMT in 1986, Chiang announced that he would allow the formation of new parties.On 15 July 1987, Chiang lifted martial law on the main island of Taiwan.
After Chiang Ching-kuo's death in 1988,Lee Teng-huibecame the first president of the ROC born in Taiwan.Lee's administration oversaw a period ofdemocratizationin which theTemporary Provisions against the Communist Rebellionwere abolished and theAdditional Articles of the Constitutionwere introduced.Congressional representation was allocated to only theTaiwan Area,and Taiwan underwent a process oflocalizationin which Taiwanese culture and history were promoted over apan-China viewpointwhileassimilationistpolicies were replaced with support formulticulturalism.In 1996, Lee was re-elected inthe first direct presidential election.During Lee's administration, both he and his party were involved in corruption controversies that came to be known as "black gold" politics.
Chen Shui-bianof the DPP waselected as the first non-KMT president in 2000.However, Chen lacked legislative majority. The opposition KMT developed thePan-Blue Coalitionwith other parties, mustering a slim majority over the DPP-ledPan-Green Coalition.Polarized politics emerged in Taiwan with the Pan-Blue preference for eventualChinese unification, while the Pan-Green prefersTaiwanese independence.
Chen's reference to "One Country on Each Side" of the Taiwan Strait undercutcross-Strait relationsin 2002.He pushed for thefirst national referendumon cross-Strait relations,and called for an end to theNational Unification Council.State-run companies began dropping "China" references in their names and including "Taiwan".In 2008,referendumsasked whether Taiwan should join the UN.This act alienated moderate constituents who supported the status quo, as well as those with cross-strait economic ties. It also created tension with the mainland and disagreements with the United States.Chen's administration was also dogged by public concerns over reduced economic growth, legislative gridlock, andcorruption investigations.
The KMT's nomineeMa Ying-jeouwon the2008 presidential electionon a platform of increased economic growth and better ties with the PRC under a policy of "mutual non-denial".Under Ma, Taiwan and China opened up direct flights and cargo shipments.The PRC government even made the atypical decision to not demand that Taiwan be barred from the annualWorld Health Assembly.Ma also made an official apology for the White Terror.However, closer economic ties with China raised concerns about its political consequences.In 2014, university students occupied the Legislative Yuan and prevented the ratification of theCross-Strait Service Trade Agreementin what became known as theSunflower Student Movement. The movement gave rise to youth-based third parties such as theNew Power Party, and is viewed to have contributed to the DPP's victories in the2016 presidentialandlegislative elections,the latter of which resulted in the first DPP legislative majority in Taiwanese history.In January 2024,William Lai Ching-teof the ruling Democratic Progressive Party won Taiwan'spresidential elections.However, no party won a majority in the simultaneous Taiwan'slegislative electionfor the first time since 2004, meaning 51 seats for the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), 52 seats for the Kuomintang (KMT), and theTaiwan People's Party(TPP) secured eight seats.
The land controlled by the ROC consists of168 islandswith a combined area of 36,193 square kilometres (13,974 sq mi).The main island, known historically asFormosa, makes up 99 percent of this area, measuring 35,808 square kilometres (13,826 sq mi) and lying some 180 kilometres (112 mi) across theTaiwan Straitfrom the southeastern coast ofmainland China. TheEast China Sealies to its north, thePhilippine Seato its east, theLuzon Straitdirectly to its south and theSouth China Seato its southwest. Smaller islands include thePenghu Islandsin the Taiwan Strait, theKinmen,MatsuandWuqiuislands near the Chinese coast, and some of theSouth China Seaislands.
The main island is a tiltedfault block, characterized by the contrast between the eastern two-thirds, consisting mostly of five rugged mountain ranges parallel to the east coast, and the flat to gently rolling plains of the western third, where the majority of Taiwan's population reside. There are several peaks over 3,500 metres, the highest beingYu Shanat 3,952 m (12,966 ft), making Taiwan the world'sfourth-highest island. The tectonic boundary that formed these ranges is still active, and the island experiences many earthquakes. There are also many activesubmarine volcanoesin the Taiwan Strait.
Taiwan contains four terrestrial ecoregions:Jian Nan subtropical evergreen forests, South China Sea Islands,South Taiwan monsoon rain forests, andTaiwan subtropical evergreen forests.The eastern mountains are heavily forested and home to a diverse range of wildlife, while land use in the western and northern lowlands is intensive. The country had a 2019Forest Landscape Integrity Indexmean score of 6.38/10, ranking it 76th globally out of 172 countries.
Taiwan lies on theTropic of Cancer, and its generalclimateis marinetropical.The northern and central regions are subtropical, whereas the south is tropical and the mountainous regions are temperate.The average rainfall is 2,600 millimetres (100 inches) per year for the island proper; therainy seasonis concurrent with the onset of the summerEast Asian Monsoonin May and June.The entire island experiences hot, humid weather from June through September.Typhoonsare most common in July, August and September.During the winter (November to March), the northeast experiences steady rain, while the central and southern parts of the island are mostly sunny.
Due toclimate change, the average temperature in Taiwan has risen 1.4 °C (2.5 °F) in the last 100 years, twice the worldwide temperature rise.The goal of the Taiwanese government is to cutcarbon emissionsby 20 percent in 2030 and by 50 percent in 2050, compared to 2005 levels. Carbon emissions increased by 0.92 percent between 2005 and 2016.
The island of Taiwan lies in a complextectonicarea between theYangtze Plateto the west and north, theOkinawa Plateon the north-east, and thePhilippine Mobile Belton the east and south. The upper part of the crust on the island is primarily made up of a series ofterranes, mostly oldisland arcswhich have been forced together by the collision of the forerunners of theEurasian Plateand thePhilippine Sea Plate. These have been further uplifted as a result of the detachment of a portion of the Eurasian Plate as it wassubductedbeneath remnants of the Philippine Sea Plate, a process which left the crust under Taiwan more buoyant.
The east and south of Taiwan are a complex system of belts formed by, and part of the zone of, active collision between the North Luzon Trough portion of theLuzon Volcanic Arcand South China, where accreted portions of the Luzon Arc and Luzon forearc form theeastern Coastal Rangeand parallel inlandLongitudinal Valleyof Taiwan, respectively.
The major seismic faults in Taiwan correspond to the various suture zones between the various terranes. These have produced major quakes. On 21 September 1999, a 7.3 quake known as the "921 earthquake" killed more than 2,400 people. Theseismic hazard mapfor Taiwan by theUSGSshows 9/10 of the island at the most hazardous rating.
The government of the Republic of China was founded on the 1947Constitution of the ROCand itsThree Principles of the People, which states that the ROC "shall be a democratic republic of the people, to be governed by the people and for the people".It underwent significant revisions in the 1990s, known collectively as the Additional Articles. The government is divided into five branches (Yuan): the Executive Yuan (cabinet), theLegislative Yuan(Congress or Parliament), theJudicial Yuan, theControl Yuan(audit agency), and theExamination Yuan(civil service examination agency).
Thehead of stateandcommander-in-chiefof the armed forces is thepresident, who is elected by popular vote for a maximum of 2 four-year terms on the same ticket as the vice-president. The president appoints the members of the Executive Yuan as their cabinet, including apremier, who is officially the President of the Executive Yuan; members are responsible for policy and administration.
The mainlegislative bodyis theunicameralLegislative Yuan with 113 seats. Seventy-three are elected by popular vote from single-member constituencies; thirty-four are elected based on the proportion of nationwide votes received by participating political parties in a separate party list ballot; and six are elected from two three-member aboriginal constituencies. Members serve four-year terms. Originally the unicameral National Assembly, as a standingconstitutional conventionandelectoral college, held some parliamentary functions, but theNational Assemblywas abolished in 2005 with the power of constitutional amendments handed over to the Legislative Yuan and all eligible voters of the Republic via referendums.
The premier is selected by the president without the need for approval from the legislature, and neither the president nor the premier wields veto power.Historically, the ROC has been dominated by strongman single party politics. This legacy has resulted in executive powers currently being concentrated in the office of the president rather than the premier.
The Judicial Yuan is the highestjudicialorgan. It interprets the constitution and other laws and decrees, judges administrative suits, and disciplines public functionaries. The president and vice-president of the Judicial Yuan and additional thirteen justices form the Constitutional Court, which was established in 1993 to resolve constitutional disputes, regulate the activities of political parties and accelerate the democratization process. The Constitutional Court was formerly called the Council of Grand Justices.They are nominated and appointed by the president, with the consent of the Legislative Yuan. The highest court, theSupreme Court, consists of a number of civil and criminal divisions, each of which is formed by a presiding judge and four associate judges, all appointed for life. The right to a fair public trial is protected by law and respected in practice. There is notrial by jury, however many cases are presided over by multiple judges.
The Control Yuan is a watchdog agency that monitors the actions of the executive. It can be considered a standingcommissionfor administrative inquiry, like theCourt of Auditorsof theEuropean Unionor theGovernment Accountability Officeof the United States.It is also responsible for theNational Human Rights Commission.
The Examination Yuan is in charge of validating the qualification of civil servants. It is based on theimperial examinationsystem used in dynastic China. It can be compared to theEuropean Personnel Selection Officeof the European Union or theOffice of Personnel Managementof the United States.It was downsized in 2019, and there have been calls for its abolition.
The constitution was drafted by the KMT while the ROC still governed the Chinese mainland.Political reforms beginning in the late 1970s resulted in the end of martial law in 1987, and Taiwan transformed into a multiparty democracy in the early 1990s. The constitutional basis for this transition to democracy was gradually laid in theAdditional Articles of the Constitution. These articles suspended portions of the Constitution designed for the governance of mainland China and replacing them with articles adapted for the governance of and guaranteeing the political rights of residents of the Taiwan Area, as defined in theCross-Strait Act.
National boundaries were not explicitly prescribed by the 1947 Constitution, and the Constitutional Court declined to define these boundaries in a 1993 interpretation, viewing the question as a political question to be resolved by the Executive and Legislative Yuans.The 1947 Constitution included articles regarding representatives from former Qing dynasty territories includingTibetandMongol banners.The ROC recognizedMongoliaas an independent country in 1946 after signing the 1945Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship and Alliance, but after retreating to Taiwan in 1949 it reneged to preserve its claim over mainland China.The Additional Articles of the 1990s did not alter national boundaries, but suspended articles regarding Mongolian and Tibetan representatives. The ROC began to accept the Mongolian passport and removed clauses referring to Outer Mongolia from the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area in 2002.In 2012 the Mainland Affairs Council issued a statement clarifying that Outer Mongolia was not part of the ROC's national territory in 1947.TheMongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commissionin the Executive Yuan was abolished in 2017.
Taiwan's political scene is divided into two major camps in terms of cross-Strait relations, i.e. how Taiwan should relate to China or the PRC. ThePan-Green Coalition(e.g. theDemocratic Progressive Party) leans pro-independence, and thePan-Blue Coalition(e.g. theKuomintang) leans pro-unification.Moderates in both camps regard the Republic of China as a sovereign independent state, but the Pan-Green Coalition regard the ROC assynonymous with Taiwan,while moderates in the Pan-Blue Coalition view it assynonymous with China.These positions formed against the backdrop of the PRC'sAnti-Secession Law, which threatens the use of "non-peaceful means" to respond to formal Taiwanese independence.The ROC government has understood this to mean a military invasion of Taiwan.
ThePan-Green Coalitionis mainly led by the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP),Taiwan Statebuilding Party(TSP) andGreen Party(GPT). They oppose the idea that Taiwan is part of China, and seek wide diplomatic recognition and an eventual declaration of formalTaiwan independence.In September 2007, the then ruling DPP approved a resolution asserting separate identity from China and called for the enactment of a new constitution for a "normal country". It called also for general use of "Taiwan" as the country's name, without abolishing its formal name, the "Republic of China".The name "Taiwan" has been used increasingly often after the emergence of the Taiwanese independence movement.Some members of the coalition, such as former President Chen Shui-bian, argue that it is unnecessary to proclaim independence because "Taiwan is already an independent, sovereign country" and the Republic of China is the same as Taiwan.Despite being a member of KMT prior to and during his presidency, Lee Teng-hui also held a similar view and was a supporter of theTaiwanizationmovement.TSP and GPThave adopted a line that aggressive route more than the DPP, in order to win over pro-independence voters who are dissatisfied with the DPP's conservative stance.
