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{{about|the sovereign state|the island|Taiwan (island)}}
{{Infobox country
|native_name = {{lang|zh-tw|中華民國}}<small>{{Ref label |names|a|}}</small><br />''Zhōnghuá Mínguó''<!-- Do not change to "Jhonghua Minguo" (i.e. Tongyong pinyin) because Hanyu pinyin is the official romanization from 1 January 2009. -->
|conventional_long_name = Republic of China (Taiwan)<small><ref name="LongName">''[http://english.president.gov.tw/ Office of the President, Republic of China (Taiwan)]''<br/>"[http://www.mofa.gov.tw/webapp/mp?mp=6 Ministry of Foreign Affairs Republic of China (Taiwan)]", Ministry of Foreign Affairs Republic of China (TAIWAN).</br>"[http://www.taiwanembassy.org/mp.asp?mp=1 Portal of the Republic of China (Taiwan)]", Government Information Office, Republic of China (Taiwan).</br>"[http://focustaiwan.tw/ShowNews/WebNews_Detail.aspx?Type=aBS&ID=201112050009 Taiwan boosts trade relations with Gambia through The Gambia Trade Fair 2011]", ''Focus Taiwan: News Channel'', 05 Dec. 2011. "Through the close coordination and unfailing efforts of the Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) in The Gambia, it is anticipated that relations will continue to flourish in the years ahead." (This is a story by CNA, the official Taiwanese news agency.)</ref></small>
|common_name = Taiwan
|image_flag = Flag of the Republic of China.svg
|alt_flag = A red flag, with a small blue rectangle in the top left hand corner on which sits a white sun composed of a circle surrounded by 12 rays.
|image_coat = Republic of China National Emblem.svg
|symbol_type = Emblem
|alt_coat    = A blue circular emblem on which sits a white sun composed of a circle surrounded by 12 rays.
|image_map   = Locator map of the ROC Taiwan.svg
|map_caption = Taiwanese territory is shown in red.
|national flower = plumflower.jpg
|national_anthem = <center></center><br />“[[National Anthem of the Republic of China]]”<br />《中華民國國歌》
<br><br />“[[National Flag Anthem]]”<br />《中華民國國旗歌》
|capital = [[Taipei]]<ref name="capital">{{cite web| title = Yearbook 2004| publisher = Government Information Office of the Republic of China| series = Yearbook| year = 2004| quote = Taipei is the capital of the ROC| url = http://www.gio.gov.tw/taiwan-website/5-gp/yearbook/2004/P045.htm}}</ref>
|coordinates  = {{Coord|25|02|N|121|38|E|type:city}}
|lats=00 |longs=00 |largest_city = [[New Taipei]]
<!---only Mandarin is the official language, others are regional languages, per http://www.gio.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=35570&ctNode=4101 ---->
|official_languages = [[Standard Chinese|Mandarin]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/580902/Taiwan |title=Taiwan |publisher=Britannica Online Encyclopedia |date=1975-04-05 |accessdate=2009-05-07}}</ref>
|languages_type = [[Official script]]s
|languages = [[Traditional Chinese]]
|regional_languages = [[Taiwanese Hokkien]]<br />[[Hakka Chinese]]<br />[[Formosan languages]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gio.gov.tw/taiwan-website/5-gp/yearbook/ch02.html|title=The Republic of China Yearbook 2009. Chapter 2&nbsp;– People and Language|year=2009|publisher=Government Information Office|accessdate=2 May 2010}}{{dead link|date=March 2011}}</ref>
|ethnic_groups = 98% [[Han Chinese|Ethnic Chinese]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gio.gov.tw/taiwan-website/5-gp/yearbook/ch02.html |title=The Republic of China Yearbook 2009 / Chapter 2: People and Language |publisher=Gio.gov.tw |date= |accessdate=1 August 2010}}{{dead link|date=March 2011}}</ref><ref name="CIAFact">{{CIA World Factbook link|tw|Taiwan}}</ref><br />
&nbsp;70% [[Hoklo people|Hoklo]]<br />
&nbsp;14% [[Hakka people|Hakka]]<br />
&nbsp;14% [[Waishengren#Mainlanders in Taiwan|Mainlanders]]<ref>''Waishengren'' usually refers to people who moved from mainland China to Taiwan after 1949 when the KMT retreated to Taiwan due to the [[Chinese Civil War]], and to their descendants born in Taiwan. It usually does not include citizens of the People's Republic of China who more recently moved to Taiwan.</ref><br />
2% [[Taiwanese aborigines]]<ref>Taiwanese Aborigines are officially categorised into 14 separate ethnic groups by the Republic of China. They have all been grouped into one group here for simplicity. For the entire list of groups, see [[List of ethnic groups in Taiwan]]</ref>
|government_type = [[Presidential system|Presidential]] [[republic]]
|leader_title1 = [[President of the Republic of China|President]]
|leader_name1 = [[Ma Ying-jeou]]
|leader_title2 = [[Vice President of the Republic of China|Vice President]]
|leader_name2 = [[Vincent Siew]]
|leader_title3 = [[Premier of the Republic of China|Premier]]
|leader_name3 = [[Wu Den-yih]]
|leader_title4 = [[President of the Legislative Yuan|President]] of the [[Legislative Yuan]]
|leader_name4 = [[Wang Jin-pyng]]
|area_km2 = 36,191
|area_sq_mi = 13,973.6
|area_rank = 136th
|area_magnitude = 1 E10
|percent_water = 10.34
|population_estimate = 23,174,528<ref name="taiwan-popstat">{{cite web|url=http://sowf.moi.gov.tw/stat/month/m1-01.xls |title=MOI Statistical Information Service |date= |accessdate=2011-06-22}}</ref>{{Ref label|popnote|b|}}
|population_estimate_year = 2011
|population_estimate_rank = 49th
|population_density_km2 = 640
|population_density_sq_mi = 1,658
|population_density_rank = 16th
|demonym = [[Taiwanese people|Taiwanese]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gio.gov.tw/taiwan-website/5-gp/relief/help_41.htm |title=The ROC's Humanitarian Relief Program for Afghan Refugees |publisher=Gio.gov.tw |date=2001-12-11 |accessdate=2009-05-07 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20041215030432/http://www.gio.gov.tw/taiwan-website/5-gp/relief/help_41.htm |archivedate = December 15, 2004}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gio.gov.tw/taiwan-website/4-oa/20051111/2005111101.html |title=Taiwanese health official invited to observe bird-flu conference |publisher=Gio.gov.tw |date=2005-11-11 |accessdate=2009-05-07}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://geography.about.com/library/weekly/aa030900a.htm |title=Demonyms&nbsp;– Names of Nationalities |publisher=Geography.about.com |accessdate=2009-05-07}}</ref> or [[Chinese people|Chinese]] or both
|GDP_PPP = $900,210 billion<ref name=imf2>{{cite web|url=http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2011/02/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2010&ey=2010&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=528&s=NGDPD%2CNGDPDPC%2CPPPGDP%2CPPPPC%2CLP&grp=0&a=&pr1.x=92&pr1.y=10|title=Republic of China (Taiwan)|publisher=International Monetary Fund|accessdate=2011-09-20}}</ref> 
|GDP_PPP_rank = 19th
|GDP_PPP_year = 2011
|GDP_PPP_per_capita = $39,245<ref name=imf2/> 
|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 20th
|GDP_nominal = $489.387 billion<ref name=imf2/>
|GDP_nominal_rank = 24th
|GDP_nominal_year = 2011
|GDP_nominal_per_capita = $21,832<ref name=imf2/> 
|GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = 37th
|sovereignty_type = Establishment
|established_event1 = Founding of the Republic of China
|established_date1 = 1 January 1912
|established_event2 = [[Retrocession Day|End of Japanese rule in Taiwan]]
|established_date2 = 25 October 1945
|established_event3 = [[Taiwan after World War II#From authoritarianism to democracy|Government relocated to Taipei]]
|established_date3 = 7 December 1949
|HDI = {{increase}} 0.868*<ref name="HDI-1">Due to its political status, the UN has not calculated an HDI for Taiwan. The Taiwanese government calculated its HDI for 2010 to be 0.868, and would rank 18th among countries.</ref><ref name="HDI-2">http://www.dgbas.gov.tw/public/Attachment/11715383471.doc</ref>
|HDI_year = 2010
|HD1_rank = 18
|HDI_category = {{color|green|Very high}}
|Gini=34.1 <ref>Regularly check CIA factbook or {{Cite journal|url=http://eng.stat.gov.tw/public/data/dgbas03/bs4/ninews_e/9808/t14e.xls |title= Household Income distribution of major countries}}</ref>
|Gini_year=2008
|Gini_category=<span style="color:#fc0;">medium</span>
|currency = [[New Taiwan dollar]] (NT$)
|currency_code = TWD
|country_code = TPE
|time_zone = [[Chungyuan Standard Time|CST]]
|utc_offset = [[UTC+8|+8]]
|time_zone_DST = not observed
|utc_offset_DST = [[UTC+8|+8]]
|date_format = yyyy-mm-dd <br /> yyyy年m月d日 <br /> ([[Common Era|CE]]; [[Chinese calendar|CE+2697]]) ''or'' [[Minguo calendar|民國yy年m月d日]]
|drives_on = right
|cctld = [[.tw]], [[.台灣]],<ref>{{cite web
 |url=http://brussels38.icann.org/meetings/brussels2010/transcript-board-25jun10-en.txt
 |title=ICANN Board Meeting Minutes
 |publisher=ICANN
 |date=25 June 2010 }}</ref> [[.台湾]]
|calling_code = [[+886]]
|footnotes =
a. {{note|names}} See also [[Name of China#Official names|Names of China]].
b. {{note|popnote}} Population and density ranks based on 2008 figures.
}}
'''Taiwan''' ({{Audio|En-us-Taiwan.ogg|listen|help=no}}; {{lang|zh-tw|[[wikt:台灣|台灣]]}}; [[pinyin]]: ''Táiwān''), officially the '''Republic of China''', is a [[sovereign state]] based on an island in [[East Asia]]. Besides the island of [[Taiwan (island)|Taiwan]], the state also governs [[Penghu]], [[Quemoy]], [[Matsu]], and [[List of islands of the Republic of China|other minor islands]]. Neighboring states include the [[China|People's Republic of China]] to the west, [[Japan]] to the east and northeast, and the [[Philippines]] to the south. The capital is [[Taipei]]. 

The [[Dutch East India Company]] had a trading post on Taiwan in the 17th century. The Dutch were ousted in 1662 by loyalists to China's Ming dynasty, and the island was later ruled by the Qing dynasty. Taiwan was acquired by Japan in 1895 as a result of the [[First Sino-Japanese War|Sino-Japanese War]]. It was returned to China in 1945 at the end of [[World War II]]. The division between Taiwan and the mainland originated in 1949, when the [[Kuomintang]], or Nationalist Party, was defeated by the Communists in the [[Chinese Civil War]], fled the mainland, and relocated to Taiwan.

Today, Taiwan is a thriving [[democracy|multi-party democracy]] that has a [[presidential system]] and [[universal suffrage]]. It experienced rapid economic growth, industrialization, and democratization during the latter half of the twentieth century. Despite its controversial political status, Taiwan is an [[industrialized]] [[advanced economy]]. It is one of the [[Four Asian Tigers]] and a member of the [[World Trade Organization|WTO]] and [[Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation|APEC]]. The [[List of countries by GDP (PPP)|19th-largest economy]] in the world: its advanced technology industry plays a key role in the global economy. It is [[#International rankings|ranked highly]] in terms of freedom of the press and health care.

==Names==
The [[Constitution of the Republic of China]], still in effect in Taiwan, gives the name of the state as '''[[Republic of China]]'''.<ref>"[http://www.taiwandocuments.org/constitution01.htm The Constitution of the Republic of China]"</ref> During the 1950s and 1960s, it was common to refer to the ROC as '''Nationalist China''' to differentiate it from the communist regime in Beijing.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Garver|first=John W. |title=The Sino-American Alliance: Nationalist China and American Cold War Strategy in Asia|publisher=M.E. Sharp|date=April 1997|isbn=978-0-7656-0025-7|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SDqjW8G5H4cC}}</ref> After Taipei lost its U.N. membership in 1971, international usage shifted to "Taiwan". Under the [[Taiwan Relations Act]] of 1979, the U.S. government uses "Taiwan" exclusively.<ref name="CIAFact"/> Since the 2000s, the Taiwanese government has been using '''Republic of China (Taiwan)''' as a long-form name, with '''Taiwan''' as a short form.<ref name="LongName"/> Due to pressure from the PRC, Taiwan participates in the Olympics and in other international organizations mostly under the moniker of [[Chinese Taipei]].<ref>"[http://www.nbcolympics.com/medals/2008-standings/index.html 2008 Medals]", ''Games of the XXX Olympiad: July 27 - August 12, 2012.'' NBC.</ref>

Until the 1960s, the island was usually called "Formosa." This name means "beautiful" in [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] and originated in the 16th century.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://homepage.usask.ca/~llr130/taiwanlibrary/formosacalling/formosa-calling.pdf|title=Formosa-calling}}</ref> The name "Taiwan" is derived from ''Tayouan'', the name of a 17th-century Dutch trading post.<ref name="etymology1">Tai, Shih-Shan Henry, ''Maritime Taiwan: Historical Encounters with the East and the West'', p.105.</ref> This, in turn, is probably based on an aboriginal word.<ref name="etymology1"/> The Chinese characters for "Taiwan" ([[wikt:台灣|台灣]]) have the literal meaning "terraced bay," but their intended meaning is phonetic only.<ref name="etymology2">[http://onlineroom.blogspot.com/2008/09/unusualfactsinterestingcountryplaces.html]</ref> In early Chinese usage, the name was written [[wikt:台|台]][[wikt:員|員]].<ref name="etymology2"/>

==History==
{{Main|History of Taiwan|Timeline of Taiwanese history}}

===Prehistory and early settlements===
{{Main|Prehistory of Taiwan|Kingdom of Middag}}
Evidence of human settlement in Taiwan dates back 30,000 years. About 4,000 years ago, ancestors of current [[Taiwanese aborigine]]s settled in Taiwan. These aborigines are classified genetically and linguistically as [[Austronesian peoples]].<ref>{{cite journal |year=2005 |date=August 2005 |title=Traces of Archaic Mitochondrial Lineages Persist in Austronesian-Speaking Formosan Populations |journal=PLOS Biology |volume=3 |issue=8 |doi= 10.1371/journal.pbio.0030247 |pages=e247 |pmid=15984912 |pmc=1166350|last1=Trejaut |first1=Jean A. |last2=Kivisild |first2=Toomas |last3=Loo |first3=Jun Hun |last4=Lee |first4=Chien Liang |last5=He |first5=Chun Lin |last6=Hsu |first6=Chia Jung |last7=Li |first7=Zheng Yuan |last8=Lin |first8=Marie }}</ref>
[[File:Chiefs Formosa 2.jpg|left|thumb|Chiefs belonging to one of the aboriginal tribes of present-day Taiwan.]]

Chinese first settled in the [[Penghu]] islands in the 1200s, but Taiwan's hostile tribes and its lack of the resources valued in that era rendered it unattractive to all but "occasional adventurers or fishermen engaging in barter" until the 16th century.<ref name = "shep">{{cite book |surname=Shepherd |given=John R. |title = Statecraft and Political Economy on the Taiwan Frontier, 1600–1800 |publisher=Stanford University Press |year=1993 | page = 7 | isbn =9780804720663 }} Reprinted Taipei: SMC Publishing, 1995.</ref>

Around 1540, Taiwan's main political entity was the [[Kingdom of Middag]], located in the central western plains. Later in that century, the population in the traditional Middag territories rose to oppose heavy labor imposed by the Chinese authorities, and was brutally quelled by Qing troops and collaborative tribes in 1732, a year after the initial uprising. After this turmoil came to an end, a supra-tribal leadership apparently ceased to exist in the island's central-western plains. The descendants of the Middag either assimilated into the ethnic Chinese population or migrated to present-day Puli, a basin township surrounded by high mountains in central Taiwan.

