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Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main island of Taiwan, also known as Formosa, lies between the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeast, and the Philippines to the south. It has an area of 35,808 square kilometres (13,826 square miles), with mountain ranges dominating the eastern two-thirds and plains in the western third, where its highly urbanized population is concentrated. The combined territories under ROC control consist of 168 islands in total covering 36,193 square kilometres (13,974 square miles). The largest metropolitan area is formed by Taipei (the capital), New Taipei City, and Keelung. With around 23.9 million inhabitants, Taiwan is among the most densely populated countries.

Taiwan has been settled for at least 25,000 years. Ancestors of Taiwanese indigenous peoples settled the island around 6,000 years ago. In the 17th century, large-scale Han Chinese immigration began under a Dutch colony and continued under the Kingdom of Tungning, the first predominantly Han Chinese state in Taiwanese history. The island was annexed in 1683 by the Qing dynasty of China and ceded to the Empire of Japan in 1895. The Republic of China, which had overthrown the Qing in 1912 under the leadership of Sun Yat-sen, took control following the surrender of Japan in 1945. The immediate resumption of the Chinese Civil War resulted in the loss of the Chinese mainland to Communist forces, who established the People's Republic of China, and the flight of the ROC central government to Taiwan in 1949. The effective jurisdiction of the ROC has since been limited to Taiwan, Penghu, and smaller islands.

The early 1960s saw rapid economic growth and industrialization called the "Taiwan Miracle". In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the ROC transitioned from a one-party state under martial law to a multi-party democracy, with democratically elected presidents beginning in 1996. Taiwan's export-oriented economy is the 21st-largest in the world by nominal GDP and the 20th-largest by PPP measures, with a focus on steel, machinery, electronics, and chemicals manufacturing. Taiwan is a developed country. It is ranked highly in terms of civil liberties, healthcare, and human development.

The political status of Taiwan is contentious. Despite being a founding member, the ROC no longer represents China as a member of the United Nations after UN members voted in 1971 to recognize the PRC instead. The ROC maintained its claim of being the sole legitimate representative of China and its territory until 1991, when it ceased to regard the Chinese Communist Party as a rebellious group and acknowledged its control over mainland China. Taiwan is claimed by the PRC, which refuses to establish diplomatic relations with countries that recognise the ROC. Taiwan maintains official diplomatic relations with 11 out of 193 UN member states and the Holy See. Many others maintain unofficial diplomatic ties through representative offices and institutions that function as de facto embassies and consulates. International organizations in which the PRC participates either refuse to grant membership to Taiwan or allow it to participate on a non-state basis. Domestically, the major political contention is between parties favoring eventual Chinese unification and promoting a pan-Chinese identity, contrasted with those aspiring to formal international recognition and promoting a Taiwanese identity; in the 21st century, both sides have moderated their positions to broaden their appeal. (Full article...)

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The Chi-Chi earthquake (later also known as the Jiji earthquake or the great earthquake of September 21), was a 7.3 M_L or 7.7 M_w earthquake which occurred in Jiji (Chi-Chi), Nantou County, Taiwan on 21 September 1999 at 01:47:12 local time. 2,415 people were killed, 11,305 injured, and NT$300 billion worth of damage was done. It is the second-deadliest earthquake in Taiwan's recorded history, after the 1935 Shinchiku-Taichū earthquake.

Rescue groups from around the world joined local relief workers and the Taiwanese military in digging out survivors, clearing rubble, restoring essential services and distributing food and other aid to the more than 100,000 people made homeless by the quake. The disaster, dubbed the "Quake of the Century" by the local media, had a profound effect on the economy of the island and the consciousness of the people, and dissatisfaction with the government's performance in reacting to it was said by some commentators ^[who?] to be a factor in the unseating of the ruling Kuomintang party in the 2000 presidential election. (Full article...)

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Chou in July 2023

Jay Chou Chieh-lun (traditional Chinese: 周杰倫; simplified Chinese: 周杰伦; pinyin: Zhōu Jiélún; born 18 January 1979) is a Taiwanese singer-songwriter, actor, director, and businessman. Regarded as one of the most successful and influential singers in the Chinese-speaking world, he is often referred to as the King of Mandopop. Chou's works, which often blend Eastern and Western styles, has been recognized for its impact on fashion and musical trends in the Greater China region.