ThePan-Blue Coalition, composed of the pro-unification Kuomintang (KMT),People First Party(PFP) andNew Partygenerally support the spirit of the1992 Consensus, where the KMT claimed that there is one China, but that the ROC and PRC have different interpretations of what "China" means. They favor eventual unification with China.Regarding independence, the mainstream Pan-Blue position is to maintain the status quo, while refusing immediate unification.President Ma Ying-jeou stated that there will be no unification nor declaration of independence during his presidency.Some Pan-Blue members seek to improve relationships with PRC, with a focus on improving economic ties.
Roughly 84 percent of Taiwan's population are descendants of Han Chinese immigrants between 1683 and 1895. Another significant fraction descends from Han Chinese who immigrated from mainland China in the late 1940s and early 1950s. The shared cultural origin as well as hostility between the rival ROC and PRC have resulted in national identity being a contentious issue with political overtones.
Since democratic reforms and the lifting of martial law, a distinct Taiwanese identity is often at the heart of political debates. Its acceptance makes the island distinct from mainland China, and therefore may be seen as a step towards forming a consensus forde jureTaiwan independence.The Pan-Green camp supports a predominantly Taiwanese identity (although "Chinese" may be viewed as cultural heritage), while the Pan-Blue camp supports a predominantly Chinese identity (with "Taiwanese" as a regional/diasporic Chinese identity).The KMT has downplayed this stance in the recent years and now supports a Taiwanese identity as part of a Chinese identity.
Taiwanese identification has increased substantially since the early 1990s, while Chinese identification has fallen to a low level, and identification as both has also seen a reduction. In 1992, 17.6 percent of respondents identified as Taiwanese, 25.5 percent as Chinese, 46.4 percent as both, and 10.5 percent non-response. In June 2021, 63.3 percent identified as Taiwanese, 2.6 percent as Chinese, 31.4 percent as both, and 2.7 percent non-response.A survey conducted in Taiwan by Global Views Survey Research Center in July 2009 showed that 82.8 percent of respondents consider the ROC and the PRC two separate countries with each developing on its own but 80.2 percent think they are members of the Chinese.
Domestic public opinion has preferred maintaining the status quo, though pro-independence sentiment has steadily risen since 1994. In June 2021, an annual poll found that 28.2 percent supported the status quo and postponing a decision, 27.5 percent supported maintaining the status quo indefinitely, 25.8 percent supported the status quo with a move toward independence, 5.9 percent supported the status quo with a move toward unification, 5.7 percent gave no response, 5.6 percent supported independence as soon as possible, and 1.5 percent supported unification as soon as possible.Areferendum question in 2018asked if Taiwan's athletes should compete under "Taiwan" in the2020 Summer Olympicsbut did not pass; theNew York Timesattributed the failure to a campaign cautioning that a name change might lead to Taiwan being banned "under Chinese pressure".
The KMT, the largestPan-Blueparty, supports the status quo for the indefinite future with a stated ultimate goal of unification. However, it does not support unification in the short term with the PRC as such a prospect would be unacceptable to most of its members and the public.Ma Ying-jeou, chairman of the KMT and former president of the ROC, has set out democracy, economic development to a level near that of Taiwan, and equitable wealth distribution as the conditions that the PRC must fulfill for unification to occur.Ma stated that the cross-Strait relations are neither between two Chinas nor two states. It is a special relationship. Further, he stated that the sovereignty issues between the two cannot be resolved at present.
The Democratic Progressive Party, the largest Pan-Green party, officially seeks independence, but in practice also supports the status quo because neither independence nor unification seems likely in the short or even medium term.In 2017, Taiwanese premierWilliam Laisaid that he was a "political worker who advocates Taiwan independence", but that as Taiwan was already an independent country called the Republic of China,it had no need to declare independence.
The political and legal statuses of Taiwan are contentious issues. The People's Republic of China (PRC) claims that Taiwan is Chinese territory and that the PRC replaced the ROC government in 1949, becoming the sole legal government of China.The ROC, however, has itsown currency,widely accepted passport,postage stamps, internetTLD, armed forces, constitution, and institutions.It has not formally renounced its claim to the mainland, but ROC government publications have increasingly downplayed this historical claim.
Until 1928, theforeign policyof Republican China was complicated by a lack of internal unity—competing centers of power all claimed legitimacy. This situation changed after the defeat of thePeiyang Governmentby the Kuomintang (KMT), which led to widespread diplomatic recognition of the Republic of China.After the KMT retreated to Taiwan, most countries, especially those of theWestern Bloc– save the United Kingdom, which recognized the PRC in 1950– continued to maintain formal relations with the ROC; but recognition gradually eroded and many countries switched recognition to the People's Republic of China in the 1970s. On 25 October 1971, UN Resolution 2758 was adopted by 76 votes to 35 with 17 abstentions, recognizing the PRC as China's sole representative in the United Nations.
The PRC refuses to havediplomatic relationswith any nation that has diplomatic relations with the ROC, and requires all nations with which it has diplomatic relations to make a statement on its claims to Taiwan.As a result, only11 UN member statesand theHoly Seemaintain official diplomatic relations with the Republic of China.The ROC maintains unofficial relations with other countries viade factoembassiesandconsulatesmostly calledTaipei Economic and Cultural Representative Offices(TECRO), with branch offices called "Taipei Economic and Cultural Offices" (TECO). Both TECRO and TECO are "unofficial commercial entities" of the ROC in charge of maintaining diplomatic relations, providing consular services, and serving the national interests of the ROC.
From 1954 to 1979, the United States was a partner with Taiwan in a mutual defense treaty. The United States remains one of themain supportersof Taiwan and, through theTaiwan Relations Actpassed in 1979, has continued selling arms and providing military training to theRepublic of China Armed Forces.The PRC considers US involvement disruptive to the stability of the region.The official position of the United States is that the PRC is expected to "use no force or threat[en] to use force against Taiwan" and the ROC is to "exercise prudence in managing all aspects ofCross-Strait relations." Both are to refrain from performing actions or espousing statements "that would unilaterally alter Taiwan's status".While not officially classified as amajor non-NATO ally, it has beende factotreated this way by theUnited Statessince at least 2003.
