Taiwan (island)
Taiwan (Chinese language: 臺灣 or 台湾 pinyin tái wān) is an island off the coast of Mainland China in the Pacific Ocean. It is also known by its Portuguese name Formosa, which means "beautiful". Taiwan, as well as several smaller islands nearer the mainland, such as Quemoy and Matsu, have been administered since 1945 by a government which calls itself the Republic of China (ROC). Whether the island is or is not part of China and the meaning of "China" in this context is an extremely complex and controversial issue.
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| National motto: None | ||||
| Official language | Mandarin Chinese | |||
| Capital | Taipei | |||
| President | Chen Shui-bian | |||
| Premier | Yu Shyi-kun | |||
| Area - Total - % water | Ranked 135th 35,980 km² 10.3% | |||
| Population
- Density | Ranked 47th
627/km² | |||
| Establishment
- Established | Wuchang Uprising
January 1, 1912 | |||
| Currency | New Taiwan Dollar | |||
| Time zone | UTC +8 | |||
| National anthem | Three People's Principles | |||
| Internet TLD | .TW | |||
| Calling Code | 886 | |||
History
Main article: History of Taiwan
Taiwan's indigenous population was first joined by immigrants from Mainland China primarily during a brief period of Dutch control in the 17th century, after which the island came under more direct Chinese rule during the Qing Dynasty. Following the Sino-Japanese War in 1895, China was forced to cede Taiwan to Japan, but the island returned to China in 1945 after World War II, with the nationalist regime sparking the February 28 Incident in 1947.
The Republic of China had been founded after Chinese revolutionaries overthrew the Qing government in 1911. The nationalist Kuomintang party, which at the time controlled the government of the ROC, was exiled to Taiwan after the Chinese Civil War between the Kuomintang and the Chinese Communist Party ended in the Communists' favour in 1949, bringing with them some 2 million refugees from the mainland.
Until 1991 the government on Taiwan maintained that it was the sole legitimate government of the whole of China. Taiwan remained under martial law for 4 decades until 1987. The relationship with the People's Republic of China and the related issues of either Taiwanese independence or Chinese reunification continue to dominate Taiwanese politics.
Politics
Main article: Politics of Taiwan
The Republic of China on Taiwan has undergone a process of democratisation since its constitution was reformed in the early 1990s. The head of state is the president, who is elected by popular vote for a four-year term on the same ticket as the vice-president. The president has authority over the five administrative branches (Yuan): the Executive, Legislative, Control, Judicial, and Examination Yuan. The president also appoints the prime minister, the head of the Executive Yuan that comprises the prime minister and the cabinet members who are responsible for policy and administration.
The main legislative body is the unicameral Legislative Yuan with 225 seats, of which 168 are elected by popular vote. Of the remainder, 41 are elected on the basis of the proportion of islandwide votes received by participating political parties, eight are elected from overseas Chinese constituencies on the same principle, as are the eight seats for the aboriginal populations; members serve three-year terms. Originally the unicameral National Assembly served more of a parliamentary function, but this has now become a non-standing body of 300 members that has seen most of its powers transferred to the Legislative Yuan.
The Republic of China was in the United Nations until 1971, when the China seat was given to the People's Republic of China government. Since the 1970's, the number of nations officially recognising the ROC has continued to decrease. Although Taiwan has no current objections to dual recognition of both the PRC and the ROC, the People's Republic of China refuses to maintain diplomatic relations with any government which formally recognises the ROC, leading to a complex political status of Taiwan.
Political divisions
Main article: Political divisions of Taiwan
The Republic of China formally consist of two of the historic provinces of China: the entire Taiwan province and several islands near the mainland, chiefly Quemoy, that are part of Fujian province. The next level consists of 16 counties (hsien), five municipalities (shih) and two special municipalities (chuan-shih), marked by a *:
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Counties |
Municipalities |
Geography
Main article: Geography of Taiwan
The island of Taiwan lies some 200 km off the southeastern coast of Mainland China across the Taiwan Strait, with the East China Sea to the north, the Philippine Sea to the east, the Luzon Strait directly to the south and the South China Sea to the southwest. The island is characterised by the contrast between the eastern two-thirds that consist mostly of rugged mountains, running in five ranges from the northern to the southern tip of the island, and the flat to gently rolling plains in the west that are also home to most of Taiwan's population. Taiwan's highest point is the Yu Shan at 3,997 m.
