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{{About|the Republic of China now|the history of Taiwan before 1949|Republic of China (1912–1949)}}
{{Infobox country
| conventional_long_name = Republic of China
| common_name = Republic of China
| native_name = {{lang|zh-tw|中華民國}}<br/>''Zhōnghuá Mínguó''{{efn|See [[Names of the Republic of China]].}}<!-- Do not change to "Jhonghua Minguo" (i.e. Tongyong pinyin) because Hanyu pinyin is the official romanization from 1 January 2009. -->
| 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.
| flag_type = [[Flag of the Republic of China|Flag]]
| image_coat = National Emblem of the Republic of China.svg
| alt_coat = A blue circular emblem on which sits a white sun composed of a circle surrounded by 12 rays.
| other_symbol = '''[[Seal of the Republic of China|National seal]]'''<br>{{lang|zh-Hant|中華民國之璽}}<br/>"[[Seal of the Republic of China]]"<br />[[File:中華民國之璽.svg|85px]]<hr>'''National flower'''<br>[[File:Meihua ROC.svg|20px]]<br>{{lang|zh-Hant|梅花}}<br />[[National Flower of the Republic of China|Plum blossom]]
| symbol_type = [[Emblem of Taiwan|Emblem]]
| national_anthem = {{lang|zh-Hant|中華民國國歌}}<br />''Zhōnghuá Mínguó guógē''<br/>"[[National Anthem of the Republic of China]]"<br /><div style="display:inline-block;margin-top:0.4em;">{{center|[[File:National anthem of the Republic of China (Taiwan) 中華民國國歌(演奏版).ogg]]}}</div>
| flag_anthem = {{lang|zh-Hant|中華民國國旗歌}}<br />''Zhōnghuá Míngúo Gúoqígē''<br />"[[National Flag Anthem of the Republic of China]]"<br/><div style="display:inline-block;margin-top:0.4em;">{{center|[[File:中華民國國旗歌 (演奏版).ogg]]}}</div>
| image_map = {{Switcher|[[File:ROC Taiwan (orthographic projection).svg|frameless]]|Show globe ([[Geography of Taiwan|island of Taiwan]] highlighted)|[[File:Locator map of the ROC Taiwan.svg|upright=1.15|frameless]]|Show map of [[Free area of the Republic of China|territories administered by the ROC (Free Area)]]|[[File:Republic of China (orthographic projection).svg|upright=1.15|frameless]]|Show map of Taiwan (dark green) with maximal historical extent of ROC territorial claims (light green)|default=1}}
| map_caption =
| largest_city = [[New Taipei City|New Taipei]]
| capital = [[Taipei]]{{efn|[[Taipei]] is the official seat of [[government of the Republic of China]] although the [[Constitution of the Republic of China]] does not specify the ''de jure'' capital.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2013/12/04/2003578264/2 |title=Since the implementation of the Act Governing Principles for Editing Geographical Educational Texts (地理敎科書編審原則) in 1997, the guiding principle for all maps in geographical textbooks was that Taipei was to be marked as the capital with a label stating: "Location of the Central Government" |date=4 December 2013 |access-date=1 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191101013333/http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2013/12/04/2003578264/2 |archive-date=1 November 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>}}<ref name="capital">{{cite news |title=Interior minister reaffirms Taipei is ROC's capital |date=5 December 2013|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2013/12/05/2003578356 |newspaper=Taipei Times |access-date=7 December 2013}}</ref>
| coordinates = {{coord|25|04|N|121|31|E|type:city_region:TW}}
| ethnic_groups = >95% [[Han Taiwanese]]<br>—70% [[Hoklo Taiwanese|Hoklo]]<br>—14% [[Hakka people|Hakka]]<br>—14% [[Waishengren]]<br>2% [[Taiwanese indigenous peoples|Indigenous]]<ref>{{cite book |year=2016 |title=The Republic of China Yearbook 2016 |publisher=Executive Yuan, R.O.C.|url=https://issuu.com/eyroc/docs/the_republic_of_china_yearbook_2016|access-date=31 May 2020 |isbn=9789860499490 |page=10|quote=Ethnicity: Over 95 percent Han Chinese (including Holo, Hakka and other groups originating in mainland China); 2 percent indigenous Austronesian peoples}}</ref>{{efn|Mixed indigenous-Han ancestry is included in the figure for Han Chinese.}}