In 2000, Chou released his debut studio album Jay to runaway success, solidified by his second album Fantasy (2001). Common Jasmine Orange (2004) was recognized by Guinness World Records as the best-selling physical album in China in the 21st century, having sold over 2.6 million copies. He has won over 15 Golden Melody Awards—the most by any singer in the ceremony's history. He served as a judge on The Voice of China for four seasons from 2016 to 2020. Chou became the first Mandopop artist to top IFPI’s Global Album Sales Chart, with his Greatest Works of Art (2022) being the world’s best-selling record in 2022. (Full article...)

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Tsai Ing-wen Cheng Yen Chen Yi (Kuomintang) Teresa Teng Tsai Wan-lin Wang Jinping (scholar and activist) Ang Lee S.H.E Lee Teng-hui Justin Huang Chiau Wen-yan Kao Chin Su-mei Latisha Chan Wu Nien-jen Wu Zhaonan

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Dream Mall in Qianzhen, Kaohsiung is the biggest shopping mall in Taiwan and the 12th largest in the world by gross leasable area.

Photo credit: User:小鄧

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This is a Good article, an article that meets a core set of high editorial standards.

EVA Airways Corporation (/ˌiːviːˈeɪ/ EE-VEE-AY; Chinese: 長榮航空; pinyin: Chángróng Hángkōng) (TWSE: 2618) is a Taiwanese international airline headquartered in Taoyuan City. It is one of the two largest airlines in Taiwan along with state-owned China Airlines. The privately owned airline operates passenger and dedicated cargo services to over 40 international destinations in Asia, Australia, Europe & North America. Its network fully consists of international routes, with no domestic routes. It is rated as a 5-star airline by Skytrax, and is the second largest airline based in Taiwan after China Airlines. EVA Air is headquartered at Taoyuan International Airport in Luzhu, Taoyuan City. The company slogan is "Sharing the World, Flying Together" (分享世界，比翼雙飛; Fēnxiǎng shìjiè, bǐyì shuāngfēi).

Since its founding in 1989 as an affiliate of shipping conglomerate Evergreen Group, EVA Air has expanded to include air cargo, airline catering, ground handling, and aviation engineering services. Its cargo arm, EVA Air Cargo, links with the Evergreen worldwide shipping network on sea and land. Its domestic and regional subsidiary, UNI Air, operates a medium and short-haul network to destinations within the island of Taiwan, Macau as well as mainland China with its main hub in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. (Full article...)

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Dutch pacification campaign on Formosa Chen Chi-mai Chai Trong-rong Taiwan High Speed Rail Pe̍h-ōe-jī Mei-Ann Chen Hsu Tain-tsair You Are the Apple of My Eye

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Did you know - show different entries

... that the Sakizaya people, a Taiwanese aboriginal tribe, has been recognized by the government of Taiwan since January 2007?

... that the Cheng Kung Senior High School, previously known as the Taihoku Prefecture Second Middle School, is renamed after Koxinga?

... that Tsungming Tu, founder of the Kaohsiung Medical College, was the first Taiwanese medical doctor?

