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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.

From the early 1960s, Taiwan saw rapid economic growth and industrialization known as 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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Kaohsiung skyline

Kaohsiung, officially Kaohsiung City, is a special municipality located in southern Taiwan. It ranges from the coastal urban center to the rural Yushan Range with an area of 2,952 km² (1,140 sq mi). Kaohsiung City has a population of approximately 2.73 million people as of October 2023 and is Taiwan's third most populous city and largest city in southern Taiwan.

Founded in the 17th century as a small trading village named Takau (or Takao,Takow), the city has since grown into the political and economic center of southern Taiwan, with key industries such as manufacturing, steel-making, oil refining, freight transport and shipbuilding. It is classified as a "Gamma −" level global city by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network, with some of the most prominent infrastructures in Taiwan. (Full article...)

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Chan at the 2019 French Open

Latisha Chan (born 17 August 1989), formerly known by her Chinese name Chan Yung-jan (Chinese: 詹詠然; pinyin: Zhān Yǒngrán; Taiwanese Mandarin: [tsán jʊ̀ŋ zǎn, -lǎn]), is a Taiwanese professional tennis player who is a former world No. 1 in doubles. She has won 33 career titles in doubles, including a Grand Slam title at the 2017 US Open alongside Martina Hingis, as well as nine at WTA 1000-level. Chan also finished runner-up at three other Grand Slam events, the 2007 and 2015 Australian Open, and the 2007 US Open. In mixed doubles, she has won three Grand Slam titles: the 2018 French Open, 2019 French Open, and 2019 Wimbledon Championships, all with Ivan Dodig. Highlights of her singles career include reaching the semifinals at the 2006 Japan Open and the final at the Bangkok Open in 2007. She reached a career-high singles ranking of No. 50 on 11 June 2007, and became world No. 1 in doubles on 23 October 2017, the second Taiwanese player to do so, after Hsieh Su-wei. She again topped the doubles rankings on 13 August 2018, and has spent a total of 34 weeks as world No. 1. (Full article...)

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Tsai Ing-wen Cheng Yen Chen Yi (Kuomintang) Teresa Teng Tsai Wan-lin Wang Jinping (scholar and activist) Jay Chou Ang Lee S.H.E Lee Teng-hui Justin Huang Chiau Wen-yan Kao Chin Su-mei 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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You Are the Apple of My Eye (Chinese: 那些年，我們一起追的女孩, lit. 'Those Years, The Girl We Went After Together') is a 2011 Taiwanese coming of age romance film. It is based on the semi-autobiographical novel of the same name by Taiwanese author Giddens Ko, who also made his directorial debut with the film. The film stars Ko Chen-tung as Ko Ching-teng, a prankster and a mischievous student who eventually becomes a writer. Michelle Chen stars as Shen Chia-yi, an honor student who is very popular amongst the boys in her class.

You Are the Apple of My Eye was filmed almost entirely on location in Changhua County, including at the high school which Giddens attended. The lyrics of "Those Years", the film's main theme, were written by Giddens. The song, which was well received by the public, was nominated for Best Original Film Song at the 48th Golden Horse Awards. (Full article...)

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Dutch pacification campaign on Formosa Chen Chi-mai EVA Air Chai Trong-rong Taiwan High Speed Rail Pe̍h-ōe-jī Mei-Ann Chen Hsu Tain-tsair

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... there are thirteen officially recognized Taiwanese aboriginal tribes (pictured) in Taiwan comprising 2% (458,000) of Taiwan's population. Did you also know that the Ami tribe are the most populous (37.5%) and that pop-singer A-mei is from the Puyuma tribe?

... that Ketagalan Boulevard was originally named Chiehshou Road in honor of Chiang Kai-shek but was renamed on March 20, 1996 by president Chen Shui-bian after the Ketagalan tribe in honor of aboriginal history and culture?