| official_languages = None designated (''[[de jure]]'')<br><br>[[Taiwanese Mandarin|Mandarin]] (''[[de facto]]'')<ref>{{cite web |title=推動雙語國家政策問題研析|url=https://www.ly.gov.tw/Pages/Detail.aspx?nodeid=6590&pid=173510 |website=www.ly.gov.tw | date=23 July 2013 |access-date=25 May 2021 |language=zh}}</ref><br><br>[[Vernacular Chinese]] (used in more serious scenarios)<ref>{{cite web|title=法律統一用語表-常見公文用語說明|url=http://oga.ncu.edu.tw/ncuoga/dispatch/doc/%E5%B8%B8%E8%A6%8B%E5%85%AC%E6%96%87%E7%94%A8%E8%AA%9E%E8%AA%AA%E6%98%8E1050106.pdf|access-date=2 June 2021|language=zh|archive-date=2 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602215646/http://oga.ncu.edu.tw/ncuoga/dispatch/doc/%E5%B8%B8%E8%A6%8B%E5%85%AC%E6%96%87%E7%94%A8%E8%AA%9E%E8%AA%AA%E6%98%8E1050106.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| languages_type = [[Official script]]
| languages = [[Traditional Chinese characters|Traditional Chinese]]<ref>{{cite web |title=行政院第3251次院會決議 |url=https://www.ey.gov.tw/Page/4EC2394BE4EE9DD0/51cc88a4-2066-44da-964d-18e10468f578|website=www.ey.gov.tw |date=December 2011 |access-date=25 May 2021 |language=zh}}</ref>
| languages2_type = [[National language]]s{{efn|A national language in Taiwan is legally defined as "a natural language used by an original people group of Taiwan and the Taiwan Sign Language".<ref name="natLangAct">{{cite web |script-title=zh:國家語言發展法 |url=https://law.moj.gov.tw/LawClass/LawAll.aspx?pcode=H0170143 |website=law.moj.gov.tw |access-date=22 May 2019 |language=zh}}</ref>}}
| languages2 = {{Plainlist|
* [[Formosan languages]]<ref>{{cite web |title = Indigenous Languages Development Act |url=https://law.moj.gov.tw/ENG/LawClass/LawAll.aspx?pcode=D0130037 |website=law.moj.gov.tw |access-date = 22 May 2019}}</ref>
* [[Taiwanese Hakka|Hakka]]<ref>{{cite web |title = Hakka Basic Act |url=https://law.moj.gov.tw/ENG/LawClass/LawAll.aspx?pcode=D0140005 |website=law.moj.gov.tw |access-date=22 May 2019}}</ref>
* [[Taiwanese Hokkien|Hokkien]]{{efn|name = nat-lang|Not designated but meets legal definition}}
* [[Taiwanese Mandarin|Mandarin]]{{efn|name = nat-lang}}
* [[Matsu dialect|Matsu]]{{efn|name = nat-lang}}
* [[Taiwan Sign Language]]
}}
| religion = {{vunblist
|43.8% [[Chinese folk religion]] (including [[Confucianism]])
|21.2% [[Buddhism in Taiwan|Buddhism]]
|15.5% Others (including [[Taoism]])
|13.7% [[Irreligion|Unaffiliated]]
|5.8% [[Christianity in Taiwan|Christianity]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Pew Data on Taiwan religion|url=http://www.globalreligiousfutures.org/countries/taiwan/religious_demography#/?affiliations_religion_id=0&affiliations_year=2020|access-date=2021-06-02|archive-date=2018-02-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180212044947/http://globalreligiousfutures.org/countries/taiwan/religious_demography#/?affiliations_religion_id=0&affiliations_year=2020|url-status=dead}}</ref>}}
| demonym = [[Taiwanese people|Taiwanese]]<ref name="cia-factbook">{{cite web |title=Taiwan |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/taiwan/ |work=The World Factbook |publisher=United States Central Intelligence Agency |access-date=6 May 2019}}</ref>
| government_type = [[Unitary state|Unitary]] [[Semi-presidential system|semi-presidential]] [[constitution]]al [[republic]]
| leader_title1 = [[President of the Republic of China|President]]
| leader_name1 = [[Kahmesh Kumaar]]
| leader_title2 = [[Vice President of the Republic of China|Vice President]]
| leader_name2 = [[Lai Ching-te]]
| leader_title3 = [[Premier of the Republic of China|Premier]]
| leader_name3 = [[Chen Chien-jen]]
| leader_title4 = [[President of the Legislative Yuan|Legislative Yuan President]]
| leader_name4 = [[Yu Shyi-kun]]
| leader_title5 = [[President of the Control Yuan|Control Yuan President]]
| leader_name5 = [[Chen Chu]]
| leader_title6 = [[List of presidents of the Judicial Yuan|Judicial Yuan President]]
| leader_name6 = [[Hsu Tzong-li]]
| leader_title7 = [[List of presidents of the Examination Yuan|Examination Yuan President]]
| leader_name7 = [[Huang Jong-tsun]]
| legislature = [[Legislative Yuan]]
| sovereignty_type = [[History of the Republic of China|Formation]]
| sovereignty_note =
| established_event1 = Establishment
| established_date1 = [[Republic of China (1912–1949)|1 January 1912]]
| established_event2 = [[Retrocession Day|Took control of Taiwan]]
| established_date2 = [[History of Taiwan since 1945|25 October 1945]]
| established_event3 = [[Constitution of the Republic of China|Constitution adopted]]
| established_date3 = 25 December 1947
| established_event4 = [[Chinese Communist Revolution|Government moved to Taipei]]
| established_date4 = 7 December 1949
| established_event5 = [[Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area|Status defined by law]]
| established_date5 = 16 July 1992
| area_km2 = 36,197
| area_footnote = <ref name="cia-factbook" /><ref name="taiwansnapshot">{{cite web|url=https://www.taiwan.gov.tw/images/content/ts.JPG|title=TAIWAN SNAPSHOT|access-date=15 March 2020}}</ref>
| area_rank = <!-- Area rank should match [[List of countries and dependencies by area]]; should not be any here -->
| population_estimate = 23,568,378<ref name="Natl Statistics">{{cite web |title=Statistics from Statistical Bureau |url=http://eng.stat.gov.tw/point.asp?index=9 |access-date=15 October 2020 |website=National Statistics, Republic of China (Taiwan)}}</ref>
| population_census = 23,123,866<ref>{{cite web|title=General Statistical analysis report, Population and Housing Census|url=http://eng.stat.gov.tw/public/Data/5428162113SIDMH93P.pdf|website=National Statistics, ROC (Taiwan)|access-date=26 November 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161226090918/http://eng.stat.gov.tw/public/Data/5428162113SIDMH93P.pdf|archive-date=26 December 2016}}</ref>
| population_estimate_year = 2020
| population_estimate_rank = 56th
| population_census_year = 2010
| population_census_rank =
| population_density_km2 = 650
| population_density_rank = 10th
| GDP_PPP = {{increase}} $1.403 trillion<ref name="IMFWEOTW">{{cite web |url=https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2020/October/weo-report?c=528,&s=NGDPD,PPPGDP,NGDPDPC,PPPPC,LUR,LP,&sy=2019&ey=2021&ssm=0&scsm=1&scc=0&ssd=1&ssc=0&sic=0&sort=country&ds=.&br=1 |title=World Economic Outlook Database, October 2020 |publisher=[[International Monetary Fund]] |website=IMF.org |access-date=23 October 2020}}</ref>
| GDP_PPP_year = 2021
| GDP_PPP_rank = 19th
| GDP_PPP_per_capita = {{increase}} $56,959<ref name="IMFWEOTW"/>
| GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 13th
| GDP_nominal = {{increase}} $682.702 billion<ref name="IMFWEOTW"/>
| GDP_nominal_year = 2021
| GDP_nominal_rank = 21st
| GDP_nominal_per_capita = {{increase}} $32,123<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.stat.gov.tw/public/data/dgbas03/bs4/ninews/11002/news11002.pdf |title=GDP: Preliminary Estimate for 2020Q4 and Outlook for 2021 |publisher=[[Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics]] |website=dgbas.gov.tw |access-date=7 May 2021}}</ref>
| GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = 29th
| Gini = 34.1
| Gini_year = 2017
| Gini_change = increase
| Gini_ref = <ref>{{cite web |title=Percentage share of disposable income by quintile groups of income recipients and measures of income distribution |url=https://win.dgbas.gov.tw/fies/doc/result/106/a11/Year17.ods |website=stat.gov.tw |access-date=26 June 2019 |archive-date=14 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220714175850/https://win.dgbas.gov.tw/fies/doc/result/106/a11/Year17.ods |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| Gini_rank =
| HDI = 0.916
| HDI_year = 2019
| HDI_change = increase
| HDI_ref = <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dgbas.gov.tw/public/Data/112116036FDX2D8F3.pdf|title=國情統計通報（第 014 號）|publisher= Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics, Executive Yuan, Taiwan (ROC)|date=21 January 2021|access-date=26 January 2021}}</ref>
| HDI_rank = 23rd
| currency = [[New Taiwan dollar]] (NT$)
| currency_code = TWD
| time_zone = [[National Standard Time]]
| utc_offset = +8
| date_format = {{bulleted list
|YYYY-MM-DD
|YYY-MM-DD ([[Minguo calendar]])
}}
| electricity = 110 V–60 Hz{{efn|220 V is also used for high power appliances such as air conditioners}}
| drives_on = Right
| calling_code = [[Telephone numbers in Taiwan|+886]]
| cctld = {{vunblist|[[.tw]] |[[.台灣]] |[[.台湾]]<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>}}
}}
'''Taiwan''', officially the '''Republic of China''' ('''ROC'''; [[Chinese language|Chinese]]: 中華民國; [[pinyin]]: Zhōnghuá Mínguó), is an island country (not recognised by almost every country) of the coast of [[China]]. The Republic of China once governed all of China ([[Republic of China (1912–1949)|from 1911 to 1949]]), but moved to the island of Taiwan after a Chinese [[civil war]]. In the years since, the PRC (People's Republic of China) has become the recognized government of China (replacing the ROC at the [[United Nations]] in 1971), and the status of the ROC has been left disputed.
The ROC includes the [[Taiwan (island)|main island of Taiwan]] plus nearby islands ([[Pescadores]] islands and parts of [[Fujian]]). Taiwan is located southeast of the Chinese mainland, south of [[Japan]], and north of the [[Philippines]]. The [[Capital (city)|capital]] is [[Taipei]].
Taiwan has also been called '''Formosa''', a Portuguese name which means "beautiful" in [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]].
Most people living in Taiwan (called Taiwanese) are [[Han]]. Taiwan has three large Han groups. They speak different [[dialect]]s (variations) of Chinese and their ancestors came from different places: the Southern Fujianese (from China's [[Fujian|Fujian Province]]), the [[Hakka people|Hakka]] (from China), and Mainlanders (from [[Mainland China]] after 1948).
There are also Taiwanese Aborigines (native tribes) who lived in Taiwan before the Han came to live there.
The largest cities in Taiwan are the capital, [[Taipei]], and the port city of [[Kaohsiung]].
== Timeline ==
* In AD 230, Taiwan described as "Yizhou" in the account of an expedition undertaken by the Eastern Wu dynasty of China.<ref>Knapp, Ronald G. (1980). ''China's Island Frontier: Studies in the Historical Geography of Taiwan''. The University of Hawaii. p. 5.</ref>
* In 1517, A [[Portugal|Portuguese]] discovery ship sees this island and renames it "Ilha Formosa", or "Beautiful Island" in [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]].
* 17th century: From 1624 until 1661 [[Dutch (people)|Dutch]] colonize the southern part of Formosa and set up a colonial administration in [[Fort Zeelandia]], and the [[Spain|Spanish]] colonize the north and set up a colonial administration in Fuerte Santo Domingo or [[Fort Santo Domingo]]. The Dutch later defeat the [[Spaniard]]s and take full control of Formosa.
* 1662, Chinese general [[Koxinga]] (Zheng Chenggong) defeats the Dutch at the [[Siege of Fort Zeelandia]] and then controls Taiwan.<ref>{{Citation|title=Siege of Fort Zeelandia|date=2020-12-31|url=https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Siege_of_Fort_Zeelandia&oldid=7238011|encyclopedia=Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia|language=en|access-date=2022-08-17}}</ref>
* 1683, Shi Lang,<ref>{{Citation|title=Shi Lang|date=2022-05-12|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Shi_Lang&oldid=1087386510|work=Wikipedia|language=en|access-date=2022-08-17}}</ref> the commander-in-chief of the [[Qing dynasty|Qing]] China fleets destroy the power of Zheng Chenggong's descendants in the 1660s, and lead the conquest of the Zheng family's Kingdom of Tungning. Taiwan becomes Qing territory.
