Taiwan - General Info

Geography l Climate l Economy l Government l History l People l Religion

Geography

Taiwan comprises of the main island of Taiwan and the Penghu Archipelago (known in the west as the Pescadores), which is made up of 64 islands and 21 other islands scattered around the main island.

Climate

Overlying both tropic and subtropic zones, Taiwan has a tropical climate in the southern and western flatlands and a subtropical climate in the north and mountainous regions.

Economy

Taiwan is the 17th largest economy in the world, 14th largest exporter, 16th largest importer and ranks third in the world in terms of foreign currency reserves, after Japan and China.

Government

The Republic of China on Taiwan, as the government officially refers to Taiwan, still marches to the battle cry of Dr. Sun Yat Sen, who established a governing system "of the people, by the people and for the people" early in the 20th century.

History

Taiwan was first inhabited by Austronesian people. It was colonized by the Dutch in the 17th century, followed by an inflow of Han Chinese including Hakka settlers from areas of Fujian and Guangdong provinces of China.

People

In 1998, Taiwan's population was 21.8 million people with almost 80 percent of the population residing in the western plains.

Religion

Taiwan is a country of various religious beliefs. There are currently thirteen registered religions on the island practiced by nearly half the residents of Taiwan.