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

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General images

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

Image 1Takasago Volunteers in October 1944 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 2Woodcut of the mass killings which took place during the February 28 Incident (from History of Taiwan)
Image 3Pearl milk tea (from Culture of Taiwan)
Image 4Portrait of Zheng Jing (1642–1681), possibly 17th c. (from History of Taiwan)
Image 5Japanese painting of the expedition forces attacking the Mudan tribe, 1874 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 6Taiwan in the 17th century, showing Dutch (magenta) and Spanish (green) possessions, and the Kingdom of Middag (orange) (from History of Taiwan)
Image 7Administrative units of Taiwan under the Qing dynasty by 1894 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 8Map of Asia showing the "Chinese Empire" (1892) (from History of Taiwan)
Image 9The Capture of Lin Shuangwen (from History of Taiwan)
Image 10Population density map of Taiwan in 2019 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 11The Imperial Guard Defeats the Enemy in Hard Fighting at Keelung on the Island of Taiwan, 1895 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 12The Dharmachakra represents the Noble Eightfold Path. (from Culture of Taiwan)
Image 13The original flag of the Taiwanese People's Party, 2 January 1929 – 6 October 1929 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 14Kagi Shrine, one of many Shinto shrines built in Taiwan. (from History of Taiwan)
Image 15Mid-17th century portrait of Koxinga (Guoxingye or "Kok seng ia" in southern Fujianese), "Lord of the Imperial Surname" (from History of Taiwan)
Image 16The Qing Empire in 1820, with provinces in yellow, military governorates and protectorates in light yellow, tributary states in orange. (from History of Taiwan)
Image 17Chinese depiction of Chikan (Fort Provintia), 1752 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 18Bunun dancer in traditional aboriginal dress (1989) (from Culture of Taiwan)
Image 19Apo 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 20Photo from Savages of Formosa, a 1926 government report on tribal life in Taiwan (from History of Taiwan)
Image 21Administrative units of Taiwan under the Qing dynasty in 1685 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 22Conquest of Douliumen (Zhuluo) (from History of Taiwan)
Image 23Siege of Fort Zeelandia (from History of Taiwan)
Image 24Bird's eye view of Fort Zeelandia in Dutch Formosa in the 17th-century (from History of Taiwan)
Image 25Map showing the Revolt of the Three Feudatories (1673–1681) (from History of Taiwan)
Image 26A map of the Empire of Japan including Taiwan ("barbarian land" in red) in 1895 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 27Zheng Keshuang (from History of Taiwan)
Image 281901 map with red line marking approximate boundary separating territory under actual Japanese administration from "Savage District" (from History of Taiwan)
Image 29Sky Lantern festival in Pingxi, Taiwan (from Culture of Taiwan)
Image 30Depiction of a Chinese man, woman, and soldier, by Georg Franz Müller (1646–1723) (from History of Taiwan)
Image 31Evacuation of Keelung by the French forces, image created 1887 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 32Map of Taiwan with the western coast pointed downwards, c. 1640 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 33Two 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 34Generalissimo 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 35Yin and Yang symbol of Taoism (from Culture of Taiwan)
Image 36Shi Lang (1621–1696) in an 18th-century painting (from History of Taiwan)
Image 37Depiction of Qing ships crossing the ocean to suppress the Lin Shuangwen rebellion, 1787–1788 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 38Taichung Middle School in 1919 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 39Departure of a Ryukyuan ship bearing tribute to Beijing, 1831 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 40Severed heads of Seediq rebels (from History of Taiwan)
Image 41Statue of Chen Di in Lianjiang County (from History of Taiwan)
Image 42Teresa Teng (from Culture of Taiwan)
Image 43Entrance hall of a K-TV in Taipei (from Culture of Taiwan)
Image 44Section of Kangxi period painting of Taiwan, 1684–1722 (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 47Administrative units of Taiwan under the Qing dynasty in 1734 (from History of Taiwan)
Image 48Original geographic distributions of Taiwanese aboriginal peoples (from History of Taiwan)

On this day...

More January anniversaries

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In the news

4 January 2025 –: The Taiwanese Coast Guard intercepts the Cameroon-registered container ship Shunxin39 after it was suspected of damaging an undersea cable north of Taiwan yesterday. (Taiwan News)
19 December 2024 – Fire at the Central Warehouse [zh]: Nine people are killed during a fire at a PX Mart warehouse building 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)

Topics

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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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