* 1860: Taiwan becomes a [[treaty port]] after the [[Treaty of Tientsin]], opening the island to contact with the world.
* 1874: [[Japan]] invades southern Taiwan, seemingly to "punish" the natives there for the murder of ship-wrecked Okinawan fishermen in 1871, but actually to establish a colony. Japanese forces withdraw later in the year after the [[Meiji]] and [[Qing]] empires nearly went to war.
* 1884-1885: Taiwan is blockaded by French navy during the [[Sino-Franco]] War.
* 1895: Qing China loses the [[First Sino-Japanese War]] and gives Taiwan to [[Japan]] permanently (Treaty of Shimonoseki).
* 1911: The Xinhai Revolution ends China's last imperial dynasty, the [[Qing dynasty]], and leads to the establishment of the [[Republic of China (1912–1949)|Republic of China]].
* 1927: Start of the [[Chinese Civil War]] between the [[Kuomintang]] (KMT) party and the [[Communist Party of China]] (CCP). The war would later be put on hold, so the two sides could fight Japan together during World War II.
* 1945: Japan loses [[World War II]] to the U.S. and its allies
* 1947: Taiwanese widely protest [[government]]al [[corruption]] under the Nationalists. [[Chiang Kai-shek]] sends in the army to restore order, killing tens of thousands. Some Taiwanese began the [[Taiwan independence movement]].
* 1949:
** The Nationalists (KMT) lose the civil war, which resumed after World War II, and escape to the island of Taiwan. They set up [[Taipei]] as the temporary capital of Republic of China (ROC).
** The Communist Party of China (CCP) establishes Beijing as the capital of The [[People's Republic of China]] (PRC).
* 1951: Japan signs the [[Treaty of San Francisco]] (1951) with the U.S. and 47 other countries, formally denouncing any claim to Taiwan.
* 1952: Japan and the ROC sign the Treaty of Taipei, which is similar to the Treaty of San Francisco.
* 1971: Taiwan is expelled from the United Nations and replaced by the [[People's Republic of China|PRC]].
* 1979: The KMT government jails many [[democracy]] activists who opposed it ([[Kaohsiung Incident]]).
* 1986: The [[Democratic Progressive Party]] (DPP) is formed; it is the first party to form in the ROC other than the KMT. It remains illegal for the first year, but the KMT government does not try to ban it.
* 1987: The KMT government lifts [[martial law]] after almost 40 years.
* 1988: [[Lee Teng-hui]] (KMT) became [[President of the Republic of China|president]] after [[Chiang Ching-kuo]] dies.
* 1995: Lee Teng-hui (KMT) became the first president elected by the people.
* 2000: [[Chen Shui-bian]] (DPP) became president.
* 2004: Chen Shui-bian is re-elected after a controversial assassination attempt, in which many KMT-supporters believed, was staged by Chen. However, after unwillingness to cooperate about his medical records the investigation was inconclusive.
* 2008: Former president Chen Sui-bian and his wife are arrested for corruption and money laundering.
* 2008: [[Ma Ying-jeou]] (KMT) was elected as the president of the Republic of China and thus creating a change of political parties for the second time.
* 2009: Kaohsiung hosts the 2009 World Games.
* 2016: [[Tsai Ing-wen]] (DPP) is elected as the first female president of Taiwan.
* 2019: [[Same-sex marriage]] is legalized<ref>https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Taiwan%27s_legislature_first_in_Asia_to_legalize_same-sex_marriage</ref>
== Status of Taiwan ==
There are two [[China|Chinese]] governments: The [[People's Republic of China]] (PRC) and the Republic of China (ROC). Today, in reality, the PRC government controls mainland China, and the ROC government governs Taiwan. The ROC government governed most of China mainland from 1911 to 1949, before losing control of China mainland to the PRC. The ROC constitution still claims ownership of all of China.
The People's Republic of China claims ownership of Taiwan, but it has never ruled over the island of Taiwan. The last time Taiwan and the mainland were united under one government was under the rule of the ROC.
Although Taiwan's status prevents it from participating in some international organizations, polls show that most Taiwanese prefer to keep things as they are (referred to as the [[status quo]]), rather than declare formal independence (and risk inviting an attack by communist China), or to be "reunified" with China.