===European settlement===
{{Main|Dutch Formosa|Spanish Formosa}}
[[Image:Zeelandia from Dutch.jpg|right|thumb|Overview of [[Fort Zeelandia (Taiwan)|Fort Zeelandia]], painted around 1635]]
In 1544, as the [[Kingdom of Middag]] was being founded, a Portuguese ship sighted the main island of Taiwan and named it ''Ilha Formosa'', which means "Beautiful Island". In 1624, the [[Netherlands|Dutch]] established a commercial base on Taiwan and began to import workers from [[Fujian]] and [[Penghu]] (Pescadores) as laborers, many of whom settled. The Dutch had a trading post was at Tayoan City, present day [[Anping, Tainan]]. The name "Taiwan" is derived from ''Tayoan''. The Dutch military presence was concentrated at [[Fort Zeelandia (Taiwan)|Castle Zeelandia]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Finding the Heritage&nbsp;— Reasons for the project |work=National Anping Harbor Histosrical Park |url=http://anping.tncg.gov.tw/archaeology/e_aha_01.jsp |accessdate=8 March 2006}}</ref> In 1626, the Spanish occupied Keelong and Tanshui in northern Taiwan. They remained for 16 years.

===Kingdom of Tungning===
{{Main|Kingdom of Tungning}}
Chinese naval and troop forces of Southern Fujian defeated the Dutch in 1662, subsequently expelling the [[Dutch Empire|Dutch government]] and military from the island. They were led by [[Koxinga]] (Zheng Chenggong). Following the fall of the [[Ming Dynasty]], Koxinga retreated to Taiwan as a self-styled Ming loyalist and established the [[Kingdom of Tungning]] (1662–1683). Koxinga established his capital at [[Tainan City|Tainan]] and he and his heirs, [[Zheng Jing]], who ruled from 1662 to 1682, and [[Zheng Keshuang]], who served less than a year, continued to launch raids on the south-east coast of mainland China well into the [[Qing Dynasty]], attempting to recapture mainland China.

===Qing Dynasty rule===
{{Main|Taiwan under Qing Dynasty rule}}
[[File:Taiwanese aboriginese deerhunt1.png|thumb|Hunting deer. Painted in 1746.]]
In 1683, following the defeat of Koxinga's grandson by Admiral [[Shi Lang]], the [[Qing]] annexed Taiwan, placing it under the jurisdiction of Fujian province. Immigrants from Fujian continued to arrive in Taiwan. The border between taxpaying lands and "savage" lands shifted eastward, with some aborigines [[Sinicization|Sinicizing]] while others retreated into the mountains. During this time, there were a number of conflicts between ethnic Chinese from different regions of Fujian, and between ethnic Chinese and aborigines.

Northern Taiwan and the Penghu Islands were the scene of fighting in the [[Sino-French War]] (August 1884 to April 1885). The French occupied Keelung and the Penghu Islands briefly in 1884-1885. A French attempt to [[Battle of Tamsui|capture Tamsui]]. Several battles were fought around Keelung between Liu Ming-ch'uan's Army of Northern Taiwan and Colonel [[Jacques Duchesne]]'s Formosa Expeditionary Corps. The [[Keelung Campaign]], despite some notable French tactical victories, ended in a stalemate. The [[Pescadores Campaign]] was a French victory, but had no long-term consequences. The French evacuated both Keelung and the Penghu archipelago at the end of the war.

In 1885, the Qing upgraded Taiwan's status from [[Prefecture#The ancient sense|prefecture]] of [[Fujian]] to a full [[province of China|province]], with its capital at [[Taipei]]. This was accompanied by a modernization drive that included building Taiwan's first railroad and creating a postal service.<ref>{{cite web |year=2006 |title=Build History of Main Routes of Taiwan Railway |work=Taiwan Railway Administration |url=http://www.railway.gov.tw/n/n1_01.htm |accessdate=6 March 2006 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20060218073123/http://www.railway.gov.tw/n/n1_01.htm Taiwan Railway Administration |archivedate = 18 February 2006}}</ref>

===Japanese rule===
{{Main|Taiwan under Japanese rule|Republic of Formosa}}
[[Image:TaipeiROCPresidentialOfficeBuilding.jpg|thumb|The [[Presidential Building (Taipei)|Presidential Office]] was originally built as the Office of the [[Governor-General of Taiwan|Governor-General]] by the Japanese government.]]

Japan had sought to control Taiwan since 1592, when [[Toyotomi Hideyoshi]] began extending Japanese influence overseas. In 1609, the [[Tokugawa Shogunate]] sent [[Arima Harunobu]] on an exploratory mission. In 1616, Murayama Toan led an unsuccessful invasion of the island.

In 1871, an [[Mudan Incident of 1871|Okinawan vessel shipwrecked]] on the southern tip of Taiwan and the crew of fifty-four was beheaded by the [[Paiwan people|Paiwan]] aborigines. The [[Ryūkyū Kingdom]] kept a tributary relationship with Great Qing Empire at the same time was subordinate to [[Satsuma Domain]] of Japan. When Japan sought compensation from [[Great Qing|Qing China]], it was first rejected because Qing considered the incident an internal affair since Taiwan was a prefecture of Fujian Province of Qing and the Ryūkyū Kingdom was a tributary of Qing. When Japanese foreign minister [[Soejima Taneomi]] asked the compensation again claiming four of the victims were Japanese citizens from [[Okayama]] prefecture of Japan, Qing officials rejected the demand on the grounds that the "wild" and "unsubjugated" aboriginals ({{zh|t=台灣生番|s=台湾生番|p=Táiwān shēngfān}}) were outside its jurisdiction. Such aboriginals were treated extremely harshly; American consul J.W. Davidson described how the Chinese in Taiwan ate and traded in their aboriginal victims' flesh.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://taiwanreview.nat.gov.tw/fp.asp?xItem=1456&CtNode=119|title=Taiwan Review}}</ref> The open renunciation of sovereignty led to a Japanese invasion of Taiwan. In 1874, an [[Taiwan Expedition of 1874|expeditionary force]] of three thousand troops was sent to the island. There were about thirty Taiwanese and 543 Japanese casualties (twelve in battle and 531 by [[Endemic (epidemiology)|endemic]] diseases for the Japanese side).<ref>
{{cite book
| last = Chiu
| first = Hungdah
| authorlink =
| year = 1979
| chapter =
| title = China and the Taiwan Issue
| publisher = Praeger Publishers Inc.
| location = London
| isbn = 0030489113
}}</ref><ref>{{cite book
| last = Paine
| first = S.C.M
| authorlink =
| year = 2002
| chapter =
| title = The Sino-Japanese War of 1894–1895: Perceptions, Power, and Primacy
| publisher = Cambridge University Press
| location = London
| isbn = 0-521-81714-5
}}</ref><ref>{{cite book
| last = Ravina
| first = Mark
| authorlink =
| year = 2003
| chapter =
| title = The Last Samurai: The Life and Battles of Saigo Takamori
| publisher = Wiley
| location =
| isbn = 0471089702
}}<br/>Smits, Gregory (1999). "Visions of Ryūkyū: Identity and Ideology in Early-Modern Thought and Politics." Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press.</ref>

[[File:Tsou youth of Taiwan (pre-1945).jpg|thumb|left|Pre-World War II photo of a [[Tsou]] man.]]
The Qing Dynasty was defeated in the [[First Sino-Japanese War]] (1894–1895) and Taiwan and Penghu were [[Treaty of Shimonoseki|ceded in full sovereignty]] to the [[Empire of Japan]]. Inhabitants wishing to remain Qing subjects were given a two-year grace period to sell their property and move to mainland China. Very few Taiwanese saw this as feasible.<ref>Ryotaro, Shiba. ''Taiwan Kikou''</ref>

On 25 May 1895, a group of pro-Qing high officials proclaimed the [[Republic of Formosa]] to resist impending Japanese rule. Japanese forces entered the capital at Tainan and quelled this resistance on 21 October 1895.{{Citation needed|date=August 2009}}
[[Image:Japanese Soldier Entering Taipei(1895).jpg|thumb|upright|[[Japanese people|Japanese]] Soldiers Entering [[Taipei]] City in 1895 after the [[Treaty of Shimonoseki]].]]
The Japanese rulers were instrumental in the industrialization of the island; they extended the railroads and other transportation networks, built an extensive sanitation system and revised the public school system. Japanese rule ended the practice of [[headhunting]].<ref><span style="font-style:normal" id="CITEREFHsu1991">Hsu, Mutsu (1991). ''Culture, Self and Adaptation: The Psychological Anthropology of Two Malayo-Polynesian Groups in Taiwan''<nowiki>. </nowiki>Taipei, Taiwan<nowiki>: </nowiki>Institute of Ethnology, Academia Sinica</span>. {{ISBN|957-9046-78-6}}.</ref> During this period, both rice and sugarcane production greatly increased. By 1939, Taiwan was the seventh greatest sugar producer in the world.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gio.gov.tw/taiwan-website/5-gp/yearbook/2001/chpt04-3.htm|title=The History of Taiwan| publisher=The Republic of China Year Book 2001, fourth last paragraph, last sentence}}</ref> Still, the Taiwanese and Aborigines were classified as second- and third-class citizens. Large-scale violence continued in the first decade of rule. Japan launched over 160 battles to destroy Taiwan's aboriginal tribes during its 51-year rule of the island ...'<ref>[http://taiwansecurity.org/AFP/2005/AFP-050405.htm]{{Dead link|url=http://taiwansecurity.org/AFP/2005/AFP-050405.htm|date=March 2008}}</ref> Around 1935, the Japanese began an island-wide [[Japanization|assimilation]] project to bind the island more firmly to the Japanese Empire and people were taught to see themselves as Japanese. During World War II, tens of thousands of Taiwanese served in the Japanese military.<ref>{{cite web |year=2007 |title=History |work=Oversea Office Republic of China (Taiwan) |url=http://www.roc-taiwan.org/ct.asp?xItem=456&CtNode=2243&mp=1&xp1= |accessdate=2 July 2007 }}</ref> For example, former President [[Lee Teng-hui]]'s elder brother served in the Japanese navy and died while on duty in the Philippines in February 1945.

The [[Imperial Japanese Navy]] operated heavily out of Taiwan. The "[[The Japanese Navy Taiwan and South Pacific Mandate political project|South Strike Group]]" was based out of the [[Taihoku Imperial University]] in Taiwan. Many of the Japanese forces participating in the [[Aerial Battle of Taiwan-Okinawa]] were based in Taiwan. Important Japanese military bases and industrial centers throughout Taiwan, like Kaohsiung, were targets of heavy [[Raid on Taipei|American bombing]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Shu LinKou Air Station: World War II|url=http://shulinkou.tripod.com/dawg2e.html|publisher=Ken Ashley, U.S. military photo archives|accessdate=June 14, 2011}}</ref>

Taiwan under Empire of Japan rule ended after it lost World War II and signed the [[Instrument of Surrender of Japan]] on 14 August 1945. But the Japanese rule had long lasting effects on Taiwan. Education became compulsory for school age children. Significant parts of Taiwanese infrastructure were started under the Japanese rule. The current [[Presidential Office Building, Taipei|Presidential Building]] was also built during that time. In 1938 there were 309,000 [[Japanese diaspora|Japanese settlers]] in Taiwan.<ref>[http://www.jstor.org/pss/2752241 Formosa (Taiwan) Under Japanese Rule]</ref> After World War II, most of the Japanese [[World War II evacuation and expulsion|were repatriated to Japan]].

===Nationalist rule===
{{Main|Taiwan after World War II}}

On 25 October 1945, the [[US Navy]] ferried Chinese troops to Taiwan to accept the surrender of Japanese military forces. General [[Rikichi Andō]], the Japanese commander, signed the [[Japanese Instrument of Surrender|surrender document]] and transferred control to General [[Chen Yi (Kuomintang)|Chen Yi]]. Chen Yi proclaimed a [[Retrocession Day|Retrocession Day of Taiwan]]."<ref>{{Citation
|url=http://www.taiwanbasic.com/hansard/uk/uk1955as.htm
|title=Far East (Formosa and the Pescadores)
|publisher=U.K. Parliament, Hansard
|date=May 4, 1955
|quote=The Chinese Nationalists began a military occupation of Formosa and the Pescadores in 1945. However, these areas were under Japanese sovereignty until 1952.
|accessdate=2010-09-01}}</br>{{Citation
|url=http://www.taiwanbasic.com/lawjrn/res-cs1.htm
|title=Resolving Cross-Strait Relations Between China and Taiwan
|publisher=American Journal of International Law
|date=July 2000
|quote=After occupying Taiwan in 1945 as a result of Japan's surrender, the Nationalists were defeated on the mainland in 1949, abandoning it to retreat to Taiwan.
|accessdate=2010-09-01}}</ref> The administration of [[Chen Yi (KMT)|Chen Yi]] was strained by social and economic woes such as [[hyperinflation]]. Cultural and linguistic conflicts between Taiwanese and the mainland Chinese quickly led to a loss of popular support.<ref>{{cite news |title=This Is the Shame |date=10 June 1946 |newspaper=Time |location = New York |url=http://www.time.com/time/archive/preview/0,10987,792979,00.html}}</ref> In the [[228 incident]], an estimated 20,000-30,000 civilians were executed by the army. This was follow by a crackdown referred to as the [[White Terror (Taiwan)|White Terror]].<ref>{{cite news |title=China: Snow Red & Moon Angel |date=7 April 1947 |newspaper=Time | location = New York |url=http://www.time.com/time/archive/preview/0,10987,804090,00.html}}</ref>[[File:中華民國第一位民選首都市長吳三連於1951年勝選後 First People-elected Mayor of Taipei, the Capital of TAIWAN.jpg|left|thumb|Non-Kuomintang Taiwanese politician Wu San-lian (2L) celebrated his landslide victory (65.5 percent) in the first [[Taipei]] mayoral election, held in January [[1951]] with his supporters.]]

The Nationalists, led by President [[Chiang Kai-shek]], relocated from [[Nanjing]] to [[Taipei]] in 1949 at the end of the [[Chinese Civil War]]. Despite the fact that they now governed only Taiwan, [[Quemoy]] and the [[Matsu Islands]], the Nationalists continued to claim sovereignty over all China. In mainland China, the Communists established the PRC, which also claims to be the sole legitimate Chinese government.<ref>{{cite web |year= 2005 |title=The One-China Principle and the Taiwan Issue |work=PRC Taiwan Affairs Office and the Information Office of the State Council |url=http://www.gwytb.gov.cn:8088/detail.asp?table=WhitePaper&title=White%20Papers%20On%20Taiwan%20Issue&m_id=4 | quote = Section 1: Since the KMT ruling clique retreated to Taiwan, its regime has continued to use the designations 'Republic of China' and 'government of the Republic of China,' despite having long since completely forfeited its right to exercise state sovereignty on behalf of China.}}{{dead link|date=May 2011}}</ref>

Some 2 million people, mainly soldiers and [[Kuomintang]] party members, as well China's intellectual and business elite, fled mainland China at this time. The Nationalists transferred various national treasures to Taiwan, as well as the nation's gold and foreign currency reserves.<ref>{{cite book|last= Dunbabin |first=J. P. D. |title=The Cold War |publisher=Pearson Education |year=2008 |page=187 |isbn=978-0582423985 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IVriqPvx7iwC&pg=PA187 |quote=In 1949 Chiang Kai-shek had transferred to Taiwan the government, gold reserve, and some of the army of his Republic of China.}}</ref>

The White Terror included a 38-period of martial law, the longest anywhere in the world. Many thousands were arrested, tortured, imprisoned and executed for their alleged opposition to the Kuomintang Party. Since many of these people were from the intellectual and social elite, an entire generation of political and social leaders was decimated. It was not until 2008 that a public apology was made. No form of restitution or compensation has ever been made.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7509805.stm | title= Taiwan sorry for white terror era | first = Caroline | last = Gluck | date = 16 July 2008 | work = BBC News Online | location = London }}</ref>

Little distinction was made between the government and the Nationalist party, so public property, government property, and party property was largely interchangeable. Many government workers required to become KMT members, while party workers were paid salaries and promised retirement benefits as if they were government employees. The creation of opposition parties was outlawed, and many political opponents were persecuted or incarcerated.{{Citation needed|date=May 2008}}[[File:U.S._President_Eisenhower_visited_TAIWAN_美國總統艾森豪於1960年6月訪問臺灣台北時與蔣中正總統-2.jpg|right|thumb|With President [[Chiang Kai-shek]], the U.S. President [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] waves to Taiwanese during a visit to [[Taipei]] in June 1960.]]

From 1948 to 1987, Taiwan was a [[one-party state]] under [[martial law]]. The [[Temporary Provisions Effective During the Period of Communist Rebellion]] gave the president enhanced constitutional authority and suspended term limits. Later, presidents [[Chiang Ching-kuo]] and [[Lee Teng-hui]] democratized the system, and the issue of the [[political status of Taiwan]] has resurfaced.

