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

Taiwan has been settled for at least 25,000 years. Ancestors of Taiwanese indigenous peoples settled the island around 6,000 years ago. In the 17th century, large-scale Han Chinese immigration began under a Dutch colony and continued under the Kingdom of Tungning, the first predominantly Han Chinese state in Taiwanese history. The island was annexed in 1683 by the Qing dynasty of China and ceded to the Empire of Japan in 1895. The Republic of China, which had overthrown the Qing in 1912, took control following the surrender of Japan in 1945. Japan renounced sovereignty over Taiwan in 1952. The immediate resumption of the Chinese Civil War resulted in the loss of the Chinese mainland to Communist forces, who established the People's Republic of China, and the flight of the ROC central government to Taiwan in 1949. The effective jurisdiction of the ROC has since been limited to Taiwan, Penghu, and smaller islands.

In the early 1960s, Taiwan entered a period of rapid economic growth and industrialization called the "Taiwan Miracle". In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the ROC transitioned from a one-party state under martial law to a multi-party democracy, with democratically elected presidents since 1996. Taiwan's export-oriented industrial economy is the 21st-largest in the world by nominal GDP and the 20th-largest by PPP measures, with a focus on steel, machinery, electronics, and chemicals manufacturing. Taiwan is a developed country. It is ranked highly in terms of civil liberties, healthcare, and human development.

The political status of Taiwan is contentious. The ROC no longer represents China as a member of the United Nations after UN members voted in 1971 to recognize the PRC instead. The ROC maintained its claim of being the sole legitimate representative of China and its territory until 1991, when it ceased to regard the CCP as a rebellious group and recognized its control over mainland China. Taiwan is claimed by the PRC, which refuses to establish diplomatic relations with countries that recognise the ROC. Taiwan maintains official diplomatic relations with 11 out of 193 UN member states and the Holy See. Many others maintain unofficial diplomatic ties through representative offices and institutions that function as de facto embassies and consulates. International organizations in which the PRC participates either refuse to grant membership to Taiwan or allow it to participate on a non-state basis. Domestically, the major political contention is between parties favoring eventual Chinese unification and promoting a pan-Chinese identity, contrasted with those aspiring to formal international recognition and promoting a Taiwanese identity; into the 21st century, both sides have moderated their positions to broaden their appeal. (Full article...)

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The most commonly used home language in Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu, 2010.
('cmn' = "Mandarin"
'nan' = "Hokkien"/"Min Nan"
'hak' = "Hakka"
'map' = Austronesian languages)

The languages of Taiwan consist of several varieties of languages under the families of Austronesian languages and Sino-Tibetan languages. The Formosan languages, a geographically designated branch of Austronesian languages, have been spoken by the Taiwanese indigenous peoples for thousands of years. Owing to the wide internal variety of the Formosan languages, research on historical linguistics recognizes Taiwan as the Urheimat (homeland) of the whole Austronesian languages family. In the last 400 years, several waves of Han emigrations brought several different Sinitic languages into Taiwan. These languages include Taiwanese Hokkien, Hakka, and Mandarin, which have become the major languages spoken in present-day Taiwan.

Formosan languages were the dominant language of prehistorical Taiwan. Taiwan's long colonial and immigration history brought in several languages such as Dutch, Spanish, Hokkien, Hakka, Japanese, and Mandarin. Due to the former Japanese occupation of the island, the Japanese language has influenced the languages of Taiwan, particularly in terms of vocabulary, with many loanwords coming from Japanese. (Full article...)

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Wang Jinping or Wang Chin-ping (Chinese: 王津平; pinyin: Wáng Jīnpíng; 1946 – 7 September 2019) was a scholar and president of the "China Union for Unification". He was a noted activist of the Tangwai movement in touch with many writers of the Taiwan Nativist Literature movement since the mid 1970s. He was also, together with Liang Jingfeng and a few others on the Tamkang campus in Tamsui, a key mover of a new political direction in native folk music. (Full article...)