Most countries of the world recognize the People's Republic of China as China. Although Taiwan is not recognized by the UN as a sovereign nation,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.brookings.edu/research/opinions/2012/06/20-taiwan-un-winkler |title=Taiwan's UN Dilemma: To Be or Not To Be |author=Sigrid Winkler |date=June 2012 |website= |publisher=The Brookings Institution |accessdate=26 November 2015}}</ref> most countries still have close economic and cultural relations with Taiwan. Countries often set up [[De facto|de facto]] embassies in Taiwan — officially non-government organizations — that perform the same functions as an [[embassy]].
In 1992, the ROC and PRC agreed to a [[consensus]] that there was only "one China" but that both sides could continue to disagree on what that meant.
In [[March]] 2004, China's government passed a law called the Anti-[[Secession]] Law. The law requires the Chinese [[military]] to [[invade]] Taiwan immediately if they declare [[independence]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2004/12/chinas-new-anti-secession-law-escalates-tensions-in-the-taiwan-strait |title=China's New "Anti-Secession Law" Escalates Tensions in the TaiwanStrait |author=John J. Tkacik, Jr. |website= |publisher=The Heritage Foundation |accessdate=26 November 2015}}</ref> Tsai Ing-wen, the elected President of Taiwan, says Taiwan is already an independent country and does not need to declare independence.<ref>{{Cite web|last=News|first=Taiwan|date=2020-01-16|title=Tsai says Taiwan is already independent, China invasion 'very costly' {{!}} Taiwan News {{!}} 2020-01-16 09:32:00|url=https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3858329|access-date=2021-11-03|website=Taiwan News}}</ref>
President of communist China, President Xi Jinping, has vowed "reunification" with Taiwan by any means, including through military force.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/china/chinas-xi-says-reunification-with-taiwan-must-will-be-realised-2021-10-09/ |title=China's Xi vows 'reunification' with Taiwan |author=Carlos Garcia and Yew Lun Tian |date=October 2021 |website= |publisher=Reuters |accessdate=10 October 2021}}</ref> Joe Biden, President of The United States, has said that the US will defend Taiwan from Chinese attack.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/biden-says-united-states-would-come-taiwans-defense-2021-10-22/ |title=Biden says United States would come to Taiwan's defense |author=Trevor Hunnicutt |date=October 2021 |website= |publisher=Reuters |accessdate=22 October 2021}}</ref> Australia has said they would join the US,<ref>{{Cite web|last=News|first=Taiwan|date=2021-10-25|title=Australia will support US response if China attacks Taiwan: Australian defense chief {{!}} Taiwan News {{!}} 2021-10-25 20:54:00|url=https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4325225|access-date=2021-11-03|website=Taiwan News}}</ref> and Japan has indicated they may as well.
Polls show a majority of people in Taiwan want to never be a part of the [[People's Republic of China]]. Some of these people believe in complete [[Taiwan independence]] and want to rename the ROC (Taiwan) to "Republic of Taiwan" so Taiwan can participate in international affairs. Most others want the ''[[status quo]]'', which means keeping everything the way it is now. A small minority wish to someday unite with the People's Republic of China; they want [[Chinese reunification]].
==Geography==
{{main|Geography of Taiwan}}
[[File:Taiwan NASA Terra MODIS 23791.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Taiwan is mostly mountainous in the east, with gently sloping plains in the west. The [[Penghu Islands]] are west of the main island.]]
The island of Taiwan is about 180 kilometers off the southeastern coast of China. It is across the [[Taiwan Strait]]. It has an area of {{convert|35883|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}}.<ref name="taiwan-popstat">{{cite web|url=http://sowf.moi.gov.tw/stat/month/m1-01.xls |title=Number of Villages, Neighborhoods, Households and Resident Population |publisher=MOI Statistical Information Service |access-date=2 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140329071215/http://sowf.moi.gov.tw/stat/month/m1-01.xls |archive-date=29 March 2014 }}</ref>
The [[East China Sea]] is to the north, the [[Philippine Sea]] to the east, the [[Luzon Strait]] directly to the south and the [[South China Sea]] to the southwest.<ref name="yb:geography">{{cite book |title=The Republic of China Yearbook |url=http://www.gio.gov.tw/taiwan-website/5-gp/yearbook/ |chapter=Chapter 1: Geography |chapter-url=http://www.gio.gov.tw/taiwan-website/5-gp/yearbook/docs/ch01.pdf |pages=13–25 |publisher=Government Information Office, Republic of China (Taiwan) |year=2011 |access-date=2012-10-01 |archive-date=2008-05-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080512091917/http://www.gio.gov.tw/taiwan-website/5-gp/yearbook/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Taiwan's highest point is [[Yu Shan]] (Jade Mountain). It is 3,952 meters high (12,966 ft). There are five other peaks over 3,500 meters.