In the 1950s, Taiwan was caught up in the world-wide [[Cold War]]. The Soviet Union backed the Communists, while the United States backed the Nationalists. There were two international crises focusing on the [[Taiwan Straits]], and the Communists repeatedly bombarded Nationalist-held Quemoy and Matsu. Anticipating a return to the mainland, the Nationalists built up military fortifications. As part of this effort, former KMT soldiers built the [[Central Cross-Island Highway]] through the [[Taroko Gorge]] in the 1950s. Under [[Project National Glory]], the Nationalists conducted numerous night raids on Communist-held territory well into the 1960s. During the [[Second Taiwan Strait Crisis]] in September 1958, Taiwan received [[Nike-Hercules missile]] batteries.

During the 1960s and 1970s, Taiwan developed into a prosperous, industrialized nation, one of the so called [[Four Asian Tigers]]. This [[Taiwan Miracle]] was possible because the fiscal regime was independent of the mainland, because the US provided economic aid, and because demand for Taiwanese products in the US was strong.<ref name="bbctimeline-coldwar">{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/enwiki/static/in_depth/asia_pacific/2000/taiwan_elections2000/1955_1972.stm|title=Taiwan Timeline&nbsp;– Cold war fortress|year=2002|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=2009-07-02}}Woodward, Taiwanese hyperinflation, "Yet, the Chinese Nationalist government attempted to isolate Taiwan from the mainland inflation by creating it as an independent currency area. And during the later stages of the civil war it was able to end the hyperinflation on Taiwan, something it was unable to do on the mainland despite two attempts."</ref> In the 1970s, Taiwan had the second fastest growing economy in Asia (after Japan).<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,917286-3,00.html|title=China: Chiang Kai-shek: Death of the Casualty|date=14 April 1975|publisher=TIME|page=3|accessdate=16 December 2009}}</ref> However, martial law and the KMT monopoly on power continued. Western nations and the [[United Nations]] regarded the Nationalists as the legitimate rulers of China until the early 1970s, when most nations switched recognition to Beijing.

===Post-Martial Law===
{{Main|History of Taiwan#Democratic reforms}}
[[Chiang Kai-shek]]'s successor, his son [[Chiang Ching-kuo]], began to liberalize Taiwan's political system in mid-1980s. In 1984, the younger Chiang selected [[Lee Teng-hui]], an ethnically Taiwanese and U.S.-educated technocrat, to be his vice president. In 1986, the [[Democratic Progressive Party]] (DPP) was formed and inaugurated as the first opposition party in Taiwan to counter the KMT. A year later Chiang Ching-kuo lifted martial law.

After the death of Chiang Ching-kuo in January 1988, Dr. Lee Teng-hui succeed as president and became the first ethnically Taiwanese president of Taiwan. Lee continued to democratize the government and decrease the concentration of government authority in the hands of mainland Chinese. Under Lee, Taiwan underwent a process of [[Taiwanese localization movement|localization]]. Taiwanese culture and history were promoted, while the Chinese nationalist views were de-emphasized. Banknote were issued by the Central Bank, rather than the Provincial Bank of Taiwan, and the [[Taiwan Province|Taiwan Provincial Government]] was streamlined, with most of its functions transferred to the [[Executive Yuan]]. The members of the [[Legislative Yuan]] and [[National Assembly of the Republic of China|National Assembly]] who were elected in 1947 to represent mainland Chinese constituencies were forced to resign in 1991. Restrictions on the use of the [[Taiwanese Hokkien|Taiwanese dialect]] in the broadcast media and in schools were lifted. During later years of Lee's administration, he was involved in corruption controversies relating to government release of land and weapons purchases, although no legal proceedings commenced.
 
Lee was elected in 1996 by the first popular vote held in Taiwan. In 2000, [[Chen Shui-bian]], leader of the [[Democratic Progressive Party]], was elected as the first non-Kuomintang president. Chen was re-elected in 2004. The island politics is now dominated by the conservative [[Pan-Blue Coalition]] led by the KMT, and the pro-independence [[Pan-Green Coalition]] led by the DPP.

On 30 September 2007, the ruling DPP approved a [[Resolution (law)|resolution]] asserting separate identity from China and called for the enactment of a new [[constitution]] for a "normal country". It also called for general use of "Taiwan" as the island's name, without abolishing its formal name, the [[Republic of China]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jF4syWWBWq5u3MZEs-3s9IUT8pGgD8RVKVM80|title=AP, Taiwan Party Asserts Separate Identity}}{{Dead link|url=http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jF4syWWBWq5u3MZEs-3s9IUT8pGgD8RVKVM80|date=May 2009}}</ref> The Chen administration also pushed for referendums on national defense and UN entry in the 2004 and 2008 elections, but these failed due to low voter turnout.<ref name="lam200803">{{cite journal | last = Lam | first = Willy | title = Ma Ying-jeou and the Future of Cross-Strait Relations | journal = China Brief | volume = 8 | issue = 7 | publisher = Jamestown Foundation | date = 28 March 2008 | url = http://jamestown.org/china_brief/article.php?articleid=2374064 | accessdate = 4 April 2008 | format = – <sup>[http://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar?hl=en&lr=&q=author%3ALam+intitle%3AMa+Ying-jeou+and+the+Future+of+Cross-Strait+Relations&as_publication=China+Brief&as_ylo=&as_yhi=&btnG=Search Scholar search]</sup> |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20080413105956/http://www.jamestown.org/china_brief/article.php?articleid=2374064 |archivedate = 13 April 2008}}</ref> The Chen administration was dogged by public concerns over low economic growth, legislative gridlock due to an opposition controlled Legislative Yuan, and corruption involving the First Family as well as government officials.<ref name = "economist20080323">{{cite news | title = The Nationalists are back in Taiwan | newspaper = The Economist | location = London | date = 23 March 2008 }}</ref><ref name = "ft20080325">{{Cite news | title = Straitened times: Taiwan looks to China | newspaper = The Financial Times | year = 2008 | date = 03-25 | url = http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/07d43e18-fa9a-11dc-aa46-000077b07658.html}}</ref>

The KMT increased its majority in the Legislative Yuan in the [[Republic of China legislative election, 2008|January 2008 legislative elections]]. Campaigning on a platform of increased economic growth, and better ties with the Beijing under a policy of "[[Special non-state-to-state relations|mutual nondenial]]", KMT nominee [[Ma Ying-jeou]] [[Republic of China presidential election, 2008|won the presidency]] in March.<ref name="lam200803" /> China experienced strong economic growth after joining the [[World Trade Organization]], making economic cooperation more attractive. Despite Ma's election, diplomatic and military tension with China continues.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.voanews.com/english/20 August 2009-voa17.cfm |title=Taiwan-China Economic Ties Boom, Military Tensions Remain &#124; News &#124; English |publisher=Voanews.com |date=20 August 2009 |accessdate=1 August 2010}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref>

==Political status==
{{Main|Political status of Taiwan}}

Taiwan's political status is a contentious issue. China claims that the Taiwanese government is illegitimate, referring to it as the "Taiwan Authority". Taiwan, however, with its own constitution, independently elected president and a large army, continues to view itself as an independent [[sovereign state]]. Its current territory has never been controlled by the PRC.<ref>{{cite web|year=2005 |title=The One-China Principle and the Taiwan Issue |work=PRC Taiwan Affairs Office and the Information Office of the State Council |url=http://www.gwytb.gov.cn:8088/detail.asp?table=WhitePaper&title=White%20Papers%20On%20Taiwan%20Issue&m_id=4 |accessdate=2006-03-06}}{{Dead link|date=August 2010}} Section 1: "Since the KMT ruling clique retreated to Taiwan, although its regime has continued to use the designations "Republic of China" and "government of the Republic of China," it has long since completely forfeited its right to exercise state sovereignty on behalf of mainland China and, in reality, has always remained only a separate state on the island of Taiwan."</ref><ref>BBC News, "Taiwan Flashpoint", "But Taiwan's leaders say it is clearly much more than a province, arguing that it is a sovereign state. It has its own constitution, democratically elected leaders, and 400,000 troops in its armed forces."</ref> Internationally, there is controversy on whether the ROC still exists as a state or a defunct state per [[international law]] due to the loss of membership/recognition in the [[United Nations]] and lack of wide [[diplomatic recognition]]. According to a poll taken by the [[TVBS]] in 2010, the majority of Taiwanese residents—64%—opt for the status quo (i.e. no independence, no unification with mainland China), while 19% favor independence and 5% unification.<ref name="tid-tvbs-survey">{{cite web|url=http://www.tvbs.com.tw/FILE_DB/DL_DB/yijung/200905/yijung-20090508145032.pdf|publisher=TVBS|title=ECFA issues and the nationality identification}}</ref>

The political environment of [[cross-Strait relations]] is complicated by the potential for military conflict should overt actions toward independence or [[Chinese reunification|reunification]] be taken. It is the official policy of China to use force to ensure reunification if peaceful reunification is no longer possible, as stated in its [[Anti-Secession Law of the People's Republic of China|anti-secession law]], and for this reason there are substantial military installations on the [[Fujian]] coast.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/china/facility/liancheng.htm|title=Liancheng / Lianfeng Airbase&nbsp;– Chinese Military Forces|publisher=Federation of American Scientists|accessdate=2009-06-07|quote=In March 2000 it was reported that the PLA Air Force was deploying new air-defense missiles [possibly batteries of Russian-made S-300 missiles] opposite Taiwan at the coastal cities of Xiamen and Shantou, and at Longtian, near Fuzhou.}}</ref><ref name=2004NatDefRpt>{{cite web|year=2004 |title=2004 National Defense Report |work=ROC Ministry of National Defense |url=http://report.mnd.gov.tw/eng/pdf/all-1-360.pdf |accessdate=2006-03-05|pages=89–90|quote=The PRC refusal to renounce using military power against Taiwan, its current emphasis on 'enhancing preparation for military struggle', its obvious intention of preparing a war against Taiwan reflected in operational deployment, readiness efforts, and annual military exercises in the Southeast China coastal region, and its progress in aerospace operations, information warfare, paralyzing warfare, and non-conventional warfare, all of these factors work together so that the ROC Armed Forces face an increasingly complicated and difficult situation in terms of self-defense and counterattack. These multiple daunting challenges are testing our defense security. |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20060311012134/http://report.mnd.gov.tw/eng/pdf/all-1-360.pdf |archivedate = March 11, 2006}}</ref> China supports a version of the [[One-China policy]], which states that Taiwan and mainland China are both part of 'China', and that the People's Republic of China is the only legitimate government of 'China'. It uses this policy to prevent the international recognition of Taiwan as an independent sovereign state. For its part, China appears to find the retention of the name "Republic of China" more acceptable than an official declaration of an independent Taiwan. With the rise of the Taiwanese independence movement, the name "Taiwan" has been employed increasingly more often on the island.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article1475250.ece|title=War of words after call for independence|last=Macartney|first=Jane |date=6 March 2007|publisher=Times Online|accessdate=2009-06-04 | location=London}}</ref>

Within Taiwan, opinions are polarized between those supporting [[Chinese reunification|unification]], represented by the [[Pan-Blue Coalition]] of parties, and those supporting [[Taiwan independence|independence]], represented by the [[Pan-Green Coalition]]. The KMT, the largest Pan-Blue party, 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 China as such a prospect would be unacceptable to most of its members and the public.<ref name="ma-three-noes"/> Ma Ying-jeou, chairman of the KMT and the current President, has set out democracy, economic development to a level near that of Taiwan, and equitable wealth distribution as the conditions that China must fulfill for reunification to occur.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/national/national%20news/2008/05/16/156644/Unification-with.htm|title=Unification with China unlikely 'in our lifetimes': president-elect|last=Enav|first=Peter |date=2008-05-16|publisher=The China Post|accessdate=2009-06-13|quote='It is very difficult for us to see any unification talks even in our lifetimes,' Ma said. 'Taiwanese people would like to have economic interactions with the mainland, but obviously they don’t believe their political system is suitable for Taiwan.'}}</ref> On 2 September 2008, ''El Sol de México'' asked President Ma Ying-jeou about his views on the subject of "[[two Chinas]]" and if there was a solution for the sovereignty issues between the two. The President replied that the relations are neither between two Chinas nor two states, but a [[Special non-state-to-state relations|special relationship]]. Further, he stated that the sovereignty issues between the two cannot be resolved at present, but he quoted the "[[1992 Consensus]]", currently accepted by both sides, as a temporary measure until a solution becomes available.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.oem.com.mx/oem/notas/n836891.htm|title=Impulsa Taiwan la reconciliación|date=2008-09-02|publisher=''El Sol de México''|language=Spanish|accessdate=2009-06-09|quote=Esencialmente, no definiríamos la relación a través del estrecho de Taiwan como una relación de dos países o dos Chinas, porque nuestra Constitución no lo permite. Nosotros definiríamos está relación como una relación muy especial, ya que la Constitución nuestra, igual que la Constitución de China continental, no permite la existencia de otro país dentro del territorio.}}</ref> President Ma Ying-jeou has reasserted the ROC's claim to be the sole legitimate government of China and the claim that mainland China is part of ROC's territory.<ref name="MasClaimtoMainland">{{Cite news|title=Ma refers to China as ROC territory in magazine interview|publisher=Taipei Times|date=2008-10-08|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2008/10/08/2003425320}}</ref> He does not, however, actively seek reunification, and prefers to maintain an ambiguous ''status quo'' in order to improve relations with China.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article4636572.ece|title=President Ma Ying-jeou of Taiwan has progress making ties with China|date=2008-08-30 | location=London | work=The Times | first=Jane | last=MacArtney}}</ref>

The [[Democratic Progressive Party|DPP]], the largest Pan-Green party, officially seeks independence, but in practice also supports the status quo because its members and the public would not accept the risk of provoking China.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Eckholm |first=Erik |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2000/03/22/world/why-a-victory-in-taiwan-wasn-t-enough-for-some.html |title=Why a Victory in Taiwan Wasn't Enough for Some&nbsp;– The New York Times |work=The New York Times|date=2000-03-22 |accessdate=2009-05-28}}</ref><ref>BBC News, "Taiwan Flashpoint", "Since neither outcome looks likely in the short or even medium term, it is perhaps not surprising that opinion polls suggest most Taiwanese people want things to stay as they are, with the island's ambiguous status unresolved."</ref> Former President [[Chen Shui-bian]] of the [[Democratic Progressive Party]] stated during his administration that any decision should be decided through a public referendum. Both parties' current foreign policy positions support actively advocating Taiwanese participation in international organizations, but while the KMT accepts the [[One-China policy|One-China]] principle, the DPP encourages the participation of Taiwan as a sovereign state.

==Politics==
{{Main|Politics of the Republic of China}}
{{multiple image
|width = 140
|footer =
|image1 = <!--DPP-Taiwan.svg-->
|alt1 = A circular logo representing the island of Taiwan surrounded by the text "DEMOCRATIC PROGRESSIVE PARTY" and "民主進步黨"
|caption1 = Emblem of the [[Democratic Progressive Party]], the main [[Pan-Green Coalition]] party.
|image2 = Emblem of the Kuomintang.svg
|alt2 = A circular logo representing a white sun on a blue background. The sun is a circle surrounded by twelve triangles.
|caption2 = Emblem of the [[Kuomintang]], the main [[Pan-Blue Coalition]] party.
}}
The constitution of the Republic of China was drafted before the fall of mainland China to the [[Communist]]s. It was created by the KMT for the purpose of all of its claimed territory, including Taiwan, even though the Chinese Communist party boycotted the drafting of the constitution. The constitution went into effect on 25 December 1947.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Ginsburg|first=Tom|title=Judicial review in new democracies|publisher=Cambridge University Press|page=111|year=2003|isbn=0521520398|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qJrsouEjOZEC&pg=PA111}}</ref> Martial law existed from 1948 until 1987. Political reforms beginning in the late 1970s and continuing through the early 1990s liberalized Taiwan from an authoritarian one-party state into a multiparty democracy. Since then some constitutional components that were originally meant for the whole of China have been suspended; this process of amendment continues. In 2000, the [[Democratic Progressive Party]] (DPP) won the [[President of the Republic of China|presidency]], ending the KMT's historical single-party rule. 