Taiwan, since 2016 under the Tsai administration'sNew Southbound Policy, has pursued closer economic relations with South andSoutheast Asiancountries, increasing cooperation on investments and people-to-people exchanges despite the region's general lack of official diplomatic ties with Taipei.The policy has led to Taiwan receiving an increased number of migrants and students from the region.However, a few scandals of Southeast Asians, particularly Indonesians, experiencing exploitation in scholarship programsand in some labor industries have emerged as setbacks for the policyas well as forIndonesia-Taiwan relations.
TheMainland Affairs Council(MAC) of Taiwan is responsible for relations with the PRC, while theTaiwan Affairs Office(TAO) of the PRC is responsible for relations with Taiwan. Exchanges are conducted through private organizations both founded in 1991: theStraits Exchange Foundation(SEF) of Taiwan and theAssociation for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits(ARATS) of the PRC.
The PRC'sOne Chinaprinciple states that Taiwan and mainland China are both part of China, and that the PRC is the only legitimate government of China.It seeks to prevent or reduce any formal recognition of the ROC as an independent sovereign state,meaning that Taiwan participates in many international forums as a non-state member under names such as "Chinese Taipei". The PRC suggested the "one country, two systems" employed inHong Kongas a model for peaceful unification with Taiwan.While it aims for peaceful reunification, the PRC does not rule out the use of force.The political environment is complicated by the potential for military conflictshould events outlined in the PRC'sAnti-Secession Lawoccur, such as Taiwan declaringde jureindependence. There is a substantial military presence on the Fujian coast as well as PRC sorties into Taiwan'sair defense identification zone(ADIZ).
In November 1992, the ARATS and SEF held a meeting which would later become known as the1992 Consensus. The SEF announced that both sides agreed that there was only one China, but disagreed on the definition of China (i.e. the ROC vs. PRC), while the ARATS announced that the two agreed on the One China principle, but did not mention differences regarding its definition made in the SEF statement.In 2019,Tsai Ing-wenrejected the 1992 Consensus.She stated that there is no need to talk about the 1992 Consensus anymore, because this term has already been defined by Beijing as "one country, two systems."
The ROC was afounding member of United Nations, and held theseat of Chinaon theSecurity Counciland other UN bodies until 1971, when it was expelled by Resolution 2758 and replaced with the PRC as the ROC now has neither official membership nor observer status in the organization. Since 1993, the ROC has petitioned the UN for entry, but its applications have not made it past committee stage.Due to theOne Chinapolicy, mostUN member states, including the United States, do not wish to discuss the issue of the ROC's political status for fear of souring diplomatic ties with the PRC.
The ROC government shifted its focus to organizations affiliated with the UN, as well as organizations outside the UN system.The government sought to participate in theWorld Health Organization(WHO) since 1997,their efforts were rejected until 2009, when they participated as an observer under the name "Chinese Taipei" after reaching an agreement with Beijing.In 2017, Taiwan again began to be excluded from the WHO even in an observer capacity.This exclusion caused a number of scandals during theCOVID-19outbreak.
TheNagoya Resolutionin 1979 approved by theInternational Olympic Committee(IOC) provided a compromise for the ROC to use the name "Chinese Taipei" in international events where the PRC is also a party, such as theOlympic Games.Under the IOC charter,ROC flagscannot be flown at any official Olympic venue or gathering.The ROC also participates in theAsia-Pacific Economic Cooperationforum (since 1991) and theWorld Trade Organization(since 2002) under the names "Chinese Taipei" and "Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu", respectively.It was a founding member of theAsian Development Bank, but since China's ascension in 1986 has participated under the name "Taipei, China". The ROC is able to participate as "China" in organizations in which the PRC does not participate, such as theWorld Organization of the Scout Movement.
Due to its limited international recognition, the Republic of China has been a member of theUnrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization(UNPO) since the foundation of the organization in 1991, represented by a government-funded organization, theTaiwan Foundation for Democracy(TFD), under the name "Taiwan".
TheRepublic of China Armed Forcestakes its roots in theNational Revolutionary Army, which was established bySun Yat-senin 1924 inGuangdongwith a goal of reunifying China under the Kuomintang. When thePeople's Liberation Armywon the Chinese Civil War, much of the National Revolutionary Army retreated to Taiwan along with the government. The 1947 Constitution of the ROC reformed it into the Republic of China Armed Forces, making it the national army rather than the army of a political party. Units which surrendered and remained in mainland China were either disbanded or incorporated into the People's Liberation Army.
From 1949 to the 1970s, the primary mission of the Taiwanese military was to "retake mainland China" through Project National Glory. As this mission has transitioned away from attack because the relative strength of the PRC has massively increased, the ROC military has begun to shift emphasis from the traditionally dominant Army to theair forceandnavy. Control of the armed forces has also passed into the hands of the civilian government.
The ROC began a series of force reduction plans since the 1990s to scale down its military from a level of 450,000 in 1997 to 380,000 in 2001.As of 2021, the total strength of the Armed Forces is capped at 215,000 with 90 percent manning ratio for volunteer military.Conscription remains universal for qualified males reaching age eighteen, but as a part of the reduction effort many are given the opportunity to fulfill their draft requirement through alternative service.Taiwan cut compulsory military service to four months in 2013 but will extend military service to one year in 2024.The military's reservists is around 2.5 million including first-wave reservists numbered at 300,000 as of 2022.Taiwan'sdefense spendingas a percentage of its GDP fell below three percent in 1999 and had been trending downwards over the first two decades of the twenty-first century.The ROC government spent approximately two percent of GDP on defense and failed to raise the spending as high as proposed three percent of GDP.In 2022, Taiwan proposed 2.4 percent of projected GDP in defense spending for the following year, continued to remain below three percent.
The ROC and the United States signed the Sino-American Mutual Defense Treaty in 1954, and established theUnited States Taiwan Defense Command. About 30,000 US troops were stationed in Taiwan, until the United States established diplomatic relations with the PRC in 1979.A significant amount of military hardware has been bought from the United States, and continues to be legally guaranteed by theTaiwan Relations Act.France and the Netherlands have also sold military weapons and hardware to the ROC, but they almost entirely stopped in the 1990s under pressure of the PRC.