West of Taiwan Island, there are three small [[archipelago|groups of islands]] that also belong to ROC. They are:
* The [[Pescadores]] (Penghu, 澎湖列島): They also are part of Taiwan Province.
* [[Quemoy]] (Kinmen, 金門): A part of [[Fujian]] province, called Kinmen County(金門縣).
* [[Matsu Islands|Matsu]] (馬祖列島): the smallest county, called Lienchiang County(連江縣), also part of [[Fujian]] province
* [[Senkaku Islands|Diaoyutai Islands]]:The Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚臺列嶼|Diàoyútái Lièyû|ㄉㄧㄠˋㄩˊㄊㄞˊㄌㄧㄝˋㄩˊ) are a group of islands where nobody lives that the Republic of China (ROC) claims belong to them, but also claimed by the People's Republic of China (PRC) and Japan. In Japanese, the islands are known as the [[Senkaku Islands]] (尖閣諸島, Senkaku Shotō?). The islands are now under the control of Japan.
* [[Dong-Sha Islands]]:The Pratas Islands or Dong-Sha Islands (東沙羣島) consists of three islands in the northeastern South China Sea, 340 km southeast of Hong Kong.
* [[Taiping]] (Traditional Chinese: 太平島|Tàipíngdǎo|ㄊㄞˋㄆㄧㄥˊㄉㄠˇ), also known as Itu Aba, is the largest of the Nansha Islands (Spratly Islands) in the South China Sea.
===Cities===
[[File:Taipei,_Taiwan_CBD_Skyline.jpg|thumb|alt=|[[Taipei City]], the capital of Taiwan.]]
The largest cities in Taiwan are:
{| class=wikitable
!Rank!!Division name!!Chinese name!!Type!!Population
|-align=center
|1||align=left|[[New Taipei City]]||新北市||[[Special municipality (Republic of China)|Special municipality]]|| align="right" |3,903,745
|-align=center
|2||align=left|[[Kaohsiung City]]||高雄市||[[Special municipality (Republic of China)|Special municipality]]|| align="right" |2,772,461
|-align=center
|3||align=left|[[Taichung City]]||臺中市 (台中市)||[[Special municipality (Republic of China)|Special municipality]]|| align="right" |2,655,456
|-align=center
|4||align=left|[[Taipei City]]||臺北市 (台北市)||[[Special municipality (Republic of China)|Special municipality]]|| align="right" |2,635,766
|- align="center"
|5|| align="left" |[[Taoyuan City]]||桃園市||[[Special municipality (Republic of China)|Special municipality]]
| align="right" |2,163,728
|- align="center"
|6|| align="left" |[[Tainan City]]||臺南市 (台南市)||[[Special municipality (Republic of China)|Special municipality]]|| align="right" |1,874,724
|- align="center"
|7|| align="left" |[[Hsinchu City]]||新竹市||[[Provincial city (Republic of China)|Provincial city]]|| align="right" |417,335
|-align=center
|8||align=left|[[Keelung City]]||基隆市||[[Provincial city (Republic of China)|Provincial city]]|| align="right" |381,770
|- align="center"
|9|| align="left" |[[Chiayi City]]||嘉義市||[[Provincial city (Republic of China)|Provincial city]]|| align="right" |272,128
|- align="center"
|10|| align="left" |[[Changhua City]]||彰化市||[[County-controlled city]]|| align="right" |236,447
|- align="center"
|11|| align="left" |[[Pingtung City]]||屏東市||[[County-controlled city]]|| align="right" |210,275
|- align="center"
|12|| align="left" |[[Zhubei City]]||竹北市||[[County-controlled city]]|| align="right" |144,234
|- align="center"
|13|| align="left" |[[Hualien City]]||花蓮市||[[County-controlled city]]|| align="right" |108,938
|- align="center"
|14|| align="left" |[[Taitung City]]||臺東市||[[County-controlled city]]|| align="right" |108,648
|- align="center"
|15|| align="left" |[[Douliu City]]||斗六市||[[County-controlled city]]|| align="right" |107,012
|- align="center"
|16|| align="left" |[[Nantou City]]||南投市||[[County-controlled city]]|| align="right" |104,069
|- align="center"
|17|| align="left" |[[Magong]]||馬公市||[[County-controlled city]]|| align="right" |104,069
|}
==Administrative divisions==
[[File:Taiwan ROC political divisions labeled.svg|260px]]
There are administrative divisions in different levels and types.