The tension between the [[two Chinas]] colors most of the political life in Taiwan, and any government move towards "Taiwan independence" is met by threat of military attack from China.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/country_profiles/1285915.stm|title=Country profile: Taiwan|date=2009-09-11|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=17 January 2010}}</ref> China's official policy is to [[Chinese reunification|reunify Taiwan and mainland China]] under the formula of "[[one country, two systems]]" and refuses to renounce the use of military force, especially should Taiwan seek a declaration of independence.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.fapa.org/chinawp/chinathreatwp223.html|title=China's Threats, Editorial|date=2000-02-23|newspaper=Washington Post|accessdate=31 October 2011}}</ref>

The political scene in Taiwan is generally divided into two major camps in terms of views on [[cross-strait relations]]. Tthe [[Pan-Blue Coalition]], composed of the pro-unification and center-right [[Kuomintang]] (KMT, majority party), [[People First Party (Republic of China)|People First Party]] (PFP), and [[New Party (Republic of China)|New Party]], believe that the ROC is the sole legitimate government of "China" (including Taiwan) and supports eventual [[Chinese reunification]]. The opposition [[Pan-Green Coalition]] is composed of the pro-independence [[Democratic Progressive Party]] (DPP, majority party) and the centrist [[Taiwan Solidarity Union|Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU)]]; it regards Taiwan as an already independent, sovereign state [[Four-Stage Theory of the Republic of China|synonymous with the ROC]], opposes the definition that Taiwan is part of "China", and seeks wide [[diplomatic recognition]] and an eventual declaration of formal [[Taiwan independence]].<ref>BBC News, "Taiwan Flashpoint", "Officially, the DPP still favours eventual independence for Taiwan, while the KMT favours eventual re-unification."</ref> 

The Pan-Green camp tends to favor emphasizing the Republic of China as being a distinct country from China. Thus, in September 2007, the then ruling Democratic Progressive Party 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".<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2007-09-30-taiwan_N.htm |title=Taiwan party asserts separate identity from China |publisher=USATODAY.Com |date=2007-09-30 |accessdate=2009-05-29}}</ref> Some members of the coalition, such as former [[President of the Republic of China|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.<ref>{{cite web|author=Crisis Group |url=http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=1653&l=1 |title=Taiwan Strait I: What's Left of 'One China'?|publisher=International Crisis Group |date=6 June 2003 |accessdate=2009-05-29 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20080709035143/http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=1653&l=1 |archivedate = July 9, 2008}}</ref> Native Taiwanese President [[Lee Teng-hui]], whilst being part of the Pan-Blue coalition, also held a similar view and was a supporter of the [[Taiwanization]] movement during his presidency.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Shirk |first=Susan L.|title=China: Fragile Superpower|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2007|isbn=9780195306095}}</ref>

Pan-Blue members generally support the concept of the One-China policy, which states that there is only one China and that its only government is the ROC. They favor eventual re-unification of China.<ref name="panblue-reunif-chineseid">{{Cite book|last=Pares|first=Susan |title=A political and economic dictionary of East Asia|publisher=Routledge|date=2005-02-24|page=267|isbn=978-1-85743-258-9|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xJKePP5ATKUC|quote=The Pan-Blue coalition on the whole favours a Chinese nationalist identity and policies supporting reunification and increased economic links with the People's Republic of China.}}</ref> The more mainstream Pan-Blue position is to lift investment restrictions and pursue negotiations with China to immediately open direct transportation links. Regarding independence, the mainstream Pan-Blue position is to maintain the [[status quo]], while refusing immediate [[Chinese reunification|reunification]].<ref name="ma-three-noes">{{cite web|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2008/01/21/2003398185 |title=Looking behind Ma's 'three noes'|publisher=Taipei Times |date=2008-01-21 |accessdate=2009-05-28}}</ref> President [[Ma Ying-jeou]] stated that there will be no unification nor declaration of independence during his presidency.<ref name="MasClaimtoMainland"/><ref name="chinapost.com.tw">{{Cite news|title=Taiwan and China in 'special relations': Ma|publisher=China Post|date=2008-09-04|url=http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/china-taiwan%20relations/2008/09/04/173082/Taiwan-and.htm}}</ref> As of 2009, Pan-Blue members usually seek to improve relationships with mainland China, with a current focus on improving economic ties.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4482617.stm |title=World &#124; Asia-Pacific &#124; Taiwan opposition leader in China |publisher=BBC News |date=2005-04-26 |accessdate=2009-05-28}}</ref>

Roughly 84% of Taiwan's population descends from Han Chinese who migrated from mainland China between 1661 and 1895. Another significant fraction descends from Han Chinese who immigrated from mainland China in the 1940s and 1950s. But between 1895 and the present, Taiwan and mainland China have shared a common government for only 4 years. The shared cultural origin combined with several hundred years of geographical separation, some hundred years of political separation and foreign influences, as well as hostility between the rival Taiwan and China have resulted in national identity being a contentious issue with political overtones. Since democratization and the lifting of martial law, a distinct [[Taiwanese identity]] (as opposed to Taiwanese identity as a subset of a Chinese 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 for ''de jure'' Taiwan independence.<ref name="power-shift">{{Cite book|last=Shambaugh|first=David L.|title=Power shift|publisher=University of California Press|year=2006|pages=179–183|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rMicZHVR_y4C&pg=PA179|isbn=0520245709}}</ref> 

The [[pan-green]] camp supports a distinct Taiwanese identity, while the [[pan-blue]] camp supports a Chinese identity only.<ref name="panblue-reunif-chineseid"/> The KMT has downplayed this stance in the recent years and now supports a Taiwanese identity as part of a Chinese identity.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/eo20081230ho.html|title=No sign of a 'peace agreement'|last=Okazaki|first=Hisahiko|date=30 December 2008|publisher=The Japan Times Online|accessdate=2009-07-15|quote=For one thing, I believe there is recognition that the awareness of Taiwanese identity is now irreversible. The KMT government did things like rename the "Taiwan Post" to "Chunghwa Post" as soon as it came in. But it did not take much time to perceive that it would cause a backlash among the Taiwan populace. The cross-strait exchanges have also brought about opposition demonstrations from time to time. This appears to be one of the reasons for the abrupt decline in the approval rating of the Ma administration.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1211639,00.html|title=10 Questions: Ma Ying-jeou|date=10 July 2006|publisher=TIME|accessdate=2009-07-15|quote=I am Taiwanese as well as Chinese.}}</ref> A survey, conducted in July 2009, showed that 82.8% of respondents consider that Taiwan and China are two separate countries developing each on its own.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gvm.com.tw/gvsrc/200907_GVSRC_others_E.pdf|title=Survey on President Ma's Approval Rating and Cross-Strait Relations After First Year of Direct Flights|date=24 July 2009|publisher=Global Views Survey Research Center|accessdate=23 December 2009}}</ref> A survey conducted in December 2009 showed that 62% of the respondents consider themselves as Taiwanese only, and 22% of the respondents consider themselves as both Taiwanese and Chinese. 8% consider themselves as only Chinese. The survey also shows that among 18–29 year old respondents, 75% consider themselves as Taiwanese only.<ref name="commonwealthsurvey1">{{cite web|url=http://www.libertytimes.com.tw/2009/new/dec/16/today-t1.htm |title=天下雜誌民調顯示：6成1民眾擔心經濟傾中 7成5年輕人自認台灣人|language= Traditional Chinese|accessdate=2010-01-10}}</ref>

==Government==
{{Main|Government of the Republic of China}}
[[Image:馬英九總統.JPG|thumb|[[President of the Republic of China|President]] [[Ma Ying-jeou]]|alt=An East Asian man in suit smiling to the crowd]]
The government of the Republic of China was founded on its [[Constitution of the Republic of China|Constitution]] and [[Three 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."<ref name="yb-2008">{{cite web|url=http://www.gio.gov.tw/taiwan-website/5-gp/yearbook/ch4.html |title=The Republic of China Yearbook 2008 / CHAPTER 4 Government |publisher=Government Information Office, Republic of China (Taiwan)|year=2008 |accessdate=2009-05-28}}{{Dead link|date=August 2010}}</ref> The government is divided into five administrative branches (''Yuan''): the [[Control Yuan]], the [[Examination Yuan]], the [[Executive Yuan]], the [[Judicial Yuan]], and the [[Legislative Yuan]]. The [[Pan-Blue Coalition]] and [[Pan-Green Coalition]] are presently the dominant political blocs in the country.

The [[head of state]] and commander-in-chief of the [[Republic of China Armed Forces|armed forces]] is the [[President of the Republic of China|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 Yuan. The President appoints the members of the Executive Yuan as his [[Cabinet (government)|cabinet]], including a [[Premier of the Republic of China|Premier]], who is officially the President of the Executive Yuan; members are responsible for policy and administration.<ref name="yb-2008"/>

Taiwan's political system is unusual. The Premier is selected by the President without the need for approval from the Legislature, but the Legislature can pass laws without regard for the President, as neither he nor the Premier wields veto power.<ref name="yb-2008"/> Thus, there is little incentive for the President and the Legislature to negotiate on legislation if they are of opposing parties. After the election of the pan-Green's Chen Shui-bian as President in 2000, legislation repeatedly stalled because of deadlock with the Legislative Yuan, which was controlled by a pan-Blue majority.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2006/09/14/2003327608 |title=Letter: KMT holds the key|publisher=Taipei Times |date=2006-09-14 |accessdate=2009-05-28}}</ref> 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, even though the Constitution does not explicitly state the extent of the President's executive power.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Jayasuriya|first=Kanishka|title=Law, capitalism and power in Asia|publisher=Routledge|year=1999|page=217|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OqGSrD9QhXcC&pg=PA217|isbn=9780415197434}}</ref>

[[Image:Presidential Building, Taiwan (0747).JPG|thumb|left|The [[Presidential Office Building, Taipei|Presidential Building in Taipei]] has housed the Office of the President since 1950|alt=A tall and large building with a tower in its center. A large road surrounded by trees leads to it.]]
The main [[Legislature|legislative body]] is the [[Unicameralism|unicameral]] [[Legislative 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 three-year terms. Originally the unicameral [[National Assembly of the Republic of China|National Assembly]], as a standing [[Constitutional convention (political meeting)|constitutional convention]] and [[electoral college]], held some [[parliament]]ary functions, but the National Assembly was abolished in 2005 with the power of constitutional amendments handed over to the Legislative Yuan and all eligible voters of the Republic via referendums.<ref name="yb-2008"/>

The [[Judicial Yuan]] is the highest [[judiciary|judicial]] organ. 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 fifteen Justices form the Council of Grand Justices. They are nominated and appointed by the President of the Republic, with the consent of the Legislative Yuan. The highest court, the [[Supreme Court of the Republic of China|Supreme 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. In 1993, a separate [[List of constitutional courts|constitutional court]] was established to resolve constitutional disputes, regulate the activities of political parties and accelerate the democratization process. There is no [[jury trial|trial by jury]] but the right to a fair public trial is protected by law and respected in practice; many cases are presided over by multiple judges.<ref name="yb-2008"/>

The [[Control Yuan]] is a watchdog agency that monitors (controls) the actions of the executive. It can be considered a standing [[Government agency|commission]] for administrative inquiry and can be compared to the [[Court of Auditors]] of the [[European Union]] or the [[Government Accountability Office]] of the [[United States]].<ref name="yb-2008"/> The Control Yuan is sometimes also compared to an [[ombudsman]] or [[national human rights institutions|national human rights institution]].{{Citation needed|date=December 2011}} The [[Examination Yuan]] is in charge of validating the qualification of [[civil servant]]s. It is based on the old [[Imperial examination]] system used in premodern China. It can be compared to the [[European Personnel Selection Office]] of the European Union or the [[Office of Personnel Management]] of the United States.<ref name="yb-2008"/>

==Administrative regions==
{{Main|Administrative divisions of the Republic of China}}
According to the 1947 constitution, written and promulgated whilst the ROC government still controlled mainland China, the territory of the ROC consisted of [[Province (China)|provinces]], [[Special municipality (Republic of China)|special municipalities]], as well as [[Mongolia]] and [[Tibet]]. However, the ROC has controlled only two provinces since its retreat – the [[Taiwan Province]] and some islands of [[Fujian Province, Republic of China|Fujian Province]]. These two provincial governments have been streamlined and transferred their function to the central government (Fujian since 1956 and Taiwan since 1998).{{Citation needed|date=December 2011}} The [[Pratas Islands]] (Dong-Sha) and [[Itu Aba Island|Taiping Island]] in the [[Spratly Islands]] were placed under [[Kaohsiung]] administration after the retreat to Taiwan.<ref>{{Cite news|title=World: Asia-Pacific Analysis: Flashpoint Spratly |date=1999-02-14 |publisher=BBC |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/279170.stm}}</ref>

Taiwan Province is divided into 12 counties and 3 provincial cities, while Fujian Province is divided into 2 counties. 5 direct-controlled special municipalities have been created out of territory initially belonging to Taiwan Province:
* [[Taipei]] City, formerly a provincial city of Taiwan Province, was elevated as a special municipality in 1967.
* [[Kaohsiung]] City, formerly a provincial city of Taiwan Province, was elevated as a special municipality in 1979. In 2010, a new Kaohsiung special municipality was established by merging former [[Kaohsiung County]] of Taiwan Province with the existing Kaohsiung City.
* [[New Taipei]] City, formerly Taipei County of Taiwan Province, was elevated as a special municipality in 2010.
* [[Taichung]] City was established by merging Taichung provincial city and Taichung County of Taiwan Province in 2010.
* [[Tainan]] City was established by merging Tainan provincial city and Tainan County of Taiwan Province in 2010.
According to Article 4 of the Local Government Act, laws pertaining to special municipalities also apply to counties with a population exceeding 2 million. Currently, this provision is applied to [[Taoyuan County, Taiwan|Taoyuan County]].

{{ROC administrative divisions list}}

==Foreign relations==
{{Main|Foreign relations of the Republic of China}}

[[Image:Resolution-2758.png|thumb|[[United Nations General Assembly]] Resolution 2758, which expelled the ROC from the [[United Nations]]|alt=An extract from an official UN document reading "2758 (XXVI). Restoration of the lawful rights of the People's Republic of China in the United Nations. The General Assembly, Recalling the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, Considering the restoration of the lawful rights of the People's Republic of China is essential both for the protection of the Charter of the United Nations and for the cause that the United Nations must serve under the Charter, Recognizing that the representatives of the Government of the People's Republic of China are the only lawful representatives of China to the United Nations and that the People's Republic of China is one of the five permanent members of the Security Council, Decides to restore all its rights to the People's Republic of China and to recognize the representatives of its Government as the only legitimate representatives of China to the United Nations, and to expel forthwith the representatives of Chiang Kai-shek from the place which they unlawfully occupy at the United Nations and in all the organizations related to it. 1967th plenary meeting, 25 October 1971."]]
Before 1928, the [[foreign policy]] of Republican China was complicated by a lack of internal unity—competing centers of power all claimed legitimacy. This situation changed after the defeat of the [[Beiyang Government|Peiyang Government]] by the Kuomintang, which led to widespread diplomatic recognition of the Republic of China.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://history.state.gov/countries/china |title=Countries&nbsp;– China|publisher=US Department of State, Office of the Historian|accessdate=2009-05-28}}</ref> After the KMT retreat to Taiwan, most countries, notably the countries in the [[Western Bloc]], continued to maintain relations with the ROC. Due to diplomatic pressure, recognition gradually eroded and many countries switched recognition to the People's Republic of China in the 1970s.

The ROC was a founding member of the [[United Nations]] and held China's seat on the [[United Nations Security Council|Security Council]] until 1971, when it was expelled by [[United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758|General Assembly Resolution 2758]] and replaced in all UN organs with the PRC. Multiple attempts by the ROC to rejoin the UN have not made it past committee.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.taiwandc.org/un-2001.htm |title=Taiwan and the United Nations |publisher=New Taiwan |accessdate=2009-05-28}}</ref> The [[China and the United Nations|seat of China]] at the United Nations is currently occupied by the PRC.

Due to its limited international recognition, the Taiwan is a member of the [[Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization]], represented by a ROC government funded organization, the [[Taiwan Foundation for Democracy]] (TFD) under the name "Taiwan".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unpo.org/content/view/7908/146/ |title=Taiwan |publisher=UNPO |accessdate=2009-05-07}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tfd.org.tw/english/about.php|title=About TFD|publisher=TFD}}</ref>

===Diplomatic relations===
[[File:RC (Taiwan).png|thumb|right|Countries maintaining diplomatic relations with the ROC{{legend|#008000|diplomatic relations and [[embassy]] in [[Taipei]]}}
{{legend|#0080ff|unofficial relations (see text)}}|alt=A map of the world showing {{Numrec|ROC}} highlighted countries. Only a few small countries recognize the ROC, mainly in Central, South America and Africa.]]

