Taiwan is located in Eastern Asia, islands bordering the East China Sea, Philippine Sea, South China Sea, and Taiwan Strait, north of the Philippines, off the southeastern coast of China.
Land in Taiwan is eastern two-thirds mostly rugged mountains; flat to gently rolling plains in west.
Taiwan land covers an area of 35980 square kilometers which is slightly smaller than Maryland and Delaware combined
As for the Taiwan climate; tropical; marine; rainy season during southwest monsoon (June to August); cloudiness is persistent and extensive all year.
Taiwan (singular and plural) speak Mandarin Chinese (official), Taiwanese (Min), Hakka dialects.
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Taipei Chi-lung Yün-lin | Ta-hsi-chen |
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Fu-chien Kao-hsiung T'ai-pei | T'ai-wan Taiwan (general) |
In 1895, military defeat forced China to cede Taiwan to Japan. Taiwan reverted to Chinese control after World War II. Following the Communist victory on the mainland in 1949, 2 million Nationalists fled to Taiwan and established a government using the 1946 constitution drawn up for all of China. Over the next five decades, the ruling authorities gradually democratized and incorporated the native population within the governing structure. In 2000, Taiwan underwent its first peaceful transfer of power from the Nationalist to the Democratic Progressive Party. Throughout this period, the island prospered and became one of East Asia's economic "Tigers." The dominant political issues continue to be the relationship between Taiwan and China - specifically the question of eventual unification - as well as domestic political and economic reform.
Taiwan has a dynamic capitalist economy with gradually decreasing guidance of investment and foreign trade by government authorities. In keeping with this trend, some large, government-owned banks and industrial firms are being privatized. Exports have provided the primary impetus for industrialization. The trade surplus is substantial, and foreign reserves are the world's third largest. Agriculture contributes less than 2% to GDP, down from 32% in 1952. Taiwan is a major investor throughout Southeast Asia. China has overtaken the US to become Taiwan's largest export market and, in 2005, Taiwan's third-largest source of imports after Japan and the US. Taiwan has benefited from cross-Strait economic integration and a sharp increase in world demand to achieve substantial growth in its export sector and a seven-year-high real GDP growth of 6.1% in 2004. However, excess inventory, higher international oil prices, and rising interest rates dampened consumption in developed markets, and GDP growth dropped to 3.8% in 2005. The service sector, which accounts for 69% of Taiwan's GDP, has continued to expand, while unemployment and inflation rates have declined.
Taiwan natural resources include small deposits of coal, natural gas, limestone, marble, and asbestos
strategic location adjacent to both the Taiwan Strait and the Luzon Strait
Taiwan religion is mixture of Buddhist, Confucian, and Taoist 93%, Christian 4.5%, other 2.5%.
Natural hazards in Taiwan include earthquakes and typhoons.