There is no guarantee in the Taiwan Relations Act or any other treaty that the United States will defend Taiwan, even in the event of invasion.On several occasions in 2021 and 2022, U.S. PresidentJoe Bidenstated that the United States will intervene if the PRC attempts to invade Taiwan.However, White House officials insisted that US policy on Taiwan has not changed.The joint declaration on security between the US and Japan signed in 1996 may imply that Japan would be involved in any response. However, Japan has refused to stipulate whether the "area surrounding Japan" mentioned in the pact includes Taiwan.TheAustralia, New Zealand, United States Security Treaty(ANZUS Treaty) may mean that other US allies, such as Australia, could be involved.While this would risk damaging economic ties with China,a conflict over Taiwan could lead to an economic blockade of China by a greater coalition.
On 24 May 2017, theConstitutional Courtruled that then-current marriage laws had been violating the Constitution by denying same-sex couples the right to marry. The Court ruled that if the Legislative Yuan did not pass adequate amendments to Taiwanese marriage laws within two years, same-sex marriages would automatically become lawful in Taiwan.In areferendum question in 2018, however, voters expressed overwhelming opposition to same-sex marriage and supported the removal of content about homosexuality from primary school textbooks. According to theNew York Times, the referendum questions were subject to a "well-funded and highly organized campaign led by conservative Christians and other groups" involving the use of misinformation.Nevertheless, the vote against same-sex marriage does not affect the court ruling, and on 17 May 2019, Taiwan's parliament approved a bill legalizing same-sex marriage, making it the first country in Asia to do so.
Taiwan has an annual pride event,Taiwan Pride. It currently holds the record for the largestLGBTgathering inEast Asia, rivalingTel Aviv PrideinIsrael.The event draws more than 200,000 people.
According to the 1947 constitution, the territory of the ROC is according to its "existing national boundaries".The ROC is,de jureconstitutionally, divided intoprovinces[zh],special municipalities(which are further divided into districts for local administration), and the province-levelTibet Area. Each province is subdivided intocitiesandcounties, which are further divided into townships and county-administered cities, each having elected mayors and city councilors who share duties with the county. Some divisions are indigenous divisions which have different degrees of autonomy to standard ones. In addition, districts, cities and townships are further divided into villages and neighborhoods. The provinces have been "streamlined" and are no longer functional.Similarly,Mongol bannersfor China'sInner Mongoliaalso existed,but they were abolished in 2006 and the ROC reaffirmed its recognition of Mongolia (formerly known asOuter Mongoliain Taiwan) in 2002, as stipulated in the 1946 constitution.
With provinces non-functional, Taiwan is in practice divided into 22 subnational divisions, each with a self-governing body led by an elected leader and a legislative body with elected members. Duties of local governments include social services, education, urban planning, public construction, water management, environmental protection, transport, public safety, and more.
When the ROC retreated to Taiwan in 1949, its claimed territory consisted of 35 provinces, 12 special municipalities, 1 special administrative region and 2 autonomous regions. However, since its retreat, the ROC has controlled onlyTaiwan Provinceand some islands ofFujian Province. The ROC also controls thePratas IslandsandTaiping Islandin theSpratly Islands, which are part of the disputedSouth China Sea Islands. They were placed underKaohsiungadministration after the retreat to Taiwan.
The quick industrialization and rapid growth of Taiwan during the latter half of the 20th century has been called the "Taiwan Miracle". Taiwan is one of the "Four Asian Tigers" alongside Hong Kong, South Korea and Singapore. As of October 2022, Taiwan is the 21st largesteconomy in the world by nominal GDP.
Since 2001, agriculture constituted less than 2 percent of GDP, down from 32 percent in 1951.Unlike its neighbors, South Korea and Japan, the Taiwanese economy is dominated bysmall and medium-sized enterprises, rather than the large business groups.Traditional labor-intensive industries are steadily being moved offshore and with more capital and technology-intensive industries replacing them.High-technology science parkshave sprung up in Taiwan.
Today Taiwan has a dynamic,capitalist, export-driven economy with gradually decreasing state involvement in investment and foreign trade. In keeping with this trend, some large government-owned banks and industrial firms are beingprivatized.Exports have provided the primary impetus for industrialization. The trade surplus is substantial, and Taiwan remained one of theworld's largest forex reserve holders.Taiwan's total trade in 2022 reached US$907 billion. Both exports and imports for the year reached record levels, totaling US$479.52 billion and US$427.60 billion, respectively.China, United States and Japan are Taiwan's three largest trading partners, accounting for over 40 percent of total trade.
Since the beginning of the 1990s, economic ties between Taiwan and China have been extensive. In 2002, China surpassed the United States to become Taiwan's largest export market for the first time.China is also the most important target of outwardforeign direct investment.From 1991 to 2022, more than US$200 billion have been invested in China by Taiwanese companies.China hosts around 4,200 Taiwanese enterprises and over 240,000 Taiwanese work in China.Although the economy of Taiwan benefits from this situation, some have expressed the view that the island has become increasingly dependent on the mainland Chinese economy.Others argue that close economic ties between Taiwan and mainland China would make any military intervention by thePLAagainst Taiwan very costly, and therefore less probable.
Since the 1980s, a number of Taiwan-based technology firms have expanded their reach around the world.Taiwan is a key player in the supply chain for advancedchips. Taiwan's rise in the key semiconductor industry was largely attributed toTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC)andUnited Microelectronic Corporation (UMC).TSMC was founded 21 February 1987 and as of December 2021 itsmarket capitalizationequated to roughly 90% of Taiwan's GDP.The company is the 9th largest in the world by market capitalizationas well as the world's biggest semiconductor manufacturing company, surpassingIntelandSamsung.UMC, another major company in Taiwan's high-tech exports and global semiconductors, competes with the AmericanGlobalFoundries, and others, for less advanced semiconductor processes and for silicon wafers.Other well-known international technology companies based in Taiwan include personal computer manufacturersAcer Inc.andAsus, as well asFoxconn, an electronics contract manufacturer.
TheMinistry of Transportation and Communicationsof Taiwan is the cabinet-level governing body of the transport network in Taiwan. Civilian transport in Taiwan is characterized by extensive use ofscooters. In March 2019, 13.86 million were registered, twice that of cars.Both highways and railways are concentrated near the coasts, where the majority of the population resides, with 1,619 km (1,006 mi) ofmotorway. Railways in Taiwan are primarily used for passenger services, withTaiwan Railways Administration(TRA) operating a circular route around the island andTaiwan High Speed Rail (THSR)running high speed services on the west coast. Urban transit systems includeTaipei Metro,Kaohsiung Metro,Taoyuan Metro,New Taipei Metro, andTaichung Metro.