China refuses to have diplomatic relations with any nation that recognizes Taiwan, and requires all nations with which it has diplomatic relations to make a statement recognizing its claims to Taiwan.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Henckaerts|first=Jean-Marie|title=The international status of Taiwan in the new world order|publisher=Martinus Nijhoff Publishers|year=1996|pages=96–97|isbn=9041109293|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_9kuVIayxDoC&pg=PA96}}</ref> As a result, there are only {{Numrec|ROC}} states that have official diplomatic relations with Taiwan. In practice, most countries treat Taiwan as an independent state and as such maintain unofficial relations with it.<ref>BBC News, "Taiwan Flashpoint", "Given the huge divide between these two positions, most other countries seem happy to accept the current ambiguity, whereby Taiwan has most of the characteristics of an independent state, even if its legal status remains unclear."</ref>

Unofficial relations are retained with most countries via ''[[de facto]]'' [[embassy|embassies]] and [[consul (representative)|consulates]] called [[Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office]]s (TECRO), with branch offices called "Taipei Economic and Cultural Offices" (TECO). Both TECRO and TECO are "unofficial commercial entities" in charge of maintaining [[diplomacy|diplomatic relations]], providing consular services (i.e. visa applications), and serving the national interests of Taiwan in other countries.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Vang|first=Pobzeb |title=Five Principles of Chinese Foreign Policies|publisher=AuthorHouse|year=2008 |isbn=9781434369710|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TvXlFsxmJiMC|page=46}}</ref>

The United States maintains unofficial relations through the instrumentality of the [[American Institute in Taiwan]], which is the ''[[de facto]]'' embassy of the US.<ref name="cia-factbook">{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/tw.html|title=Taiwan|date=2009-04-09|publisher=CIA&nbsp;– The World Factbook|accessdate=2009-04-22}}</ref>

===Participation in international events and organizations===
[[Image:Flag of Chinese Taipei for Olympic games.svg|thumb|The flag of the ROC, under the name "Chinese Taipei" (中華台北), during the Olympic Games|alt=A white symbol in shape of a five petal flower ringed by a blue and a red line. In its center stands a circular symbol depicting a white sun on a blue background. The five Olympic circles (blue, yellow, black, green and red) stand below it.]]

Also due to its One China policy, China only participates in international organizations where Taiwan is not recognized as a sovereign country. Each year since 1992, the ROC has petitioned the UN for entry but has been unsuccessful. Most [[Member states of the United Nations|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 China.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2009/05/13/2003443455 |title=JOHN TKACIK ON TAIWAN: Taiwan's 'undetermined' status|publisher=Taipei Times |date=2009-05-13 |accessdate=2009-05-28}}</ref> However, both the US and [[Japan]] publicly support the ROC's bid for membership in the [[World Health Organization]] as an observer.<ref>{{Cite news|title=WHO application: a question of health or politics? |date=2004-05-19 |publisher=The Taipei Times |url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2004/05/19/2003156094}}</ref> However, though the ROC has applied for WHO membership every year since 1997 under various denominations, their efforts have consistently been blocked by China.

At present, the politically neutral name "[[Chinese Taipei]]" is usually used in international events such as the [[Olympic Games]] where China is also a party.<ref name="chinese-taipei">{{cite web|url=http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/china-taiwan%20relations/2008/07/25/167036/Taiwan-insists.htm |title=Taiwan insists on 'Chinese Taipei' |publisher=The China Post |date=2008-07-25 |accessdate=2009-05-28}}</ref> Taiwan is typically barred from using its national anthem and national flag in international events due to Chinese pressure; Taiwanese spectators attending events such as the Olympics are often barred from bringing [[Blue Sky with a White Sun|ROC flags]] into venues.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Taiwan flags in S.L. ruffle a few feelings |date=2002-02-10 |publisher=The Deseret News |url=http://deseretnews.com/oly/view/0,3949,70000298,00.html}}{{dead link|date=December 2011}}</ref> The ROC is able to participate as "China" in organizations that China does not participate in, such as the [[World Organization of the Scout Movement]].

The relationship with China and the related issues of Taiwanese independence and Chinese reunification continue to dominate politics.<ref>{{cite press release |publisher=Mainland Affairs Council, ROC Executive Yuan |date=2005-03-29 |title=The Official Position of the Republic of China on China's Passing of the Anti-secession (Anti-Separation) Law |url=http://www.mac.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=68048&ctNode=5910&mp=3|quote=Section II-2: "'The Republic of China is an independent and sovereign state. Taiwan's sovereignty belongs to the 23 million people of Taiwan. Only the 23 million citizens of Taiwan may decide on the future of Taiwan.' This statement represents the greatest consensus within Taiwan's society today concerning the issues of national sovereignty and the future of Taiwan. It is also a common position shared by both the ruling and opposition parties in Taiwan. A recent opinion poll shows that more than 90% of the people of Taiwan agree with this position.}}</ref> For any particular resolution, public favor shifts greatly with small changes in wording, illustrating the complexity of public opinion on the topic.<ref>{{Cite book|author=Michael D. Swaine |coauthors=James C. Mulvenon |title=Taiwan's Foreign and Defense Policies: Features and Determinants |origyear=2001 |url=http://www.rand.org/pubs/monograph_reports/MR1383/MR1383.ch3.pdf |accessdate=2006-03-05 |publisher=RAND Corporation |isbn=0-8330-3094-9 |page=30 |chapter=3 |quote=Efforts to accurately measure and assess public and group views and interests on these and other issues are fraught with problems, however, such as political bias and the use of unscientific methodologies. A significant number of opinion polls are conducted each year by Taiwan’s political parties, newspapers, and various politically oriented private groups or foundations on a wide range of subjects. Many such polls arguably produce inaccurate results, either as a result of sampling errors, biased questions, or a subject’s awareness of the highly partisan nature of the polling agency. |year=2001 |authorlink=Michael D. Swaine}}</ref>

==Military==
{{Main|Republic of China Armed Forces}}
{{See also|Republic of China Military Academy}}
[[Image:IDF Pre-production.jpg|thumb|[[Republic of China Air Force]] [[AIDC F-CK-1 Ching-kuo|Indigenous Defense Fighter]]|alt=A light fighter aircraft on the ground surrounded by two men who are maintaining it.]]

The [[Republic of China Army]] takes its roots in the [[National Revolutionary Army]], which was established by [[Sun Yat-sen]] in 1925 in [[Guangdong]] with a goal of reunifying China under the Kuomintang. When the [[People's Liberation Army]] won the [[Chinese Civil War]], much of the National Revolutionary Army retreated to Taiwan along with the government. It was later reformed into the Republic of China Army. Units which surrendered and remained in mainland China were either disbanded or incorporated into the People's Liberation Army.

Today, Taiwan maintains a large and technologically advanced military, mainly as defense against the constant threat of invasion by China under its [[Anti-Secession Law of the People's Republic of China|anti-secession law]].<ref name=2004NatDefRpt/> From 1949 to the 1970s, the primary mission of the military was to "retake the mainland." As this mission has shifted to defense, the military has begun to shift emphasis from the traditionally dominant Army to the [[Republic of China Air Force|air force]] and [[Republic of China Navy|navy]]. Control of the armed forces has also passed into the hands of the civilian government.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB988242686540854310.html?mod=googlewsj |title=Committed to Taiwan |publisher=The Wall Street Journal|date= 2001-04-26|accessdate=2009-05-28}}</ref> As the military shares historical roots with the KMT, the older generation of high ranking officers tends to have Pan-Blue sympathies. However, many have retired and there are many more non-mainlanders enlisting in the armed forces in the younger generations, so the political leanings of the military have moved closer to the public norm in Taiwan.<ref>Swaine 2001, p. 65, "The ROC military functioned until very recently as an instrument of KMT rule [and] the bulk of the officer corps is still composed of Mainlanders, many of whom allegedly continue to support the values and outlook of more conservative KMT and New Party members. This is viewed as especially the case among the senior officers of the ROC Army. Hence, many DPP leaders insist that the first step to building a more secure Taiwan is to bring the military more fully under civilian control, to remove the dominant influence of conservative KMT elements, and to reduce what is regarded as an excessive emphasis on the maintenance of inappropriate ground force capabilities, as opposed to more appropriate air and naval capabilities."</ref>

[[Image:ROCS Kee Lung (DDG-1801).jpg|thumb|[[Republic of China Navy]] [[ROCS Kee Lung (DDG-1801)|ROCS ''Kee Lung'']], a [[Kidd class destroyer|''Kee Lung'' -class]] [[guided missile destroyer]].]]

The military began a force reduction program to scale down from a level of 450,000 in 1997 to 380,000 in 2001.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gio.gov.tw/taiwan-website/5-gp/yearbook/2004/P101.htm |title=Taiwan Yearbook 2004 |publisher=Government Information Office, Republic of China |accessdate=2009-05-28}}</ref> As of 2009, the armed forces number approximately 300,000,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gio.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=28601&ctNode=3389|title=Women Take Command|last=Bishop|first=Mac William|date=2004-01-01|publisher=Government Information Office, Republic of China|accessdate=2009-06-05}}</ref> with nominal reserves totaling 3.6&nbsp;million as of 2005.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gio.gov.tw/taiwan-website/5-gp/yearbook/2005/p104.html |title=Taiwan Yearbook 2005 |publisher=Government Information Office, Republic of China |accessdate=2009-05-28}}</ref> 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 and are redirected to government agencies or defense related industries.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/729500.stm |title=ASIA-PACIFIC &#124; Military alternative in Taiwan |publisher=BBC News |date=2000-05-01 |accessdate=2009-05-28}}</ref> Current plans call for a transition to a predominantly professional army over the next decade.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2009/03/21/2003439010/wiki |title=The myth: a professional military in five years|publisher=Taipei Times |date=2009-03-21 |accessdate=2009-05-28}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.straitstimes.com/print/Breaking%2BNews/Asia/Story/STIStory_347888.html |title=Taiwan to end conscription |publisher=The Straits Times |date=2009-03-09 |accessdate=2009-05-28}}</ref> Conscription periods are planned to decrease from 14&nbsp;months to 12.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=NewsLibrary&p_multi=BBAB&d_place=BBAB&p_theme=newslibrary2&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=124D9E23B9033ED0&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM |title=Taiwan to shorten conscription term to one year |publisher=Central News Agency website, Taipei|date=2008-12-03 |accessdate=2009-05-28}}</ref> In the last months of the Bush administration, Taipei took the decision to reverse the secular trend of declining defense spending, at a time when most Asian countries kept on reducing their military expenditures. It also decided to modernize both defensive and offensive capabilities. Taipei still keeps a large military apparatus relative to the island’s population: defense expenditures for 2008 were NTD 334 billion (approximately U.S. $10.5 billion), which accounted for 2.94% of GDP.

[[Image:Roc ct drill.jpg|thumb|[[Republic of China Military Police|Military Police]] special forces disembarking from a UH-1H helicopter from the [[Republic of China Army|Army]] 602nd Air Cavalry Brigade during a counter-terrorism exercise ([[Ministry of National Defense (Republic of China)|Ministry of National Defense]])|alt=Two men in military uniform getting off an helicopter. They are both running and carrying a weapon.]]

The armed forces' primary concern at this time is the possibility of an attack by China, consisting of a naval blockade, airborne assault and/or missile bombardment. Four upgraded [[Kidd class destroyer]]s were recently purchased from the United States, significantly upgrading Taiwan's air defense and submarine hunting abilities.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Kidd-class warships set sail for Taiwan |date=2005-10-31 |publisher=The Taipei Times |url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2005/10/31/2003278135}}</ref> The Ministry of National Defense planned to purchase diesel-powered submarines and Patriot anti-missile batteries from the United States, but its budget has been stalled repeatedly by the opposition-[[Pan-Blue Coalition]] controlled legislature. The defense package was stalled from 2001–2007 where it was finally passed through the legislature and the US responded on 3 October 2008, with a $6.5&nbsp;billion arms package including PAC III Anti-Air defense systems, AH-64D Apache Attack helicopters and other arms and parts.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Taiwanese leader hails weapons deal with US |date=2008-10-05 |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/04/AR2008100400477.html | first=Jane | last=Rickards}}</ref> A significant amount of military hardware has been bought from the [[United States]], and, as of 2009, continues to be legally guaranteed by the [[Taiwan Relations Act]].<ref name="TRA-review">{{cite web|url=http://www.heritage.org/research/asiaandthepacific/bg1272.cfm|title=The Taiwan Relations Act After 20 Years: Keys to Past and Future Success|last= Yates|first= Stephen J.|date=16 April 1999|publisher=The Heritage Foundation|accessdate=2009-07-19}}</ref> In the past, [[France]] and the [[Netherlands]] have also sold military weapons and hardware to the military, but stopped almost entirely  in the 1990s under pressure from China.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ceri-sciencespo.com/archive/july01/jpcabest.pdf|title=France's Taiwan Policy: A Case of Shopkeeper Diplomacy|last=Cabestan|first=Jean-Pierre|year=2001|publisher=CERI|accessdate=2009-06-05|quote=By excluding the French companies from the bidding lists of many contract, Peking wanted above all to stop a growing trend (...) to disregard its objections and interests in the Taiwan issue. (...) In spite of the ban of arms sales to Taiwan approved by the French government in January 1994, discreet and small-sized deals have continued to be concluded since then. }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2004-09-24-taiwan_x.htm |title=Taiwan trying to shore up weapons support |publisher=USATODAY.com |date=2004-09-24 |accessdate=2009-05-28}}</ref>

The first line of defense against invasion by China is the Taiwanese armed forces. Current military doctrine is to hold out against an invasion or blockade until the US military responds.<ref name="swaine">{{Cite book|last=Swaine |first=Michael |coauthors=James C. Mulvenon |title=Taiwan's Foreign and Defense Policies: Features and Determinants |origyear=2001 |url=http://www.rand.org/pubs/monograph_reports/MR1383/MR1383.ch3.pdf |accessdate=2006-03-05 |publisher=RAND Corporation |isbn=0-8330-3094-9 |year=2001}}</ref> There is, however, no guarantee in the Taiwan Relations Act or any other treaty that the United States will defend Taiwan, even in the event of invasion.<ref>{{Cite news|title=China Threat to Attack Taiwan Alarms Asia |date=2005-03-14 |agency=Associated Press |url=http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/03/14/international/i003051S91.DTL}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=RjwilmsiBot}}</ref> 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, and the precise purpose of the pact is unclear.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Kapstein|first=Ethan B. |coauthors=Michael Mastanduno|title=Unipolar politics|publisher=Columbia University Press|page=194|isbn=0231113099|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=68s2k0ztkCMC&pg=PA194|year=1999|quote=The Japanese leadership openly split on whether a crisis in Taiwan was included in the geographic expression "area surrounding Japan." In the event, Japan refused to stipulate the contingencies under which it would provide rear area support for U.S. forces or even the geographic scope of the "area surrounding Japan". (...) The two sides have not articulated clearly what the alliance stands ''for'', nor who it is defined to protect ''against''.}}</ref> The [[Australia, New Zealand, United States Security Treaty]] (ANZUS Treaty) may mean that other US allies, such as [[Australia]], could theoretically be involved.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Tow |first=William |year=2005 |title=ANZUS: Regional versus Global Security in Asia? |journal=International Relations in the Asia-Pacific |volume=5 |issue=2 |page=197 |doi= 10.1093/irap/lci113 }}</ref> In practice, the risk of losing economic ties with China may prevent Australia from taking action.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/07/13/1089694360063.html|title=China and Taiwan: flashpoint for a war|date=2004-07-14|publisher=The Sydney Morning Herald|accessdate=2009-06-13}}</ref> The United States, United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Canada, Chile, and Peru conduct maritime exercises in the [[Pacific Ocean]] every 2 years called [[RIMPAC]]. They are conducted to promote stability and to be able to respond in case of an armed conflict in the region – that includes an invasion of Taiwan by China.<ref>{{cite web|author=Lotta Danielsson-Murphy |url=http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=1305355&lang=eng_news&cate_img=46.jpg&cate_rss=news_Editorial |title=ECFA poses new risks for Taiwan-Japan ties |publisher=Taiwan News |accessdate=2010-08-02}}</ref>

==Geography==
{{Main|Geography of Taiwan}}
{{See also|List of islands of the Republic of China}}
[[Image:TAIWAN Karte Gross.jpg|thumb|right|Map of Taiwan]]
The main island of Taiwan is 180 kilometers from the southeastern coast of China, across the [[Taiwan Strait]], and has an area of {{convert|35881|km2|sqmi|1|abbr=on}}. Including [[Penghu Islands]], the area administered is {{convert|36008|km2|sqmi|1|abbr=on}}.<ref name="TWAP">[http://sowf.moi.gov.tw/stat/month/elist.htm Monthly Bulletin of Interior Statistics 2011.4], Department of Statistics, Ministry of the Interior, Taiwan/R.O.C.</ref> The [[East China Sea]] lies to the north, the [[Philippine Sea]] to the east, the [[Luzon Strait]] to the south and the [[South China Sea]] to the southwest. The island is characterized by the contrast between the eastern two-thirds, consisting mostly of rugged mountains running in five ranges from the northern to the southern tip of the island, and the flat to gently rolling [[Chianan Plain]]s in the west that are also home to most of Taiwan's population. Taiwan's highest point is [[Yu Shan]] at 3,952 meters. There are five other peaks over 3,500 meters. This makes it the world's [[List of islands by highest point|fourth-highest island]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldislandinfo.com/TALLESTV1.htm |title=Tallest Islands of the World&nbsp;— World Island Info web site |publisher=Worldislandinfo.com |date= |accessdate=1 August 2010}}</ref> [[Taroko National Park]], located on the mountainous eastern side of the island, has good examples of mountainous terrain, gorges and [[erosion]] caused by a swiftly flowing river.