Taiwan's climate is marine tropical. The rainy season lasts from June to August during the southwest monsoon, though cloudiness is persistent and extensive all year. Natural hazards include typhoons and earthquakes.
Economy
Main article: Economy of Taiwan
Taiwan has a dynamic capitalist economy with gradually decreasing guidance of investment and foreign trade by government authorities. In keeping with this trend, some large government-owned banks and industrial firms are being privatised. Real growth in GDP has averaged about 8% during the past three decades. Exports have provided the primary impetus for industrialisation. The trade surplus is substantial, and foreign reserves are the world's third largest.
Agriculture contributes 2% to GDP, down from 35% in 1952. Traditional labour-intensive industries are steadily being moved offshore and replaced with more capital- and technology-intensive industries. Taiwan has become a major investor in China, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Vietnam; 50,000 Taiwanese businesses are established in Mainland China.
Because of its conservative financial approach and its entrepreneurial strengths, Taiwan suffered little compared with many of its neighbours from the Asian financial crisis in 1998-1999. The global economic downturn, however, combined with poor policy coordination by the new administration and increasing bad debts in the banking system, pushed Taiwan into recession in 2001, the first whole year of negative growth since 1947. Unemployment also reached a level not seen since the 1970s oil crisis.
Demographics
Main article: Demographics of Taiwan
The aboriginal population of Taiwan, divided into ten main tribes, now numbers only 2%. The remainder consists of Han Chinese, who themselves consist of early Han immigrants who are referred to as "Ben-sheng-ren" (84%) and later immigrants which are referred to as "Wai-sheng-ren" or "Mainlanders" (14%) that came with the ROC government in 1949. The Ben sheng ren on their part consist chiefly of Southern Fujianese, as well as the Hakka, who are concentrated in several counties throughout Taiwan.
The majority of people on Taiwan speak Mandarin Chinese, which has been the medium of instruction in the schools for more than four decades. A large fraction of people in also speak one of the Southern Fujianese dialects, Min-nan, also known as Taiwanese. The Hakka have their own distinct Hakka dialect. Chinese romanisation on Taiwan remains chaotic with many different systems, some ad-hoc, in use. In 2002, Taiwan authorities announced adoption a form of pinyin, but this has not resolved the chaos as there is a large and mostly political controversy about which pinyin system to use, with different localities now using different systems.
About half of the Taiwanese population can be considered religious believers, most of whom identify themselves as Buddhists or Taoists. At the same time there is a strong belief in Chinese folk religion throughout the island. These are not mutually exclusive, and many people practice a combination of the three. Confucianism also is an honoured school of thought and ethical code. Christian churches have been active on Taiwan for many years, a majority of which are Protestant and with Presbyterians playing a particularly significant role.
Culture
Main article: Culture of Taiwan
- Chinese language
- Chinese written language
- List of famous Chinese people
- Chinese art
- Chinese cuisine
- Taiwanese cuisine
- Festival of Taiwan
| Date | English Name | Local Name | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | Founding Day | 開國紀念日 | Coincides with New Year |
| February 28 | Peace Memorial Day | 和平紀念日 | Commemorates February 28 Incident (二二八事件) in February 28, 1947 |
| May 1 | Labour Day | 勞動節 | |
| September 28 | Teacher's Day | 教師節 | Confucius' Birthday |
| October 10 | Double Tenth Day | 國慶日 | Wuchang Uprising on October 10, 1911 |
| October 25 | Retrocession Day | 光復節 | Japan surrenders Taiwan to Chiang Kai-shek on October 25, 1945 |
| December 25 | Constitution Day | 行憲紀念日 | Coincides with Christmas |
| 1st day of 1st lunar month | Chinese New Year | 春節 | Based on Chinese calendar |
| 5th day of 5th lunar month | Dragon Boat Festival (Dragon Festival) | 端午節 | Based on Chinese calendar |
| 15th day of 8th lunar month | Mid-autumn Festival (Moon Festival) | 中秋節 | Based on Chinese calendar |
Miscellaneous topics
- Communications in Taiwan
- Transportation in Taiwan
- Military of Taiwan
- Foreign relations of Taiwan
- Chinese law
- List of China-related topics
External Links
- Government Information Office - Governmental information portal
- Office of the President of ROC - Official presidential site
- Executive Yuan - Official governmental site
- Legislative Yuan - Official parliamentary site