Major airports includeTaiwan Taoyuan,Kaohsiung,Taipei SongshanandTaichung. There are currently seven Taiwanese passenger airlines, with the largest two beingChina AirlinesandEVA Air. There are seven international seaports:Keelung,Taipei, Suao,Taichung,Kaohsiung,Anping, andHualien.The Port of Kaohsiung handled the largest volume of cargo in Taiwan, with about 440 million shipping tonnes, which accounted for 58.6% of Taiwan's total throughput in 2021.The shipping tonnage followed by Taichung (18.6%), Taipei (12%) and Keelung (8.7%).
Taiwan has a population of about 23.4 million,most of whom are on the island of Taiwan. The remainder live on the outlying islands of Penghu (101,758), Kinmen (127,723), and Matsu (12,506).
The figures below are the March 2019 estimates for the twenty most populous administrative divisions; a different ranking exists when considering the totalmetropolitan area populations(in such rankings theTaipei-Keelung metro areais by far the largest agglomeration). The figures reflect the number of household registrations in each city, which may differ from the number of actual residents.
The ROC government reports that 95 percent of the population is ethnicallyHan Chinese.There are also 2.4 percent indigenousAustronesianpeoples and 2.6 percent new immigrants primarily from China and Southeast Asia.
MostHan Taiwaneseare descended from theHoklo people, native to the coastal regions of southernFujian, and theHakka people, native to easternGuangdong. Hoklo and Hakka migrants arrived in large numbers during the 17th and 18th century. Descendants of Hoklo now compose approximately 70 percent of Taiwan's population.Descendants of Hakka make up about 15 percent of the population. Another minority group, calledwaishengren, comprises those who arrived from China during the 1940s or are descended from them.Genetic studiesindicate that the Han people in Taiwan are closer to southern Chinese compared to northern Chinese and, similar to several other groups of Han Chinese, had mixed with IslandSoutheast Asians, likely before their migration to Taiwan.
Taiwanese Indigenous peoplesnumber about 584,000, and the government recognises 16 groups.TheAmi,Atayal,Bunun,Kanakanavu,Kavalan,Paiwan,Puyuma,Rukai,Saisiyat,Saaroa,Sakizaya,Sediq,Thao,TrukuandTsoulive mostly in the eastern half of the island, while theYamiinhabitOrchid Island.
The Republic of China does not have any legally designatedofficial language.Mandarinis the primary language used in business and education, and is spoken by the vast majority of the population.Traditional Chineseis used as the writing system.
Around 70% of Taiwan's population belong to theHokloethnic group and are native speakers ofTaiwanese Hokkien.TheHakkagroup, comprising some 14–18 percent of the population, speakHakka. Although Mandarin is the language of instruction in schools and dominates television and radio, non-MandarinChinese varietieshave undergone a revival in public life in Taiwan, particularly since restrictions on their use were lifted in the 1990s.
Formosan languagesare spoken primarily by the indigenous peoples of Taiwan. They do not belong to the Chinese or Sino-Tibetan language family, but to theAustronesian language family, and are written in theLatin alphabet.Their use among aboriginal minority groups has been in decline as usage of Mandarin has risen.Of the 14 extant languages, five are consideredmoribund.
Since theMay Fourth Movement,written vernacular Chinesehad replacedClassical Chineseand emerged as the mainstreamwritten Chinesein the Republic of China. Classical Chinese continued to be widely used in government documents until reforms in the 1970s to shift the written style to a more integrated vernacular Chinese and Classical Chinese style (文白合一行文).On 1 January 2005, theExecutive Yuanalso changed its long-standing convention on thedirection of writingin official documents from vertical to horizontal. Standalone Classical Chinese is occasionally used in formal or ceremonial occasions, such as religious or cultural rites. TheNational Anthem of the Republic of China(中華民國國歌), for example, is in Classical Chinese. Most officialgovernment,legal, andjudiciarydocuments, as well ascourts rulingsuse a combined vernacular Chinese and Classical Chinese style.As many legal documents are still written in Classical Chinese, which is not easily understood by the general public, a group of Taiwanese have launched the Legal Vernacular Movement, hoping to bring more vernacular Chinese into the legal writings of theRepublic of China.
Taiwan is officially multilingual. A national language in Taiwan is legally defined as "a natural language used by an original people group of Taiwan and theTaiwan Sign Language".
The Constitution of the Republic of China protects people'sfreedom of religionand the practices of belief.The government respects freedom of religion, and Taiwan scores highly on theInternational IDEA's Global State of Democracy Indices for religious freedom.
In 2005, the census reported that the five largest religions were:Buddhism,Taoism,Yiguandao,Protestantism, andRoman Catholicism.According toPew Research, the religious composition of Taiwan in 2020is estimated to be 43.8 percentFolk religions, 21.2 percentBuddhist, 15.5 Others (includingTaoism), 13.7 percent Unaffiliated, 5.8 percent Christian and 1% Muslim. Taiwanese aborigines comprise a notable subgroup among professing Christians.There has been a smallMuslimcommunity ofHui peoplein Taiwan since the 17th century.
Confucianismserves as the foundation of bothChineseandTaiwanese culture. The majority ofTaiwanese peopleusually combine the secular moral teachings of Confucianism with whatever religions they are affiliated with.
As of 2019, there were 15,175religious buildingsin Taiwan, approximately oneplace of worshipper 1,572 residents. 12,279 temples were dedicated toTaoismandBuddhism. There were 9,684TaoistTemples and 2,317BuddhistTemples.ForChristianity, there are 2,845 Churches.On average, there is one temple or church (church) or religious building for every square kilometer. The density of religions and religious buildings in Taiwan is among the highest in the world.
A significant percentage of the population is non-religious. Taiwan's lack of state-sanctioned discrimination, and generally high regard for freedom of religion or belief earned it a joint #1 ranking in the 2018Freedom of Thought Report.On the other hand, theIndonesian migrant workercommunity in Taiwan (estimated to total 258,084 people) has experienced religious restrictions by local employers or the government.