The shape of the main island is similar to a [[sweet potato]] seen in a south-to-north direction, and therefore, Taiwanese, especially the [[Min-nan]] division, often call themselves "children of the Sweet Potato."<ref>Chao, Kang & Johnson, Marshall (2000). ''Nationalist Social Sciences and the Fabrication of Subimperial Subjects in Taiwan.'' Positions 8:1. Page 167.</ref>

===Geology===
{{main|Geology of Taiwan}}
[[Image:Sanmin River,TAIWAN.jpg|thumb|left|Landscape of Taiwan.]]
The island lies in a complex [[tectonics|tectonic]] area between the [[Yangtze Plate]] to the west and north, the [[Okinawa Plate]] on the north-east, and the [[Philippine Mobile Belt]] on the east and south. The upper part of the crust on the island features a series of [[terrane]]s, mostly old [[island arc]]s which have been forced together by the collision of the forerunners of the [[Eurasian Plate]] and the [[Philippine Sea Plate]]. These have been further uplifted as a result of the detachment of a portion of the Eurasian Plate as it was [[subduction|subducted]] beneath remnants of the Philippine Sea Plate, a process which left the crust under Taiwan more buoyant.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.geo.arizona.edu/~anderson/taiwan/tai_index.html |title=Geology of Taiwan&nbsp;— University of Arizona |publisher=Geo.arizona.edu |date= |accessdate=1 August 2010}}</ref>
[[Image:DabajianMountain.jpg|thumb|right|[[Dabajian Mountain]].]]

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 the [[Luzon Volcanic Arc]] and South China, where accreted portions of the [[Luzon Volcanic Arc|Luzon Arc]] and Luzon forearc form the [[Haian Range|eastern Coastal Range]] and parallel inland [[Huatung Valley|Longitudinal Valley]] of Taiwan respectively.<ref>Clift, Schouten and Draut (2003) in ''Intra-Oceanic Subduction Systems: Tectonic and Magmatic Processes'', {{ISBN|1-86239-147-5}} p84–86</ref>

The major seismic faults in Taiwan correspond to the various suture zones between the various terranes. These have produced major quakes throughout the history of the island. On 21 September 1999, a 7.3 quake known as the "[[1999 Jiji earthquake|921 earthquake]]" occurred. The [[seismic hazard map]] for Taiwan by the USGS shows 9/10 of the island with the highest rating (most hazardous).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.seismo.ethz.ch/GSHAP/eastasia/asiafin.gif |title=USGS seismic hazard map of Eastern Asia |publisher=Seismo.ethz.ch |date= |accessdate=2011-05-30}}</ref>

On 4 March 2010 at about 01:20 UTC, [[2010 Taiwan earthquake|a magnitude 6.4 earthquake]] hit southern Taiwan.<ref>{{cite news
| url = http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/03/03/taiwan.quake/index.html?hpt=T1
| title = 6.4-magnitude quake hits southern Taiwan
| first1 = Christine | last1 = Theodorou | first2 = Andrew | last2 =Lee
| accessdate = 4 March 2010 | date = 3 March 2010| work = CNN.com
}}</ref>

===Climate===
[[Image:Siouguluan-River-Hualien-Ta.jpg|right|thumb|[[Siouguluan River]]]]
Taiwan lies on the [[Tropic of Cancer]]. Its southern tip lies about 10 miles further north than [[Oahu]], [[Hawaii]] and roughly 25 miles further north than [[Cancun]], [[Mexico]]. Its [[climate]] is marine [[tropical climate|tropical]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Field Listing&nbsp;— Climate |work=The World Factbook |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2059.html |accessdate=8 March 2006}}</ref> The northern part of the island has a rainy season that lasts from January through late March during the northeast [[monsoon]], and experiences ''[[meiyu]]'' in May.<ref>{{cite web |title= Monthly Mean Days of Precipitation |work=Climate Data |publisher=ROC Central Weather Bureau |url=http://www.cwb.gov.tw/V4e/climate/Data/table2_e.html |accessdate=8 March 2006 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20051203145112/http://www.cwb.gov.tw/V4e/climate/Data/table2_e.html |archivedate = 3 December 2005}}</ref> The entire island experiences hot, humid weather from June through September. The middle and southern parts of the island do not have an extended monsoon season during the winter months. Natural hazards such as [[typhoon]]s and [[earthquake]]s<ref>{{cite news |title=Rescuers hunt quake survivors |date=21 September 1999 |publisher=BBC |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/453087.stm}}</ref> are common in the region.

===Environment and pollution===
[[Image:Scooters in taipei.jpg|thumb|left|[[Scooter (motorcycle)|Scooter]]s are a very common means of transportation in Taiwan and contribute to urban air pollution.]]
With its high population density and many factories, some areas in Taiwan suffer from heavy pollution. Most notable are the southern suburbs of Taipei and the western stretch from Tainan to Lin Yuan, south of Kaohsiung. In the past, Taipei suffered from extensive vehicle and factory [[air pollution]], but with mandatory use of unleaded petrol and the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency, the air quality of Taiwan has improved dramatically.<ref>{{cite web |title= Taiwan: Environmental Issues |work=Country Analysis Brief&nbsp;— Taiwan |publisher=[[United States Department of Energy]] |url= http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/taiwanenv.html |accessdate=8 March 2006 | quote = The government credits the APC system with helping to reduce the number of days when the country's pollution standard index score exceeded 100 from 7 percent of days in 1994 to 3 percent of days in 2001.}}{{Dead link|url=http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/taiwanenv.html|date=March 2008}}</ref> [[Scooter (motorcycle)|Motor scooters]], especially older or cheaper [[Two-stroke engine|two-stroke]] versions, which are ubiquitous in Taiwan, also contribute disproportionately to urban air pollution.<ref>[http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/taiwan.html#envir Taiwan Country Analysis Brief]{{dead link|date=May 2011}}, [[Energy Information Administration|US Energy Information Administration]], 2005: "Taipei has the most obvious air pollution, primary caused by the motorbikes and scooters used by millions of the city's residents."</ref><ref>[http://www.tfci.org.tw/Uploadfile/DownFile/8/1023155544541.pdf "A Viable Niche Market--Fuel Cell Scooters in Taiwan"], [[Taiwan Institute of Economic Research]], 2002: "In Taiwan's cities, the main source of air pollution is the waste gas exhausted by scooters, especially by the great number of two-stroke engine scooters."</ref>

===Natural resources===
Because of the intensive exploitation throughout Taiwan's pre-modern and modern history, the island's mineral resources (e.g. coal, gold, marble), as well as wild animal reserves (e.g. deer), have been virtually exhausted. Moreover, much of its forestry resources, especially [[Abies kawakamii|firs]] were harvested during Japanese rule for the construction of [[Shinto shrine|shrines]] and have only recovered slightly since then. To this day, forests do not contribute to significant timber production mainly because of concerns about production costs and environmental regulations.

[[Camphor]] extraction and [[sugarcane]] refining played an important role in Taiwan's exportation from the late 19th century through the first half of the 20th century. The importance of the above industries subsequently declined not because of the exhaustion of related natural resources but mainly of the decline of international market demands.

Nowadays, few natural resources with significant economic value are retained in Taiwan, which are essentially agriculture-associated. Domestic agriculture (rice being the dominant kind of crop) and [[fisheries]] retain importance to a certain degree, but they have been greatly challenged by foreign imports since Taiwan's accession to the [[World Trade Organization]] in 2001. Consequently, upon the decline of subsistent importance, Taiwan's agriculture now relies heavily on the marketing and exportation of certain kinds of specialty fruits, such as banana, [[guava]], [[lychee]], [[wax apple]], and high-mountain tea.

===Energy resources===
{{See also|Energy in Taiwan}}
[[File:Wind power-Kaumei.jpg|thumb|[[Wind power]] in [[Taichung]]]]
Taiwan has significant coal deposits and some insignificant [[petroleum]] and [[natural gas]] deposits.  {{As of|2010}}, [[Petroleum|oil]] accounts for 49.0 percent of the total energy consumption. [[Coal]] comes next with 32.1 percent, followed by [[nuclear power|nuclear energy]] with 8.3 percent, [[natural gas]] (indigenous and liquefied) with 10.2 percent, and energy from renewable sources with 0.5 percent.  Taiwan has [[List of nuclear reactors#Taiwan|6 reactors]] and two under construction.<ref>[http://www.moeaboe.gov.tw/Download/opengovinfo/Plan/all/energy_qreport/main_en/files/02/2-1.Energy%20Supply%20(by%20Energy%20Form)(201004).pdf MOEABOE statistics: Energy Supply (By Energy Form)]</ref> Nearly all oil and gas for transportation and power needs must be imported, making Taiwan particularly sensitive to fluctuations in energy prices. Taiwan is rich in [[Wind power|wind energy]] resources, with wind farms both onshore and offshore, though limited land area favors offshore wind resources.

==Economy==
{{Main|Economy of Taiwan|Economic history of Taiwan}}
[[Image:101.portrait.altonthompson.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Taipei 101]] is a symbol of the success of the [[Economy of Taiwan|Taiwanese economy]]|alt=Photo of a high tower against a blue sky.]]


The quick industrialization and rapid growth of Taiwan during the latter half of the twentieth century has been called the "[[Taiwan Miracle]]". Taiwan is one of the "[[Four Asian Tigers]]" alongside [[Hong Kong]], [[South Korea]] and [[Singapore]].

Japanese rule prior to and during World War II brought changes in the public and private sectors, most notably in the area of public works, which enabled rapid communications and facilitated transport throughout much of the island. The Japanese also improved public education and made it compulsory for all Taiwanese citizens.

By 1945, [[hyperinflation]] was in progress in mainland China and Taiwan as a result of the war with Japan. To isolate Taiwan from it, the Nationalist government created a new currency area for the island, and started a price stabilization program. These efforts helped significantly slow the inflation. In 1950, with the outbreak of the Korean War, the US began an aid program which resulted in fully stabilized prices by 1952.<ref>Woodward, Taiwanese hyperinflation, "It was the fiscal regime change on Taiwan, as in the European episodes, that finally brought price stability. It was the aid program that brought the budget to near balance, and when the aid program reached its full proportions in 1952, prices stabilized."</ref> The KMT government instituted many laws and land reforms that it had never effectively enacted on mainland China; it implemented a policy of [[import substitution industrialization|import-substitution]], and it attempted to produce imported goods domestically. Much of this was made possible through US economic aid, subsidizing the higher cost of domestic production.

When the KMT arrived in Taiwan, it brought millions of taels of gold and the foreign currency reserve of mainland China to the island, which, according to the KMT, stabilized prices and reduced hyperinflation.<ref>{{cite web|title=Gold Shipped to Taiwan in 1949 Helped Stabilize ROC on Taiwan|url=http://www.kmt.org.tw/english/page.aspx?type=article&mnum=112&anum=9442|publisher=Kuomintang News Network|accessdate=June 14, 2011}}</ref> The intellectual and business elites from mainland China also fled to Taiwan.<ref>{{cite book | last =Roy | first =Denny | title =Taiwan: A Political History | publisher =Cornell University Press |year=2003 | location =Ithaca, NY | pages =76, 77 | isbn =0-8014-8805-2 }}</ref> The KMT instituted many laws and land reforms that it had never effectively enacted on mainland China. The government also implemented a policy of [[import substitution industrialization|import-substitution]], attempting to produce imported goods domestically. Much of this was made possible through US economic aid, which subsidized domestic production.

In 1962, Taiwan had a per-capita gross national product of $170, placing its economy on a par with those of Zaire and Congo. By 2008 per-capita GNP, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP), had risen to $33,000, contributing to a [[Human Development Index]] equivalent to that of other developed countries. Taiwan's HDI in 2007 is 0,943 (25th, very high),<ref>As calculated by Taiwan's Ministry of Budget, National Accountancy and Statistics, based on the following figures (2007): life expectancy / 78,4 years ; literacy rate / 97,6 percent; gross combined schooling rate / 101,9 percent; per capita GDP-PPP / US$30 352</ref> and stands at 0,868 in 2010 (18e, very high), according to the UN's new calculating method ("Inequality-adjusted HDI").

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 being [[Privatization|privatized]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://taiwanreview.nat.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=1153&CtNode=128|title=Privatization Set in Motion|last=Her|first=Kelly|date=2005-01-12|publisher=Taiwan Review|accessdate=2009-06-05}}</ref> Real growth in [[gross domestic product|GDP]] has averaged about 8% during the past three decades. Exports have provided the primary impetus for industrialization. The trade surplus is substantial, and foreign reserves are the world's fifth largest.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2188rank.html|title=Country Comparisons&nbsp;– Reserves of foreign exchange and gold |publisher=CIA&nbsp;– The World Factbook |accessdate=2011-01-03}}</ref> Taiwan has its own currency, the [[New Taiwan dollar]].

