Taiwan
Geography - People - Economy - Government - Communications - Transportation - Military - Transnational IssuesCountry name - conventional long form : none
Country name - conventional short form : Taiwan
Country name - local long form : none
Country name - local short form : T'ai-wan
Country name - former : Formosa
Government type : multiparty democracy
Capital - name : Taipei
Capital - time difference : UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
National holiday : Republic Day (Anniversary of the Chinese Revolution), 10 October (1911)
Population : 22,920,946 (July 2008 est.)
Nationality - noun : Taiwan (singular and plural)
Nationality - adjective : Taiwan
Languages : Mandarin Chinese (official), Taiwanese (Min), Hakka dialects
Currency (code) : New Taiwan dollar (TWD)
Currency code : TWD
Taiwan is located 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. The climate is tropical; marine; rainy season during southwest monsoon (June to August); cloudiness is persistent and extensive all year. The terrain is eastern two-thirds mostly rugged mountains; flat to gently rolling plains in west.
Background
This entry usually highlights major historic events and current issues and may include a statement about one or two key future trends.Background : 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 local 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.
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