Taiwan is well known for adhering to the Confucian paradigm of valuing education as a means to improve one's socioeconomic position in society.Heavy investment and a cultural valuing of education has made the resource-poor nation to be consistently ranked to the top of global education rankings. Taiwan is one of the top-performing countries in reading literacy, mathematics and sciences. In 2015, Taiwanese students achieved one of the world's best results in mathematics, science and literacy, as tested by theProgramme for International Student Assessment(PISA), with the average student scoring 519, compared with the OECD average of 493, placing it seventh in the world.
The Taiwanese education system has been praised for its comparatively high test results and its major role in promoting Taiwan's economic development while creating one of the world's most highly educated workforces.Taiwan has also been praised for its high university entrance rate where the university acceptance rate has increased from around 20 percent before the 1980s to 49 percent in 1996 and over 95 percent since 2008, among the highest in Asia.The nation's high university entrance rate has created a highly skilled workforce making Taiwan one of the most highly educated countries in the world with 68.5 percent of Taiwanese high school students going on to attend university.Taiwan has a high percentage of its citizens holding a tertiary education degree where 45 percent of Taiwanese aged 25–64 hold a bachelor's degree or higher compared with the average of 33 percent among member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
On the other hand, the education system has been criticized for placing excessive pressure on students while eschewing creativity and producing an excess supply of overeducated university graduates. Many graduates consequently face unemployment orunderemploymentdue to a lack of graduate-level jobs.Taiwan's universities have also been under criticism for not being able to fully meet the requirements and demands of Taiwan's 21st-century fast-moving labor market, citing a skills mismatch among a large number of self-assessed, overeducated graduates who do not fit the demands of the modern Taiwanese labor market.The Taiwanese government has been criticized for failing to adequately address this discrepancy in labor supply and demand.
As the Taiwanese economy is largely science and technology based, the labor market demands people who have achieved some form of higher education, particularly related to science and engineering to gain a competitive edge when searching for employment. Although current Taiwanese law mandates only nine years of schooling, 95 percent of junior high graduates go on to attend a senior vocational high school, university, junior college, trade school, or other higher education institution.Many Taiwanese students attendcram schools, orbuxiban, to improve skills and knowledge on problem solving against exams.
SinceMade in China 2025was announced in 2015, aggressive campaigns to recruit Taiwanese chip industry talent to support its mandates resulted in the loss of more than 3,000 chip engineers to mainland China,and raised concerns of a "brain drain" in Taiwan.
As of 2020, theliteracy ratein Taiwan was 99.03 percent.
The currenthealthcare system, known as National Health Insurance (NHI), was instituted in 1995. NHI is asingle-payercompulsory social insurance plan that centralizes the disbursement of healthcare funds. The system promises equal access to healthcare for all citizens, and the population coverage had reached 99 percent by the end of 2004.NHI is mainly financed through premiums, which are based on the payroll tax, and is supplemented with out-of-pocket co-payments and direct government funding.Low-income families, veterans, centenarians, children under three, and catastrophic diseases are exempt from co-payments. Co-pays are reduced for disabled and low-income households maintain 100 percent premium coverage.
Early in the program, the payment system was predominantlyfee-for-service. Most health providers operate in the private sector and form a competitive market on the health delivery side. However, many healthcare providers took advantage of the system by offering unnecessary services. In the face of increasing loss and the need for cost containment, NHI changed the payment system from fee-for-service to a global budget, a kind ofprospective payment system, in 2002.
The implementation of universal healthcare created fewerhealth disparitiesfor lower-income citizens in Taiwan. According to a recently published survey, out of 3,360 patients surveyed at a randomly chosen hospital, 75.1 percent of the patients said they are "very satisfied" with the hospital service; 20.5 percent said they are "okay" with the service. Only 4.4 percent of the patients said they are either "not satisfied" or "very not satisfied" with the service or care provided.
The Taiwanese disease control authority is theTaiwan Centers for Disease Control(CDC). During theSARSoutbreak in March 2003 there were 347 confirmed cases. During the outbreak the CDC and local governments set up monitoring stations throughout public transportation, recreational sites and other public areas. With full containment in July 2003, there has not been a case of SARS since.Owing to the lessons from SARS, aNational Health Command Center[fr]was established in 2004, which includes theCentral Epidemic Command Center(CECC). The CECC has played a central role in Taiwan's approach to epidemics, includingCOVID-19.
In 2019, the infant mortality rate was 4.2 deaths per 1,000 live births, with 20 physicians and 71 hospital beds per 10,000 people.Life expectancy at birth in 2020 is 77.5 years and 83.9 years for males and females, respectively.
The cultures of Taiwan are a hybrid blend from various sources, incorporating elements of the majoritytraditional Chinese culture, aboriginal cultures,Japanese cultural influence, traditional Confucianist beliefs, and increasingly,Western values.
During themartial law period, theKuomintangpromoted an officialtraditional Chinese cultureover Taiwan in order to emphasize that the Republic of China represents the true orthodoxy toChinese Cultureas opposed toCommunist China.The government launched what's known as theChinese Cultural Renaissancemovement in Taiwan in opposition to the cultural destructions caused by theChinese Communist Partyduring theCultural Revolution. The General Assembly of Chinese Culture was established to help promote Chinese culture in Taiwan and overseas. It wasKuomintang's first structured plan for cultural development on Taiwan. TheChinese Cultural Renaissancemovement in Taiwan had led to some aspects ofChinese Culturebeing better preserved there than inmainland China, for example the continued use ofTraditional Chinese. The influence ofConfucianismcan be found in the behavior ofTaiwanese people, known for their friendliness and politeness.
The lifting ofmartial lawushered a period ofdemocratizationwherebyFreedom of Speech and Expressionled to a flourishingTaiwanese literatureandmass media in Taiwan. The Taiwanese Constitution protects "speech, teaching, writing and publication."In 2022, theEconomist Intelligence Unit'sDemocracy Indexranked Taiwan as having the second highestdemocracy score in Asiaand Australasia.Freedom Househas ranked Taiwan the second freest place in AsiawhileCIVICUSrated Taiwan and New Zealand as the only "open" countries in the Asia-Pacific.In the aftermath of China gaining control of Hong Kong and restricting freedom of speech and protest, 36,789 Hong Kong residents moved to Taiwan from 2019 to 2022, an average of about 9,000 immigrants per year. In 2018, Taiwan only had 4,000 Hong Kong immigrants.