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General images

The following are images from various Taiwan-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Two 7-Eleven stores opposite each other on a crossroad. Taiwan has the highest density of 7-Eleven stores per person in the world (from Culture of Taiwan)
Image 2Takasago Volunteers in October 1944 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 3Depiction of a Chinese man, woman, and soldier, by Georg Franz Müller (1646–1723) (from History of Taiwan)
Image 4Administrative units of Taiwan under the Qing dynasty in 1685 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 5Shi Lang (1621–1696) in an 18th-century painting (from History of Taiwan)
Image 61901 map with red line marking approximate boundary separating territory under actual Japanese administration from "Savage District" (from History of Taiwan)
Image 7Administrative units of Taiwan under the Qing dynasty in 1734 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 8Pearl milk tea (from Culture of Taiwan)
Image 9Bunun dancer in traditional aboriginal dress (1989) (from Culture of Taiwan)
Image 10A map of the Empire of Japan including Taiwan ("barbarian land" in red) in 1895 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 11Chinese depiction of Chikan (Fort Provintia), 1752 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 12Yin and Yang symbol of Taoism (from Culture of Taiwan)
Image 13Mid-17th century portrait of Koxinga (Guoxingye or "Kok seng ia" in southern Fujianese), "Lord of the Imperial Surname" (from History of Taiwan)
Image 14Section of Kangxi period painting of Taiwan, 1684–1722 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 15Population density map of Taiwan in 2019 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 16Siege of Fort Zeelandia (from History of Taiwan)
Image 17Map showing the Revolt of the Three Feudatories (1673–1681) (from History of Taiwan)
Image 18Photo from Savages of Formosa, a 1926 government report on tribal life in Taiwan (from History of Taiwan)
Image 19Sky Lantern festival in Pingxi, Taiwan (from Culture of Taiwan)
Image 20The Imperial Guard Defeats the Enemy in Hard Fighting at Keelung on the Island of Taiwan, 1895 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 21Entrance hall of a K-TV in Taipei (from Culture of Taiwan)
Image 22Apo Hsu and the NTNU Symphony Orchestra on stage in the National Concert Hall in Taipei and Play Saint-Saens's Organ Symphony No. 3 (from Culture of Taiwan)
Image 23The Dharmachakra represents the Noble Eightfold Path. (from Culture of Taiwan)
Image 24Zheng Keshuang (from History of Taiwan)
Image 25Bird's eye view of Fort Zeelandia in Dutch Formosa in the 17th-century (from History of Taiwan)
Image 26Statue of Chen Di in Lianjiang County (from History of Taiwan)
Image 27Administrative units of Taiwan under the Qing dynasty by 1894 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 28Map of Asia showing the "Chinese Empire" (1892) (from History of Taiwan)
Image 29Map of Taiwan with the western coast pointed downwards, c. 1640 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 30Evacuation of Keelung by the French forces, image created 1887 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 31Taichung Middle School in 1919 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 32The original flag of the Taiwanese People's Party, 2 January 1929 – 6 October 1929 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 33Taiwan in the 17th century, showing Dutch (magenta) and Spanish (green) possessions, and the Kingdom of Middag (orange) (from History of Taiwan)
Image 34Conquest of Douliumen (Zhuluo) (from History of Taiwan)
Image 35Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Prime Minister Winston Churchill met at the Cairo Conference in Cairo, 25 November 1943. (from History of Taiwan)
Image 36Depiction of Qing ships crossing the ocean to suppress the Lin Shuangwen rebellion, 1787–1788 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 37Kagi Shrine, one of many Shinto shrines built in Taiwan. (from History of Taiwan)
Image 38Severed heads of Seediq rebels (from History of Taiwan)
Image 39Japanese painting of the expedition forces attacking the Mudan tribe, 1874 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 40Portrait of Zheng Jing (1642–1681), possibly 17th c. (from History of Taiwan)
Image 41Woodcut of the mass killings which took place during the February 28 Incident (from History of Taiwan)
Image 42Teresa Teng (from Culture of Taiwan)
Image 43The Capture of Lin Shuangwen (from History of Taiwan)
Image 44The Qing Empire in 1820, with provinces in yellow, military governorates and protectorates in light yellow, tributary states in orange. (from History of Taiwan)
Image 45Section of a painting depicting daily life of the Taokas people, 1684–1722 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 46Territory controlled by Koxinga, founder of the Kingdom of Tungning (from History of Taiwan)
Image 47Original geographic distributions of Taiwanese aboriginal peoples (from History of Taiwan)
Image 48Departure of a Ryukyuan ship bearing tribute to Beijing, 1831 (from History of Taiwan)

On this day...

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In the news

19 December 2024 –: Nine people are killed during a fire at a warehouse building of PX Mart under construction in Taichung, Taiwan. (AP)
7 December 2024 – Cross-strait relations, Chinese intelligence activity abroad: Prosecutors in Taiwan charge four soldiers with espionage, accusing the soldiers of passing photographs of Taiwan's military capability to Chinese agents in exchange for money between 2022 and 2024. (DW) (The Standard)
16 November 2024 – APEC Peru 2024: At the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Peru, outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping for their final meeting before Biden leaves office on January 20th. During the meeting, Biden and Xi talk about topics like cyber crime, trade, Taiwan, and Russia. Xi also said that his team will work with the incoming Trump administration. (Reuters)

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Administrative divisions

The Republic of China government governs 22 administrative divisions
The administrative divisions presently consist of 13 counties, 6 special municipalities and three cities.


Chiayi City	Chiayi County	Changhua County	Hsinchu City	Hsinchu County

Hualian County	Kaohsiung City	Keelung City	Kinmen Country	Lienchang County

Miaoli County	Nantou County	New Taipei City	Penghu County	Pingtung County

Taichung City	Tainan City	Taipei City	Taitung County	Taoyuan City

Yilan County	Yunlin County

Related portals

East Asia

Southeast Asia

Portals listed here are related to Taiwan by way of history, Asian region, diplomatic relations with ROC, and significant diaspora of overseas Taiwanese

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