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Tsai Ing-wen Cheng Yen Chen Yi (Kuomintang) Teresa Teng Tsai Wan-lin Jay Chou Ang Lee S.H.E Lee Teng-hui Justin Huang Chiau Wen-yan Kao Chin Su-mei Latisha Chan Wu Nien-jen Wu Zhaonan

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Yehliu in Wanli, New Taipei is a Miocene formation stretching 1,700 meters into the Ocean resulting from geological forces pushing the Datun Mountains out of the sea.

Photo credit: User:Chensiyuan

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Hsu Tain-tsair (Chinese: 許添財; pinyin: Xǔ Tiāncái; Wade–Giles: Hsǔ Tiēn-tsái; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Khó͘ Thiam-châi; born 23 January 1953) is a Taiwanese politician who served as the mayor of Tainan City from 2001 to 2010. Born in Tainan County (now part of Tainan City), Hsu got his PhD candidacy in economics in the United States, where he started participating in the independence movement of Taiwan. He was placed on the blacklist of Kuomintang and was not allowed to return to Taiwan until 1990.

When Hsu returned to Taiwan, he joined the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Having been elected legislator three times, Hsu is considered a privy councilor to the DPP in the field of economics. He was nominated to run for the mayor of Tainan and was elected in 2001. During his terms as mayor, Hsu worked on public projects and encouraged tourism. For example, a police unit was established to facilitate tourists in 2007, and he also improved the environment of the city. (Full article...)

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Dutch pacification campaign on Formosa Chen Chi-mai EVA Air Chai Trong-rong Taiwan High Speed Rail Pe̍h-ōe-jī Mei-Ann Chen You Are the Apple of My Eye

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... that the Democratic Progressive Party nominated Hsu Tain-tsair (pictured) as the party's candidate for the 2001 Tainan mayoral race instead of George Chang, then-incumbent mayor of Tainan?

... that the National Taiwan Museum is the oldest museum in Taiwan and was established during the Japanese rule era?

...that professional baseball in Taiwan began in 1989, and the Chinese Professional Baseball League and Taiwan Major League merged in 2003?

