Taiwan is an island republic consisting of Taiwan Island, Lan Hsu, Lu Tao, the Pescadores, and some other smaller islands. The main island is 81 miles southeast of mainland China. Taiwan Island has a mountain range that runs north to south and covers about 66% of the land area. Most of the low lying land is located on the west side of the island which is flat and fertile.

Climate

Taiwan has a tropical climate that is influenced by the monsoons. Summers are hot and humid and winters are mild and short. Typhoons from the South China Sea bring heavy rains from July to September. Average temperature ranges in Taipei are from 54 to 64 degrees Fahrenheit in February to 75 to 91 degrees Fahrenheit in July.

People

The ethnic majority are the Han Chinese who account for 98% of the population, of which 14% are from mainland China. The remainder are Aborigines of Malayo-Polynesian origin.

Vital Statistics

Life Expectancy at Birth: 71.8 years male, 77.2 years female (1991). Infant Mortality Rate: 5.1 per 1,000 live births (1991).

Religions

The principal religions include Taoism and Confucianism account for 48% of the population, and Buddhism which accounts for 43%. Christianity accounts for 7.4%. Taiwan is a secular state with freedom of religion. Most people follow Chinese folk religions, and practice ancestor worship.

Languages

The official language is Mandarin Chinese. Hokkien and Hakka dialects are also widely spoken.

History

In 1895, military defeat forced China to cede Taiwan to Japan, but it reverted to Chinese control after World War II. Following the communist victory on the mainland in 1949, two million Nationalists led by General Chiang Kaishek fled to Taiwan and established the Republic of China. Over the next five decades, the ruling authorities gradually democratized and incorporated the native population within its governing structure. Since free elections in 1987, it has been a multi-party democracy. Through rapid economic growth and industrialization the island has prospered to become one of the world’s largest trading powers. The dominant political issue continues to be the relationship between Taiwan and China and the question of eventual reunification. Taiwan is shunned politically by the rest of the world for fear of offending Communist China (People’s Republic of China), which still refuses to recognize Taiwan’s government. In 1951 the U.S. recognized the government in Taiwan as the sole representative of mainland China, and in 1954 the U.S. and Taiwan governments signed a mutual Defense Treaty. However, in 1972 U.S. President Nixon visited the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and agreed to withdraw U.S. military forces from Taiwan. During the 1970’s many nations ended diplomatic relations with Taiwan and established ties with the PRC. In 1979 the U.S. formally recognized the Communist government of mainland China, and the mutual Defense Treaty between the U.S. and Taiwan ended. Today Taiwan and the U.S. have no formal diplomatic relations, but maintain unofficial commercial and cultural relations through the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT).