Background: In 1895, military defeat forced China to cede Taiwan
to Japan, however it reverted to Chinese control after World War II.
Following the communist victory on the mainland in 1949, 2 million
Nationalists fled to Taiwan and established a government using the 1947
constitution drawn up for all of China. Over the next five decades, the
ruling authorities gradually democratized and incorporated the native
population within its governing structure. Throughout this period, the
island has prospered to become one of East Asia's economic
"Tigers." The dominant political issue continues to be the
relationship between Taiwan and China and the question of eventual
reunification.
Government type: multiparty democratic regime headed by popularly
elected president
Capital: Taipei
Currency: 1 New Taiwan dollar (NT$) = 100 cents
Geography of Taiwan
Location: Eastern Asia, islands bordering the East China Sea, Philippine Sea,
South China Sea, and Taiwan Strait, north of the Philippines, off the southeastern coast
of China
Geographic coordinates: 23 30 N, 121 00 E
Area:
total: 35,980 sq km
land: 32,260 sq km
water: 3,720 sq km
note: includes the Pescadores, Matsu, and Quemoy
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 1,566.3 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; marine; rainy season during southwest monsoon (June to
August); cloudiness is persistent and extensive all year
Terrain: eastern two-thirds mostly rugged mountains; flat to gently rolling
plains in west
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Yu Shan 3,997 m
Natural resources: small deposits of coal, natural gas, limestone, marble, and
asbestos
Land use:
arable land: 24%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 5%
forests and woodland: 55%
other: 15%
Natural hazards: earthquakes and typhoons
Environment - current issues: air pollution; water pollution from
industrial emissions, raw sewage; contamination of drinking water supplies;
trade in endangered species; low-level radioactive waste disposal.
People of Taiwan
Taiwan has a population of 22.2 million. More than 18 million, the
"native" Taiwanese are descendants of Chinese who migrated from
Fujian and Guangdong Provinces on the mainland, primarily in the 18th and
19th centuries. The "mainlanders," who arrived on Taiwan after
1945, came from all parts of mainland China. About 370,000 aborigines
inhabit the mountainous central and eastern parts of the island and are
believed to be of Malayo-Polynesian origin.
Education
A 9-year public educational system has been in effect since 1979. Six
years of elementary school and 3 years of junior high are compulsory for
all children. About 94.7% of junior high graduates continue their studies
in either a senior high or vocational school. Reflecting a strong
commitment to education, in FY 2001 16% of Taiwan's budget was allocated
for education.
Taiwan has an extensive higher education system with more than 100
institutions of higher learning. Each year over 100,000 students take the
joint college entrance exam; about 66.6% of the candidates are admitted to
a college or university. Opportunities for graduate education are
expanding in Taiwan, but many students travel abroad for advanced
education, including 13,000 who study in the United States annually.
Languages
A large majority of people on Taiwan speak Mandarin Chinese, which has
been the medium of instruction in the schools for more than four decades.
Native Taiwanese and many others also speak one of the Southern Fujianese
dialects, Min-nan, also known as Taiwanese. Recently there has been a
growing use of Taiwanese in the broadcast media. The Hakka, who are
concentrated in several counties throughout Taiwan, have their own
distinct dialect. As a result of the half century of Japanese rule, many
people over age 60 also can speak Japanese. The method of Chinese
romanization most commonly used in Taiwan is the Wade-Giles system.
Religions
According to Taiwan's Interior Ministry figures, there are about 11.2
million religious believers in Taiwan, with more than 75% identifying
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 honored school of thought and ethical code.
Christian churches have been active on Taiwan for many years, and today
the island has more than 600,000 Christians, a majority of whom are
Protestant.
Culture
Taiwan's culture is a blend of its distinctive Chinese heritage and
Western influences. Fine arts, folk traditions, and popular culture embody
traditional and modern, Asian, and Western motifs. One of Taiwan's
greatest attractions is the Palace Museum, which houses over 650,000
pieces of Chinese bronze, jade, calligraphy, painting, and porcelain. This
collection was moved from the mainland in 1949 when Chiang Kai-shek's
Nationalist Party (KMT) fled to Taiwan. The collection is so extensive
that only 1% is on display at any one time.
Population: 22,894,384 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 21.22%
15-64 years: 69.97%
65 years and over: 8.81%
Population growth rate: 0.8%
Birth rate: 14.31 births/1,000 population
Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population
Net migration rate: -0.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population
Infant mortality rate: 6.93 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.54 years
male: 73.81 years
female: 79.51 years
Total fertility rate: 1.76 children born/woman
Nationality:
noun: Chinese (singular and plural)
adjective: Chinese
Ethnic groups: Taiwanese (including Hakka) 84%, mainland Chinese
14%, aborigine 2%
Religions: mixture of Buddhist, Confucian, and Taoist 93%, Christian 4.5%, other
2.5%
Languages: Mandarin Chinese (official), Taiwanese (Min), Hakka dialects
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 86% (1980 est.); note - literacy for the total population has
reportedly increased to 94% (1998 est.)
male: 93% (1980 est.)
female: 79% (1980 est.)
SOURCES: The World Factbook, U.S. Department of State |