Since the beginning of the 1990s, the economic ties between Taiwan and China have been prolific. As of 2008, more than US$150 billion<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/8475215.stm|title=Taiwan's Grand Hotel welcome for Chinese visitors|publisher=BBC News|date=2010-01-23|accessdate=2010-01-25 | first=Phil | last=Harding}}</ref> have been invested in China by Taiwanese companies, and about 10% of the Taiwanese labour force work in China, often to run their own businesses.<ref>{{Harvnb|DoIT|2008|p=5}} "Notably, cross-strait political tensions have not prevented Taiwanese firms from investing heavily in China. The cross-strait investments now exceed US$ 100 billions. Four Taiwanese-owned firms rank among China's top 10 biggest exporters. 10% of the Taiwanese labor force now works in China."</ref> Although the economy of Taiwan benefits from this situation, some have expressed the view that the island has become increasingly dependent on the Chinese economy. A 2008 white paper by the Department of Industrial Technology states that "Taiwan should seek to maintain stable relation with China while continuing to protect national security, and avoiding excessive 'Sinicization' of Taiwanese economy."<ref>{{Harvnb|DoIT|2008|p=5}} "Although used-to-be-hostile tension between Taiwan and China has been eased to a certain degree, Taiwan should seek to maintain stable relation with China while continuing to protect national security, and avoiding excessive "Sinicization" of Taiwanese economy. Strategies to avoid excessive "Sinicization" of the Taiwanese economy could include efforts to increase geographic diversity of overseas Taiwanese employment, diversifying Taiwan's export markets and investment. "</ref> Others argue that close economic ties between Taiwan and China would make any military intervention by China against Taiwan very costly, and therefore less probable.<ref>BBC News, "Taiwan Flashpoint", "Some Taiwanese worry their economy is now dependent on China. Others point out that closer business ties makes Chinese military action less likely, because of the cost to China's own economy."</ref>

In 2001, [[agriculture]] constitutes only 2&nbsp;percent of GDP, down from 35&nbsp;percent in 1952.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bilaterals.org/article.php3?id_article=242 |title=US-Taiwan FTA would have limited impact |publisher=bilaterals.org |accessdate=2009-05-28}}</ref> Traditional labor-intensive industries are steadily being moved offshore and with more capital and technology-intensive industries replacing them. Taiwan has become a major foreign investor in China, [[Thailand]], [[Indonesia]], the [[Philippines]], [[Malaysia]], and [[Vietnam]]. It is estimated that some 50,000&nbsp;Taiwanese businesses and 1,000,000&nbsp;businesspeople and their dependents are established in China.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Morris |first=Peter |title=Taiwan business in China supports opposition |date=4 February 2004 |publisher=Asia Times Online |url=http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/FB04Ad04.html}}</ref>

Taiwan’s total trade in 2010 reached an all-time high of US$526.04 billion, according to Taiwan's Ministry of Finance. Both exports and imports for the year reached record levels, totaling US$274.64 billion and US$251.4 billion, respectively.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=142731&ctNode=453&mp=9|title=Taiwan's 2010 trade hits record high|publisher=Taiwan Today|date=2010-01-10|accessdate=2011-01-10}}</ref>

Because of its conservative financial approach and its entrepreneurial strengths, Taiwan suffered little compared with many of its neighbors from the [[1997 Asian Financial Crisis]]. Unlike its neighbors, South Korea and Japan, the Taiwanese economy is dominated by small and medium sized businesses, rather than the large business groups. 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. Due to the relocation of many manufacturing and labor intensive industries to China, unemployment also reached a level not seen since the 1970s oil crisis. This became a major issue in the [[Republic of China presidential election, 2004|2004 presidential election]]. Growth averaged more than 4&nbsp;percent in the 2002–2006 period and the unemployment rate fell below 4&nbsp;percent.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa5411/is_199801/ai_n21432097/ |title=Coping with Asian financial crisis: The Taiwan experience &#124; Seoul Journal of Economics |publisher=Find Articles at BNET |date=2009-04-28 |accessdate=2009-05-28}}{{dead link|date=December 2011}}</ref>

The ROC often joins international organizations under a politically neutral name. The ROC is a member of governmental trade organizations such as the [[World Trade Organization]] under the name [[Chinese Taipei|Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu (Chinese Taipei)]] since 2002.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wto.org/english/theWTO_e/countries_e/chinese_taipei_e.htm|title=Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu (Chinese Taipei) and the WTO|publisher=World Trade Organization|accessdate=2009-06-07}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{Main|Demographics of Taiwan}}
The population of areas under control of the Republic of China was estimated in August 2009 at 23,082,125<ref name="cia-factbook"/> spread across a total land area of {{convert|35980|km2|sqmi}} making it the [[List of countries by population density|twelfth most densely populated country in the world]] with a population density of {{convert|640|/km2|abbr=on}}.  Taiwan is undergoing a decline in birth rates with a population growth of just 0.61% for the year 2006.  In practice, although the law still formally recognizes residents of mainland China as citizens of the ROC, it makes a distinction between persons who have household residency in the "[[Free Area of the Republic of China]]" and those that do not, meaning that persons outside the area administered by the ROC must apply for special travel documents and cannot vote in elections.

{{Largest cities
| country      = Taiwan
| stat_ref     = [https://www.ris.gov.tw/app/portal/346 source]
| div_name     = Division
| kind         = cities and special municipalities

|city_1 = New Taipei
|div_1 = New Taipei City
|pop_1 = 4,000,164
|img_1 = Fu_Jen_Catholic_University_Hospital_2018_(cropped).jpg

|city_2 = Taichung
|div_2 = Taichung City
|pop_2 = 2,809,004
|img_2 = Taichung skyline.png

|city_3 = Kaohsiung
|div_3 = Kaohsiung City
|pop_3 = 2,773,229
|img_3 = Kaohsiung landscape skyline.jpg

|city_4 = Taipei
|div_4 = Taipei City
|pop_4 = 2,661,317
|img_4 = Taipei,_Taiwan_CBD_Skyline.jpg

|city_5 = Taoyuan, Taiwan{{!}}Taoyuan
|div_5 = Taoyuan City
|pop_5 = 2,230,653

|city_6 = Tainan
|div_6 = Tainan City
|pop_6 = 1,883,078

|city_7 = Hsinchu 	
|div_7 = Hsinchu City
|pop_7 = 446,701

|city_8 = Keelung
|div_8 = Keelung City
|pop_8 = 369,820

|city_9 = Chiayi
|div_9 = Chiayi City
|pop_9 = 268,474

|city_10 = Changhua
|div_10 = Changhua County
|pop_10 = 232,505

}}
===Ethnic groups===
[[Image:Taiwan bunun dancer.jpg|thumb|[[Bunun people|Bunun]] dancer in traditional aboriginal dress.]]
{{Main|Taiwanese aborigines|Taiwanese people}}
About 98 percent of the population is ethnic Chinese. Of these, 86 percent are descendants of early Chinese immigrants known as the "''benshengren''" ({{zh|c=本省人|p=Běnshěng rén|l=home-province person}}). This group is often referred to "native Taiwanese" in English while the Taiwanese aborigines are also considered as "native Taiwanese" frequently. The ''benshengren'' group contains two subgroups: the [[Hoklo people]] (70 percent of the total population), whose ancestors migrated from the coastal [[Fujian|Southern Fujian (Min-nan)]] region in the southeast of [[mainland China]] starting in the 17th century; and the [[Hakka people|Hakka]] (15 percent of the total population), whose ancestors originally migrated south to [[Guangdong]], its surrounding areas and Taiwan. Some of the benshengren do not often speak [[Standard Chinese|Mandarin]], but instead use their [[mother tongues]] such as [[Taiwanese Hokkien|Taiwanese]] or [[Hakka Chinese|Hakka]].

Twelve percent of the population are known as ''waishengren'' ({{zh|c=外省人|p=Wàishěng rén|l=out-of-province person}}), composed of people who (or whose ancestors) [[Military dependents' village|emigrated from mainland China]] after the Chinese Civil War with the KMT government. Most Waishengren speak primarily Mandarin.

The other 2 percent of Taiwan's population, numbering about 458,000, are listed as the [[Taiwanese aborigines]], divided into 13 major groups: [[Ami people|Ami]], [[Atayal people|Atayal]], [[Paiwan people|Paiwan]], [[Bunun people|Bunun]], [[Rukai people|Rukai]], [[Puyuma people|Puyuma]], [[Tsou people|Tsou]], [[Saisiyat people|Saisiyat]], [[Tao people|Tao]] (Yami), [[Thao people|Thao]], [[Kavalan people|Kavalan]], [[Truku]] and [[Sakizaya]].<ref name=cia>{{cite web |title=The World Factbook |publisher=CIA |date=3 May 2006 |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/tw.html}}</ref>

For sociologists, these ethnic classifications are a social construct, the contestation and compromise between political forces. Sociology scholar Wang Fu-chang writes in his book that Minnanren (Hoklo people), Hakka, Waishengren and indigenous peoples are social categories that have developed over the last fifty years.<ref>
{{cite web |url= http://www.culture.tw/index.php?option=com_content&task=rdmap&id=1777&Itemid=262 |title=Taiwan Culture Portal}}</ref>

===Languages===
{{Main|Languages of Taiwan}}
The official [[national language]] is [[Standard Chinese|Mandarin Chinese]] though the majority also speak [[Taiwanese Minnan|Taiwanese]] (variant of the [[Hokkien]] speech of [[Fujian]] province) and many also speak [[Hakka Chinese|Hakka]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Lynn F. Lee |url=http://www.gio.gov.tw/taiwan-website/5-gp/yearbook/2002/chpt03-2.htm |title=Languages in Taiwan Today |publisher=Government Information Office, Republic of China |accessdate=2009-05-07}}</ref> Mandarin has been the primary language of instruction in schools since the Japanese were forced out in the 1940s. The Hakka ethnic group, comprising around 15 percent of the population, use the [[Hakka (language)|Hakka language]]. 

Although Mandarin is the language of instruction in schools and dominates television and radio, non-Mandarin languages or dialects have undergone a revival in public life in Taiwan, particularly since the 1990s after restrictions on their use were lifted. A large proportion of the population can speak Taiwanese, and many others have some degree of understanding. People educated during the period of Japanese rule (1895–1945) were taught using Japanese as the medium of instruction. A declining number of persons in the older generations only speak the Japanese they learned in school and the Taiwanese they spoke at home and understand little or no Mandarin. 

Taiwan's aboriginal minority groups mostly speak their own native languages, although most also speak Mandarin. The aboriginal languages do not belong to the Chinese or Sino-Tibetan language family, but rather to the [[Austronesian languages|Austronesian language family]]. Aboriginal languages are becoming extinct as the aborigines have become [[Sinicization|sinicized]] and the government has not preserved the [[Formosan languages]]. Like [[Hong Kong]] and [[Macau]], Taiwan uses the [[Traditional Chinese]] writing system. However, in some rare cases, the characters are not the same as in Hong Kong or Macau.

===Religion===
{{Main|Religion in Taiwan}}
{{bar box
|title=Taiwan religiosity
|titlebar=#ddd
|left1=religion
|right1=percent
|float=right
|bars=
{{bar percent|[[Buddhism]]|gold|35.1}}
{{bar percent|[[Taoism]]|red|33}}
{{bar percent|[[Irreligion|Non-religion]]|grey|14}}
{{bar percent|[[Christianity]]|blue|3.9}}
{{bar percent|[[I-Kuan Tao]]|orange|3.5}}
{{bar percent|Other|black|10.5}}
}}
[[File:Confucius temple Kaohsiung amk.jpg|thumb|[[Confucius]] temple at [[Lotus Lake]] in [[Kaohsiung]]]]
There are approximately 18,718,600 religious followers in Taiwan as of 2005 (81.3% of total population) and 14–18% are non-religious. According to the 2005 census, of the 26 religions recognized by the government, the five largest are: Buddhism (8,086,000 or 35.1%), Taoism (7,600,000 or 33%), [[I-Kuan Tao]] (810,000 or 3.5%), Protestantism (605,000 or 2.6%), and Roman Catholicism (298,000 or 1.3%). But according to the CIA World Factbook and other latest sources from US State Department or the Religious Affairs Section of the MOI, over 80% to 93% of the population are nominal or cultural adherents of a Chinese traditional combination of [[Mahayana Buddhism]], [[Confucianism]] ([[ancestor worship]]) and [[Taoism]].<ref name="cia-factbook"/><ref>{{cite web|title=China (includes Taiwan only): International Religious Freedom Report 2005 |url=http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2005/51508.htm |publisher=[[US Department of State]]: [[Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor]] |date=2005-11-08 |accessdate=2008-01-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=China (includes Taiwan only): International Religious Freedom Report 2006 |url=http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2006/71337.htm |publisher=[[US Department of State]]: [[Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor]] |date=2006-09-15 |accessdate=2008-02-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=China (includes Taiwan only): International Religious Freedom Report 2007 |url=http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90134.htm |publisher=[[US Department of State]]: [[Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor]] |date=2006-09-15 |accessdate=2008-02-24}}</ref> 4.5 percent are adherents of [[Christianity]], which includes [[Protestants]], [[Catholics]], and other, non-denominational, Christian groups; and less than 2.5 percent are adherents of other religions, such as [[Islam in Taiwan|Islam]]. [[Taiwanese aborigines]] comprise a notable subgroup among professing Christians: "...over 64 percent identify as Christian... Church buildings are the most obvious markers of Aboriginal villages, distinguishing them from Taiwanese or Hakka villages."<ref>Stainton, Michael (2002). ''[http://www.cs.org/publications/CSQ/CSQ-article.cfm?id=1556 Presbyterians and the Aboriginal Revitalization Movement in Taiwan].'' Cultural Survival Quarterly 26.2. Retrieved 21 March 2007.</ref>

[[Confucianism]] is a philosophy that deals with secular moral ethics, and serves as the foundation of both [[Culture of China|Chinese]] and [[Culture of Taiwan|Taiwanese culture]]. The majority of [[Taiwanese people]] usually combine the secular moral teachings of [[Confucianism]] with whatever religions they are affiliated with.

One especially important goddess for Taiwanese people is [[Matsu (goddess)|Matsu]], who symbolizes the seafaring spirit of Taiwan's ancestors from [[Fujian]] and [[Guangdong]].

As of 2009, there are 14,993 temples in Taiwan, approximately one place of worship per 1,500 residents. 9,202 of those temples were dedicated to [[Taoism]]. In 2008, Taiwan had 3,262 Churches, an increase of 145.<ref>''[http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=1015081&lang=eng_news&cate_img=logo_taiwan&cate_rss=TAIWAN_eng 15,000 temples].'' Retrieved 27 July 2009.</ref>

===Health care===
{{Main|Healthcare in Taiwan}}
[[Health care]] in Taiwan is managed by the Bureau of National Health Insurance (BNHI).<ref>{{Cite news|title=Bureau of National Health Insurance |date=2006-07-18 |publisher=Taiwan BNHI |url=http://www.nhi.gov.tw}}</ref>

The current program was implemented in 1995 and is considered social insurance. The government health insurance program maintains compulsory insurance for citizens who are employed, impoverished, unemployed, or victims of natural disasters with fees that correlate to the individual and/or family income; it also maintains protection for non-citizens working in Taiwan. A standardized method of calculation applies to all persons and can optionally be paid by an employer or by individual contributions.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nhi.gov.tw/english/webdata.asp?menu=11&menu_id=295&webdata_id=1865 |title=Bureau of National Health Insurance-National Health Insurance Act |publisher=Bureau of National Health Insurance, ROC |accessdate=2009-05-28}}</ref>

BNHI insurance coverage requires co-payment at the time of service for most services unless it is a preventative health service, for low-income families, veterans, children under three years old, or in the case of catastrophic diseases. Low income households maintain 100% premium coverage by the BNHI and co-pays are reduced for disabled or certain elderly peoples.

According to a recently published survey, out of 3,360&nbsp;patients surveyed at a randomly chosen hospital, 75.1% of the patients said they are "very satisfied" with the hospital service; 20.5% said they are "okay" with the service. Only 4.4% of the patients said they are either "not satisfied" or "very not satisfied" with the service or care provided.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Taiwanese Hospital Public Satisfaction Poll |date=October 2004|publisher=Taiwan Department of Health |url=http://www.hcquality.helthe.net/reports/showreports.php?id=2_1}}{{Dead link|date=August 2010}}</ref>

Taiwan has its own Center for Disease Control, and during the [[Severe acute respiratory syndrome|SARS]] outbreak occurring in March 2003 confirmed 347&nbsp;cases. During the outbreak the CDC and local governments set up monitored 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.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Center for Disease Control |date=2006-07-18 |publisher=Taiwan CDC |url= http://www.cdc.gov.tw }}</ref>
<!-- As of 2006, the BNHI Facility Contract Distribution facilities total 17,259, including:<ref>{{cite news |title=Bureau of National Health Insurance Full Summary |date=18 July 2006 |publisher=Taiwan BNHI |url=http://www.nhi.gov.tw/english/file/s92.pdf |format=PDF}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" border="1"
|+
|-
! Number !!Subject
|-
|style="width:50px;text-align:right;"| 16,174
|style="padding-left:0.5em;"| outpatient-only facilities
|-
|align="right"| 5,701
|style="padding-left:0.5em;"| dental clinics
|-
|align="right"| 2,422
|style="padding-left:0.5em;"| Chinese medicine clinics
|-
|align="right"| 1,085
|style="padding-left:0.5em;"| inpatient/outpatient facilities
|-
|align="right"| 437
|style="padding-left:0.5em;"| local community hospitals
|-
|align="right"| 35
|style="padding-left:0.5em;"| Chinese medicine hospitals
|-
|align="right"| 23
|style="padding-left:0.5em;"| academic medical centers
|}

Basic coverage areas of the insurance include:
{{columns
|width=280px
|col1 =
* In-patient care
* Ambulatory care
* Laboratory tests
* Prescription and over-the-counter drugs
* Dental services
|col2 =
* Mental Illness
* Traditional Chinese medicine
* Home care
* Preventative services*
}}
{{smaller|* child check-ups, prenatal care, pap smears, adult check-ups}}
-->
In 2004 the infant mortality rate was 5.3 with 15&nbsp;physicians and 63&nbsp;hospital beds per 10,000&nbsp;people. The life expectancy for males was 73.5&nbsp;years and 79.7&nbsp;years for females according the World Health Report.