Reflecting the continuing controversy surrounding the political status of Taiwan, politics continues to play a role in the conception and development of a Taiwanese cultural identity, especially in its relationship to Chinese culture.In recent years, the concept of Taiwanesemulticulturalismhas been proposed as a relatively apolitical alternative view, which has allowed for the inclusion of mainlanders and other minority groups into the continuing re-definition of Taiwanese culture as collectively held systems of meaning and customary patterns of thought and behavior shared by the people of Taiwan.Identity politics, along with the over one hundred years of political separation from mainland China, has led to distinct traditions in many areas, includingcuisineandmusic.
Acclaimed classical musicians include violinistCho-Liang Lin, pianistChing-Yun Hu, and the Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society artist directorWu Han. Other musicians includeTeresa Teng,Jay Chouand groups such asMaydayandheavy metalbandChthonic, led by singerFreddy Lim, which has been referred to as the "Black Sabbathof Asia".
Taiwanese filmshave won various international awards at film festivals around the world.Ang Lee, a Taiwanese director, has directed critically acclaimed films such as:Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon;Eat Drink Man Woman;Sense and Sensibility;Brokeback Mountain;Life of Pi; andLust, Caution. Other famous Taiwanese directors includeTsai Ming-liang,Edward Yang, andHou Hsiao-hsien. Taiwan has hosted theGolden Horse Film Festival and Awardssince 1962.
TheNational Palace Museumhouses more than 650,000 pieces of Chinese bronze, jade, calligraphy, painting, and porcelain and is considered one of the greatest collections of Chinese art and objects in the world.
Karaokeis extremely popular in Taiwan, where it is known as KTV.KTV businesses operate in a hotel-like style, renting out small rooms and ballrooms according to the number of guests. Many KTV establishments partner with restaurants and buffets to form all-encompassing and elaborate evening affairs. Tour busses that travel around Taiwan have several TVs, primarily for singing karaoke.
Taiwan has a high density of 24-hour convenience stores, which provide services on behalf of financial institutions or government agencies, such as collection of parking fees, utility bills, traffic fines, and credit card payments.Chains such asFamilyMartprovide clothing laundry services in select stores,and tickets forTRAand THSR are available at7-Eleven, FamilyMart,Hi-LifeandOK[zh].
Taiwanese culinary history is murky and is intricately tied to patterns of migration and colonization. Local and international Taiwanese cuisine, including its history, is a politically contentious topic. Famous Taiwanese dishes includeTaiwanese beef noodle soup,Gua bao,Zongzi,Khong bah png,Taiwanese fried chicken,oyster vermicelli,Sanbeiji, andAiyu jelly.Bubble tea, created in Taiwan in the 1980s, has now become popular globally.In 2014,The GuardiancalledTaiwanese night marketsthe "best street food markets in the world".TheMichelin Guidebegan reviewing restaurants in Taiwan in 2018.
Baseballis commonly considered Taiwan'snational sportand is a popular spectator sport.The men's team won medals across all levels of baseball in 2022, including theU-12,U-15,U-18,U-23, andBaseball5competitions, the only team to do so in baseball history.The results madeTaiwan's national baseball teamone of the top-ranked teams in theWBSC World Rankings.Professional baseball in Taiwanstarted with the founding of theChinese Professional Baseball League(CPBL) in 1989.As of 2024, the CPBL has six teams, with an average attendance of over 7,000 per game.Some elite players signed with overseas professional teams in theMajor League Baseball(MLB) or theNippon Professional Baseball(NPB). There have been seventeenTaiwanese MLB playersas of the 2024 MLB season, including former pitchersChien-Ming WangandWei-Yin Chen. As for variations of baseball, Taiwan also has a strong women'ssoftballteam. TheChinese Taipei women's national softball teamwon a bronze medal at the2022 World Games.
Basketballis Taiwan's other major sport.TheP. League+andTaiwan Professional Basketball Leagueare the country's two professional basketball leagues.Asemi-professionalSuper Basketball League(SBL) has also been in play since 2003.Other team sports includevolleyballandfootball. Taiwan is also a major competitor inkorfball.
Taiwan participates in international sporting organizations and events under the name of "Chinese Taipei". Taiwan has hosted severalmulti-sport eventsin the past, including the2009 World Gamesin Kaohsiung and the2009 Summer Deaflympicsand2017 Summer Universiadein Taipei.Taipei and New Taipei City will host the2025 Summer World Masters Games.Hualien will host the 2026International Children's Games.Other major recurring events held by Taiwan include:
Taekwondowas introduced to Taiwan in 1966 for military training and has become a mature and successfulcombat sportin Taiwan.The first two Olympic gold medals won by Taiwanese athletes belong to the sport. In the2004 Olympics,Chen Shih-hsinandChu Mu-yenwon gold medals in the women's flyweight event and the men's flyweight event, respectively. Subsequent taekwondo competitors have strengthened Taiwan's taekwondo culture.
There are many outstanding Taiwanese players at other individual sports, such asbadminton,tennis,table tennis, andgolf. Taiwan's strength in badminton is demonstrated byTai Tzu-ying, who spent most weeks as world No. 1 women's singles player inBWF World Ranking, and her compatriots in theBWF World Tour.Taiwan also has a long history of strong international presence in table tennis. Six-time OlympianChuang Chih-yuanmade the most appearances at the Olympic Games among Taiwanese athletes.Yani Tsengis the youngest golf player ever, male or female, to win fivemajor championshipsand was ranked number 1 in theWomen's World Golf Rankingsfor 109 consecutive weeks from 2011 to 2013.In tennis,Hsieh Su-weiis the country's most successful female tennis player.
The standardGregorian calendaris used for most purposes. The year is often denoted by the Minguoera systemwhich starts in 1912, the year the ROC was founded. 2024 is year 113 Minguo (民國113年). TheEast Asian date formatis used in Chinese.Prior to standardization in 1929, theChinese calendarwas officially used. It is aLunisolar calendar systemwhich remains in use for traditional festivals such as theLunar New Year, theLantern Festival, and theDragon Boat Festival.
24°N121°E﻿ / ﻿24°N 121°E﻿ /24; 121