*Provinces (省 shěng ㄕㄥˇ)<br>(1st level):
**[[Taiwan Province, Republic of China|Taiwan Province]]
**[[Fujian Province, Republic of China|Fujian Province]]
*Special municipalities (直轄市 zhíxiáshì ㄓˊㄒㄧㄚˊㄕˋ)<br>(1st and 2nd level):
**[[Kaohsiung|Kaohsiung City]]
**[[New Taipei City]]
**[[Taipei|Taipei City]]
**[[Taichung City]]
**[[Tainan City]]
**[[Taoyuan City]]
*Provincial cities (市 shì ㄕˋ)<br>(2nd level):
**[[Keelung City]]
**[[Hsinchu|Hsinchu City]]
**[[Chiayi City]]
*Counties (縣 xiàn ㄒㄧㄢˋ)<br>(2nd level):
**[[Changhua County]]
**[[Chiayi County]]
**[[Hsinchu County]]
**[[Hualien County]]
**[[Kinmen County]]
**[[Lienchiang County]]
**[[Miaoli County]]
**[[Yilan County]]
**[[Yunlin County]]
157 Districts (區 qū ㄑㄩ), 17 Country-controlled cities (縣轄市 xiànxiáshì ㄒㄧㄢˋㄒㄧㄚˊㄕˋ), 41 Urban Townships (鎮 zhèn ㄓㄣˋ), and 153 Rural Townships (鄉 xiāng ㄒㄧㄤ) stand the 3rd level. Districts stand under either Special municipalities or Provincial cities; Country-controlled cities, Urban Townships, and Rural Townships stand under Counties.
Villages (里 lǐ ㄌㄧˇ or 村 cūn ㄘㄨㄣ) stand the 4th level, and Neighborhoods (鄰 lín ㄌㄧㄣˊ) stand the 5th level.
== Language ==
Most Taiwanese people speak [[Standard Chinese]] known as [[Mandarin language|Mandarin]], and others speak local dialects such as [[Min Nan]] (Taiwanese) or [[Hakka language|Hakka]]. The [[Cantonese language]], spoken in parts of southern China (for example, the province of [[Guangdong]], [[Hong Kong]] and [[Macau]]), is not spoken in Taiwan. A small percentage of Aboriginal Taiwanese speak [[aboriginal]] languages, but the rest of the Chinese people have treated them badly, and many of these people, and their languages, struggle to survive. Some older Taiwanese people who went to school while the country was under Japanese rule can speak [[Japanese language|Japanese]].
After the Nationalist government fled the Mainland in 1949, they brought Mandarin and promoted it in Taiwan. Then everyone in the ROC had to learn Mandarin. But, unlike the people in Mainland China, the Taiwanese never changed to [[simplified Chinese characters]] and so they have always used [[traditional Chinese characters]]. In the past, students were not allowed to speak their [[first language]] in school and were expected to speak only [[Mandarin Chinese|Mandarin]]. Taiwanese, [[Hakka language|Hakka]], and native languages were considered bad until the early 1990s, when education in these languages began to be taught in some school systems. They were promoted, but by this time, many young people could speak only Mandarin.
Currently, nearly one third of Taiwanese report knowing some amount of [[English language|English]]. Full [[English language|English]] fluency is not common, however. The government plans to expand English education and make it an official language by 2030.
==Related pages==
* [[Political status of Taiwan]]
==Notes==
{{Notelist}}
==References==
{{commonscat}}
{{Wikivoyage|Taiwan}}
{{Reflist}}
==Other websites==
* [https://www.taiwan.gov.tw/ Office of the Government]
{{Taiwan topics}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Taiwan| ]]
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