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General images

The following are images from various Taiwan-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Administrative units of Taiwan under the Qing dynasty by 1894 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 2Map of Taiwan with the western coast pointed downwards, c. 1640 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 3Chinese depiction of Chikan (Fort Provintia), 1752 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 4The Qing Empire in 1820, with provinces in yellow, military governorates and protectorates in light yellow, tributary states in orange. (from History of Taiwan)
Image 5Zheng Keshuang (from History of Taiwan)
Image 6Photo from Savages of Formosa, a 1926 government report on tribal life in Taiwan (from History of Taiwan)
Image 7Section of a painting depicting daily life of the Taokas people, 1684–1722 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 8Takasago Volunteers in October 1944 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 9Map of Asia showing the "Chinese Empire" (1892) (from History of Taiwan)
Image 10Territory controlled by Koxinga, founder of the Kingdom of Tungning (from History of Taiwan)
Image 11Administrative units of Taiwan under the Qing dynasty in 1734 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 12Population density map of Taiwan in 2019 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 13Siege of Fort Zeelandia (from History of Taiwan)
Image 14Severed heads of Seediq rebels (from History of Taiwan)
Image 15Japanese painting of the expedition forces attacking the Mudan tribe, 1874 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 16Two 7-Eleven stores opposite each other on a crossroad. Taiwan has the highest density of 7-Eleven stores per person in the world (from Culture of Taiwan)
Image 171901 map with red line marking approximate boundary separating territory under actual Japanese administration from "Savage District" (from History of Taiwan)
Image 18Administrative units of Taiwan under the Qing dynasty in 1685 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 19Apo Hsu and the NTNU Symphony Orchestra on stage in the National Concert Hall in Taipei and Play Saint-Saens's Organ Symphony No. 3 (from Culture of Taiwan)
Image 20Evacuation of Keelung by the French forces, image created 1887 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 21Depiction of Qing ships crossing the ocean to suppress the Lin Shuangwen rebellion, 1787–1788 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 22Pearl milk tea (from Culture of Taiwan)
Image 23Statue of Chen Di in Lianjiang County (from History of Taiwan)
Image 24Sky Lantern festival in Pingxi, Taiwan (from Culture of Taiwan)
Image 25Taichung Middle School in 1919 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 26Departure of a Ryukyuan ship bearing tribute to Beijing, 1831 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 27Conquest of Douliumen (Zhuluo) (from History of Taiwan)
Image 28Original geographic distributions of Taiwanese aboriginal peoples (from History of Taiwan)
Image 29Kagi Shrine, one of many Shinto shrines built in Taiwan. (from History of Taiwan)
Image 30The original flag of the Taiwanese People's Party, 2 January 1929 – 6 October 1929 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 31The Dharmachakra represents the Noble Eightfold Path. (from Culture of Taiwan)
Image 32Section of Kangxi period painting of Taiwan, 1684–1722 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 33Depiction of a Chinese man, woman, and soldier, by Georg Franz Müller (1646–1723) (from History of Taiwan)
Image 34Map showing the Revolt of the Three Feudatories (1673–1681) (from History of Taiwan)
Image 35The Imperial Guard Defeats the Enemy in Hard Fighting at Keelung on the Island of Taiwan, 1895 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 36Woodcut of the mass killings which took place during the February 28 Incident (from History of Taiwan)
Image 37Taiwan in the 17th century, showing Dutch (magenta) and Spanish (green) possessions, and the Kingdom of Middag (orange) (from History of Taiwan)
Image 38A map of the Empire of Japan including Taiwan ("barbarian land" in red) in 1895 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 39Shi Lang (1621–1696) in an 18th-century painting (from History of Taiwan)
Image 40Bird's eye view of Fort Zeelandia in Dutch Formosa in the 17th-century (from History of Taiwan)
Image 41Entrance hall of a K-TV in Taipei (from Culture of Taiwan)
Image 42Yin and Yang symbol of Taoism (from Culture of Taiwan)
Image 43Portrait of Zheng Jing (1642–1681), possibly 17th c. (from History of Taiwan)
Image 44Bunun dancer in traditional aboriginal dress (1989) (from Culture of Taiwan)
Image 45The Capture of Lin Shuangwen (from History of Taiwan)
Image 46Mid-17th century portrait of Koxinga (Guoxingye or "Kok seng ia" in southern Fujianese), "Lord of the Imperial Surname" (from History of Taiwan)

On this day...

More June anniversaries

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In the news

28 May 2024 – 2024 Taiwanese legislative reform protests: The Kuomintang and Taiwan People's Party pass amendments granting the Legislative Yuan greater powers to oversee the executive and to question officials and citizens, despite claims that these amendments violate civil liberties and could reduce the powers of president Lai Ching-te of the Democratic Progressive Party. (The Guardian)
23 May 2024 – Cross-Strait relations: China's People's Liberation Army begins two days of military drills around Taiwan. In response, Taiwan mobilizes its military. (BBC News) (Reuters)
20 May 2024 –: Lai Ching-te is sworn in as President of Taiwan, with Hsiao Bi-khim as his Vice President. (Al Jazeera)
17 May 2024 –: A brawl breaks out in the Legislative Yuan, Taiwan's parliament, following disagreements over draft reforms between the Democratic Progressive Party and the Kuomintang. (The Independent)
20 April 2024 – Military aid to Ukraine during the Russo-Ukrainian War, United States support for Israel in the Israel–Hamas war: The U.S. House of Representatives passes a series of bills that would provide $95 billion in military aid to countries including Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. (ABC News)

Topics

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Administrative divisions

The Republic of China government governs 22 administrative divisions
The administrative divisions presently consist of 13 counties, 6 special municipalities and three cities.


Chiayi City	Chiayi County	Changhua County	Hsinchu City	Hsinchu County

Hualian County	Kaohsiung City	Keelung City	Kinmen Country	Lienchang County

Miaoli County	Nantou County	New Taipei City	Penghu County	Pingtung County

Taichung City	Tainan City	Taipei City	Taitung County	Taoyuan City

Yilan County	Yunlin County

Related portals

East Asia

Southeast Asia

Portals listed here are related to Taiwan by way of history, Asian region, diplomatic relations with ROC, and significant diaspora of overseas Taiwanese

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