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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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Love River in Downtown Kaohsiung

The Love River or Ai River (traditional Chinese: 愛河; simplified Chinese: 爱河; pinyin: Ài Hé; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Ài-hô) is a river (canal) in southern Taiwan. It originates in Renwu District, Kaohsiung City, and flows 12 kilometers (7.5 mi) through Kaohsiung to Kaohsiung Harbor. Love River is the spine of Kaohsiung, playing a similar role to the River Thames of London. It is of great cultural significance to the people of Kaohsiung and plays an important role in its economy and tourism. A riverside park, the Love River Park, runs along the riverbank in downtown Kaohsiung City. A night market operates in the park, and there are three outdoor cafés, often with live bands. Boats which hold about fifteen people take tourists up and down the river. The scenery is enhanced by attractive city structures near the river, such as the Holy Rosary Cathedral, Kaohsiung Bridge, and the Kaohsiung District Court. Cultural events such as concerts and the Lantern Festival are often held by the river.

The Love River was once heavily polluted, when raw sewage and industrial waste water flowed untreated into the river. Recent efforts by the city government to divert the waste water to the treatment plant in Cijin District has resulted in significantly improved water quality. Love River is now used for sightseeing, and there are duck boats, love boats and gondola rides for tourists to enjoy the city view. In 2018, mayor Han Kuo-yu proposed that a ferris wheel be built on the bank of Love River to create a romance industry and improve the economy. (Full article...)

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Chiau Wen-yan (Chinese: 邱文彥; pinyin: Qiū Wényàn: born 17 July 1953) is a Taiwanese politician. He was the member of Legislative Yuan, a professor and the former director of the Institute of Marine Affairs and Resource Management at National Taiwan Ocean University. (Full article...)

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

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The Holy Rosary Cathedral in Lingya, Kaohsiung is the oldest Catholic church in Taiwan, established in 1860 and rebuilt in 1928.

Photo credit: User:小鄧

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A THSR 700T train running Taiwan High Speed Rail line

Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) is the high-speed railway of Taiwan consisting of one line that runs approximately 350 km (217 mi) along the west coast, from the capital Taipei to the southern city of Kaohsiung. With construction and operations managed by a private company, Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation (THSRC), which also operates the line, the total cost of the project was NT$513.3 billion in 1998. The system's technology is based primarily on Japan's Shinkansen.

The railway opened for service on 5 January 2007, with trains running at a top speed of 300 km/h (186 mph), currently running from Nangang to Zuoying in as little as 1 hour and 45 minutes, reaching almost 90% of Taiwan's population. Most intermediate stations on the line lie outside the cities served; however, a variety of transfer options, such as free shuttle buses, conventional rail, and metros have been constructed to facilitate transport connections. (Full article...)

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Dutch pacification campaign on Formosa Chen Chi-mai EVA Air Chai Trong-rong Pe̍h-ōe-jī Mei-Ann Chen Hsu Tain-tsair You Are the Apple of My Eye

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Did you know - show different entries

... that the Sakizaya people, a Taiwanese aboriginal tribe, has been recognized by the government of Taiwan since January 2007?

... that the Cheng Kung Senior High School, previously known as the Taihoku Prefecture Second Middle School, is renamed after Koxinga?

... that Tsungming Tu, founder of the Kaohsiung Medical College, was the first Taiwanese medical doctor?

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General images

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

Image 1Entrance hall of a K-TV in Taipei (from Culture of Taiwan)
Image 2Administrative units of Taiwan under the Qing dynasty by 1894 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 3Woodcut of the mass killings which took place during the February 28 Incident (from History of Taiwan)
Image 4Shi Lang (1621–1696) in an 18th-century painting (from History of Taiwan)
Image 5Photo from Savages of Formosa, a 1926 government report on tribal life in Taiwan (from History of Taiwan)
Image 6Severed heads of Seediq rebels (from History of Taiwan)
Image 7Zheng Keshuang (from History of Taiwan)
Image 8Kagi Shrine, one of many Shinto shrines built in Taiwan. (from History of Taiwan)
Image 9Section of a painting depicting daily life of the Taokas people, 1684–1722 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 10The Imperial Guard Defeats the Enemy in Hard Fighting at Keelung on the Island of Taiwan, 1895 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 11Apo 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 12Map of Taiwan with the western coast pointed downwards, c. 1640 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 13Pearl milk tea (from Culture of Taiwan)
Image 14Administrative units of Taiwan under the Qing dynasty in 1734 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 15A map of the Empire of Japan including Taiwan ("barbarian land" in red) in 1895 (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 17Japanese painting of the expedition forces attacking the Mudan tribe, 1874 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 18Yin and Yang symbol of Taoism (from Culture of Taiwan)
Image 19Evacuation of Keelung by the French forces, image created 1887 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 20Taichung Middle School in 1919 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 21The Dharmachakra represents the Noble Eightfold Path. (from Culture of Taiwan)
Image 22The original flag of the Taiwanese People's Party, 2 January 1929 – 6 October 1929 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 23Taiwan in the 17th century, showing Dutch (magenta) and Spanish (green) possessions, and the Kingdom of Middag (orange) (from History of Taiwan)
Image 24Administrative units of Taiwan under the Qing dynasty in 1685 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 25Depiction of Qing ships crossing the ocean to suppress the Lin Shuangwen rebellion, 1787–1788 (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 28Population density map of Taiwan in 2019 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 29Portrait of Zheng Jing (1642–1681), possibly 17th c. (from History of Taiwan)
Image 30Section of Kangxi period painting of Taiwan, 1684–1722 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 31The Qing Empire in 1820, with provinces in yellow, military governorates and protectorates in light yellow, tributary states in orange. (from History of Taiwan)
Image 321901 map with red line marking approximate boundary separating territory under actual Japanese administration from "Savage District" (from History of Taiwan)
Image 33Territory controlled by Koxinga, founder of the Kingdom of Tungning (from History of Taiwan)
Image 34Map of Asia showing the "Chinese Empire" (1892) (from History of Taiwan)
Image 35Original geographic distributions of Taiwanese aboriginal peoples (from History of Taiwan)
Image 36Bird's eye view of Fort Zeelandia in Dutch Formosa in the 17th-century (from History of Taiwan)
Image 37Mid-17th century portrait of Koxinga (Guoxingye or "Kok seng ia" in southern Fujianese), "Lord of the Imperial Surname" (from History of Taiwan)
Image 38The Capture of Lin Shuangwen (from History of Taiwan)
Image 39Statue of Chen Di in Lianjiang County (from History of Taiwan)
Image 40Map showing the Revolt of the Three Feudatories (1673–1681) (from History of Taiwan)
Image 41Chinese depiction of Chikan (Fort Provintia), 1752 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 42Depiction of a Chinese man, woman, and soldier, by Georg Franz Müller (1646–1723) (from History of Taiwan)
Image 43Takasago Volunteers in October 1944 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 44Sky Lantern festival in Pingxi, Taiwan (from Culture of Taiwan)
Image 45Siege of Fort Zeelandia (from History of Taiwan)
Image 46Bunun dancer in traditional aboriginal dress (1989) (from Culture of Taiwan)

On this day...

More May 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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