Other health related programs in Taiwan are the Centers for Disease Control<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cdc.gov.tw|title= Centers for Disease Control, ROC (Taiwan) |language=Traditional Chinese|accessdate=2009-06-05}}</ref> and the Department of Health.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.doh.gov.tw |title=Department of Health, Executive Yuan, ROC (Taiwan) |language=Traditional Chinese|accessdate=2009-05-28}}</ref>

===Education===
{{Main|Education in Taiwan}}

The higher education system was established in Taiwan by Japan during the colonial period. However, after the Republic of China took over Taiwan from Japan in 1945, the system was promptly replaced by the same system as in mainland China which mixed with features of the Chinese and American educational systems.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Postiglione|first=Gerard A.|coauthors=Grace C. L. Mak|title=Asian higher education|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|year=1997|pages=346–348|isbn=0313289018|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RTE8KCespeEC&pg=PA347}}</ref> As of 2003, the [[literacy rate]] in Taiwan is 96.1%.<ref name="cia-factbook"/>

The educational system includes six years of elementary school, three years of middle school, three years of high school, and four years of university.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gio.gov.tw/info/taiwan-story/education/edown/3-1.htm |title=The Story of Taiwan-Education Taiwan's Educational Development and Present Situation |publisher=Government Information Office, Republic of China |accessdate=2009-05-28}}</ref> The system has been successful in that pupils in Taiwan boast some of the highest test scores in the world, especially in [[mathematics]] and [[science]];<ref>{{Cite journal| author =Gary Phillips| title =Chance Favors the Prepared Mind: Mathematics and Science Indicators for Comparing States and Nations| publisher =American Institutes for Research|date=17 November 2007| url =http://www.air.org/publications/documents/phillips.chance.favors.the.prepared.mind.pdf| accessdate =2007-11-21 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20071126225257/http://www.air.org/publications/documents/phillips.chance.favors.the.prepared.mind.pdf |archivedate = November 26, 2007}}</ref> However, it has also been criticized for placing excessive pressure on students and eschewing creativity in favor of rote memorization.<ref>{{Cite book|last= Bucknall|first=Keven|title=Chinese Business Etiquette and Culture|publisher=C&M Online Media, Inc.|year=2002|page=15|isbn=0917990447|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=npxUXbUg6uUC&pg=PA15}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/archives/1999/11/01/0000009019 |title=Betting on Taiwan's future with the Nankang software park |publisher=Taipei Times |date=1999-11-01 |accessdate=2009-05-28}}</ref> Many Taiwanese students attend cram schools, or [[bushiban]], to improve skills and knowledge on problem solving against exams of subjects like mathematics, nature science, history and many others. Courses are available for most popular subjects. Lessons are organized in lectures, reviews, private tutorial sessions, and recitations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://investintaiwan.nat.gov.tw/en/news/200509/2005090201.html |title=Over 70% of Taiwanese parents send kids to English bushibans |publisher=Invest in Taiwan, Department of Investment Services |date=2005-09-02 |accessdate=2009-05-28 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20080608050510/http://investintaiwan.nat.gov.tw/en/news/200509/2005090201.html |archivedate = June 8, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=C. Smith|first=Douglas|title=Middle education in the Middle Kingdom|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|year=1997|page=119|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NqJP5uE9LewC&pg=PA119|isbn=0275956415}}</ref>

==Culture==
{{Main|Culture of Taiwan}}
{{See also|Literature of Taiwan|Cultural history of Taiwan|Music of Taiwan|Cinema of Taiwan}}

[[Image:taiwan.nch.ntnu.apo-hsu.2005-10a.altonthompson.jpg|thumb|[[Apo Hsu]] and the [[National Taiwan Normal University|NTNU]] Symphony Orchestra on stage in the [[National Concert Hall (Taiwan)|National Concert Hall]]]] [[Image:TWTC ITB, TICC and Taipei 101 20100410 night.jpg|thumb|[[Taipei 101]] at night]]
[[Image:101.tall.altonthompson.jpg|thumb|left|upright|[[Taipei 101]] was the world's tallest building from its opening in 2004 until 2010.]]
The cultures of Taiwan are a hybrid blend of various sources, incorporating elements of traditional Chinese culture, attributable to the historical and ancestry origin of the majority of its current residents, Japanese culture, traditional Confucianist beliefs, and increasingly Western values.

After their move to Taiwan, the [[Kuomintang]] imposed an official interpretation of traditional Chinese culture over Taiwanese cultures. The government launched a [[History of the Kuomintang cultural policy|program]] promoting [[Chinese calligraphy]], [[Chinese painting|traditional Chinese painting]], [[Chinese folk art|folk art]], and [[Chinese opera]].

Since the [[Taiwan localization movement]] of the 1990s, Taiwan's cultural identity has enjoyed greater expression. [[Identity politics]], along with the over one hundred years of political separation from mainland China, has led to distinct traditions in many areas, including [[Taiwanese cuisine|cuisine]] and [[Music of Taiwan|music]].

The status of Taiwanese culture is debated. It is disputed whether Taiwanese culture is a regional form of Chinese culture or a distinct culture. Speaking Taiwanese as a symbol of the localization movement has become an emblem of Taiwanese identity.

One of Taiwan's greatest attractions is the [[National Palace Museum]], which houses more than 650,000 pieces of Chinese bronze, jade, calligraphy, painting and porcelain, and is considered one of the greatest collection of Chinese art and objects in the world.<ref>[http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761557357_9/museum.html ]{{Dead link|date=August 2010}}</ref> The KMT moved this collection from the [[Forbidden City]] in Beijing in 1949 when it fled to Taiwan. The collection, estimated to be one-tenth of China's cultural treasures, is so extensive that only 1 percent is on display at any time. China had said that the collection was stolen and that it legitimately belongs in China, but Taiwan has long defended its collection as a necessary act to protect the pieces from destruction, especially during the [[Cultural Revolution]]. Relations regarding this treasure have warmed recently as each side has agreed to lend relics to the other; Beijing Palace Museum Curator Zheng Xinmiao said that artifacts in both Chinese and Taiwanese museums are "China's cultural heritage jointly owned by people across the Taiwan Strait."<ref>{{cite news
 | title = Taiwan to loan art to China amid warming ties
 | url = http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hLODWs9HP8ywcjE_aaS5GPESiBvg
 | agency = Agence France-Presse
 | date = 22 September 2010
| archiveurl = http://www.webcitation.org/5tLc0bqi3
| archivedate = 9 October 2010
 }}</ref>

Popular sports in Taiwan include basketball and baseball. Taiwan is also a major Asian country for [[Korfball]].  In 2008, Taiwan hosted the World Youth Korfball Championship and took the silver medal.<ref>{{cite news|title=Netherlands Retains World Youth Korfball Champion; Taiwan is On the Way to the World...|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2008/11/08/idUS82890+08-Nov-2008+BW20081108|accessdate=June 14, 2011|newspaper=Reuters Newswire|date=Sat Nov 8, 2008}}</ref>  In 2009, Taiwan's korfball team won a bronze medal at the World Game.<ref>{{cite news|last=Hazeldine|first=Richard|title=Jujitsu, korfball put Taiwan back on winning track|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2009/07/22/2003449286|accessdate=June 14, 2011|newspaper=Taipei Times|date=Jul 22, 2009}}</ref>

[[International Community Radio Taipei]] is the most listened to International Radio Media in Taiwan.{{Citation needed|date=October 2009}}

[[Karaoke]], drawn from contemporary Japanese culture, is extremely popular in Taiwan, where it is known as KTV. KTV businesses operate in a hotel-like style, renting out small rooms and ballrooms varying on the number of guests in a group. Many KTV establishments partner with restaurants and buffets to form all-encompassing elaborate evening affairs for families, friends, or businessmen. Tour buses that travel around Taiwan have several TV's, equipped not for watching movies, but primarily for singing Karaoke. The entertainment counterpart of a KTV is an MTV, being found much less frequently out of the city. There, movies out on DVD can be selected and played in a private theater room. However MTV, more so than KTV, has a growing reputation for being a place that young couples will go to be alone and intimate.

Taiwan has a high density of 24-hour convenience stores, which, in addition to the usual services, provide services on behalf of financial institutions or government agencies such as collection of parking fees, utility bills, traffic violation fines, and credit card payments.<ref>{{cite journal |author=American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei |authorlink=American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei |title=Convenience Stores Aim at Differentiation |journal=Taiwan Business Topics |volume=34 |issue=11 |url=http://www.amcham.com.tw/publication_topics_view.php?volume=34&vol_num=11&topics_id=558 |format=– <sup>[http://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar?hl=en&lr=&q=intitle%3AConvenience+Stores+Aim+at+Differentiation&as_publication=Taiwan+Business+TOPICS&as_ylo=&as_yhi=&btnG=Search Scholar search]</sup>}} {{Dead link|date=April 2009}}</ref> They also provide a service for mailing packages.

Taiwanese culture has also influenced other cultures. [[Bubble tea]] and milk tea are available in Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Europe and North America. [[List of Taiwanese television series|Taiwan television shows]] are popular in Singapore, Malaysia and other Asian countries. [[Cinema of Taiwan|Taiwanese films]] have 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 (film)|Sense and Sensibility]]''; ''[[Brokeback Mountain]]''; and ''[[Lust, Caution (film)|Lust, Caution]]''. Other famous Taiwanese directors include [[Tsai Ming-Liang]], [[Edward Yang]] and [[Hou Hsiao-hsien]].

===Sports===
{{Main|Sport in Taiwan}}
[[Baseball]] is Taiwan's [[national sport]] and it is a popular spectator sport. One of the most famous Taiwanese baseball pitchers is [[Chien-Ming Wang]], who is a starting pitcher in [[Major League Baseball]]. Other notable players playing in the United States include [[Chin-hui Tsao]] who played for the [[Colorado Rockies]] (2003–2005) and the [[Los Angeles Dodgers]] (2007), [[Hong-Chih Kuo]], [[Fu-Te Ni]], and [[Chin-lung Hu]]. The [[Chinese Professional Baseball League]] in Taiwan was established in 1989,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cpbl.com.tw/html/english/cpbl.asp |title=Intro of CPBL |publisher=Cpbl.com.tw |accessdate=1 August 2010}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> and eventually absorbed the competing [[Taiwan Major League]] in 2003. {{As of|2008}}, the CPBL has four teams with average attendance of approximately 3,000 per game.

Besides baseball, taekwondo has become a rather mature and successful sport in recent years. In the 2004 Olympics, Mu Yen Chu and Shih Hsin Chen proudly won the first two gold medals in men's flyweight event and women's flyweight event, respectively. Ever since the 2004 Olympics, Taiwan's taekwondo potential has become extremely prominent. Subsequent taekwondo competitors such as Shu Chun Yang successfully consolidated Taiwan's taekwondo culture.

In 2009, Taiwan hosted two international sporting events on the island. The [[World Games 2009]] were held in [[Kaohsiung City]] between 16 July and 26 July 2009. [[Taipei City]] hosted the [[21st Summer Deaflympics]] in September of the same year.

===Calendar===
{{Main|Minguo calendar}}
{{See also|Chinese calendar|Holidays in Taiwan|Public holidays in the Republic of China}}
[[File:ROC calendar.jpg|thumb|upright|A calendar that commemorates the first year of the Republic as well as the election of [[Sun Yat-sen]] as the provisional President|alt=A calendar with a picture of a Chinese man in the center. On top of it stands a flag with five horizontal stripes (red, yellow, blue, white and black).]]
Taiawn uses two official calendars: the [[Gregorian calendar]], and the [[Minguo calendar]]. The latter numbers years starting from 1911, the year of the founding of the Republic of China. For example, 2007 is the "96th year of the Republic".<ref>{{cite web|author=Lotta Danielsson-Murphy |url=http://www.us-taiwan.org/taiwan_holidays.html |title=Taiwan Calendar and Holidays |publisher=US-Taiwan Business Council |accessdate=2009-05-28}}</ref>

Months and days are numbered according to the [[Gregorian calendar]]. Year numbering may use the Gregorian system as well as Taiwanese era system. For example, 3 May 2004, may be written 2004-05-03 or 93–05–03. The use of two different calendar systems in Taiwan may be confusing, in particular for foreigners. For instance, products for export marked using the Minguo calendar can be misunderstood as having an expiration date 11&nbsp;years earlier than intended.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2006/02/25/2003294523 |title=Taiwan may drop idiosyncratic Republican calendar|publisher=Taipei Times |date=2006-02-25 |accessdate=2009-05-28}}</ref>

Taiwan also uses the [[lunar calendar]] for traditional festivals such as the [[Chinese New Year]], the [[Lantern Festival]], and the [[Dragon Boat Festival]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gio.gov.tw/info/festival_c/index_e.htm |title=Holidays and Festivals in Taiwan |publisher=Government Information Office, ROC|accessdate=2009-05-28}}</ref>


==See also==
{{portal|Taiwan|Republic of China|China}}
*[[International rankings of Taiwan]]
*[[List of airlines of Taiwan]]
*[[List of companies of Taiwan]]
*[[List of Taiwanese counties and cities by population]]
{{clear}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
{{refbegin}}
* Bush, R. & [[Michael O'Hanlon|O'Hanlon, M]]. (2007). ''A War Like No Other: The Truth About China's Challenge to America''. Wiley. {{ISBN|0-471-98677-1}}
* Bush, R. (2006). ''Untying the Knot: Making Peace in the Taiwan Strait''. Brookings Institution Press. {{ISBN|0-8157-1290-1}}
* Carpenter, T. (2006). ''America's Coming War with China: A Collision Course over Taiwan''. Palgrave Macmillan. {{ISBN|1-4039-6841-1}}
* Cole, B. (2006). ''Taiwan's Security: History and Prospects''. Routledge. {{ISBN|0-415-36581-3}}
* Copper, J. (2006). ''Playing with Fire: The Looming War with China over Taiwan''. Praeger Security International General Interest. {{ISBN|0-275-98888-0}}
* Copper, J. (2000). ''Historical Dictionary of Taiwan (Republic of China)''. The Scarecrow Press. {{ISBN|0-8108-3665-3}}
* Federation of American Scientists et al. (2006). [http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/china/Book2006.pdf Chinese Nuclear Forces and U.S. Nuclear War Planning]
* Gill, B. (2007). ''Rising Star: China's New Security Diplomacy''. Brookings Institution Press. {{ISBN|0-8157-3146-9}}
* Knapp, R. (1980). ''China's Island Frontier: Studies in the Historical Geography of Taiwan''. University of Hawai`i Press. {{ISBN|0-8248-0705-7}}
* Rubinstein, M. (2006). ''Taiwan: A New History''. M.E. Sharpe. {{ISBN|0-7656-1495-2}}
* Shirk, S. (2007). ''China: Fragile Superpower: How China's Internal Politics Could Derail Its Peaceful Rise''. Oxford University Press. {{ISBN|0-19-530609-0}}
* Tsang, S. (2006). ''If China Attacks Taiwan: Military Strategy, Politics and Economics''. Routledge. {{ISBN|0-415-40785-0}}
* Tucker, N.B. (2005). ''Dangerous Strait: the U.S.-Taiwan-China Crisis''. Columbia University Press. {{ISBN|0-231-13564-5}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Sister project links|voy=Taiwan|Taiwan}}
* [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/world-leaders-1/world-leaders-t/taiwan-nde.html Chief of State and Cabinet Members]
* {{CIA_World_Factbook link|tw|Taiwan}}
* [http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/govpubs/for/taiwan.htm Taiwan (Republic of China - Taiwan, Chinese Taipei)] at ''UCB Libraries GovPubs''
* {{wikiatlas|Taiwan}}

* [http://www.wikimapia.org/#y=23785345&x=120465088&z=8&l=0&m=a Satellite view of Taiwan at WikiMapia]
* [http://www.forumosa.com/ Forumosa]&nbsp;– Taiwan's largest online community in English
* [http://www.taiwantoday.tw/ Taiwan Today]&nbsp;- Taiwan-focused news articles in English
{{Taiwan related articles}}
{{Territorial disputes in East and South Asia}}
{{Coord|23|46|N|121|00|E|scale:2500000|display=title}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2010}}

<nowiki>[[Category:Taiwan| ]]
[[Category:Disputed islands]]
[[Category:Islands of Asia]]
[[Category:Islands of the Pacific Ocean]]
[[Category:Territorial disputes of the People's Republic of China]]
[[Category:Territorial disputes of the Republic of China]]</nowiki>
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[[ar:تايوان (جزيرة)]]
[[as:টাইৱান]]
[[ast:Taiwán]]
[[az:Tayvan]]
[[bn:তাইওয়ান]]
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