History Of Taiwan

A Brief History of Taiwan

Name: Taiwan, formally uses the title of 'The Republic of China'

History: Taiwan has a shape of sweet potato and is seperated from China by the narrow Formosa straight and thus is also called Formosa or the beautiful one. In 1500's the Portuguese sailors entered this area and gave the name Taiwan. Then in seventeenth century Chinese settled in Taiwan, but in 1895 was taken over by Japanese. When Japan was defeated in the Second World war in 1945 and Taiwan was returned to China. In 1949 China became a Communist State and the leaders of the defeated party fled to Taiwan to set up their government over there and retained China's seat in the United Nations. But in 1971 Communist China was recognised in the world and ROC was recognised by PRC.

Location: In Western Pacific in South China Sea and lies 200 km off the South Eastern Coast of China across the Taiwan Strait with the east China sea to the North, the Phillipine sea to the East, the Luzon stait in the South and South China sea to South West.

Climate: Island has Subtropical Monsoon climate with hot, humid and long summers and cool and short winters. Average rainfall is more than 100 inches annualy.

Ethnic Group: Han people of Chinese origin entered Taiwan in 16 century and 98% of the total population is of Han Chinese ethnicity and others are related to Filipino tribesmen.

Religion: 93% belong to Taoism, Buddhism and Confuciaism, 4.5% are Christians and 2.5 belong to Islam and Judaism.

Language: 70% of the people in Taiwan belong to the Holo ethnic group speaking Mandarin and Taiwanse, 10% speak Hakka Language remaining speak their native or indigenous languages classified as Formosan. Mandarin is National Language and is the Language of instruction in schools, also used in poetery and songs. English is the common second Language.

Area: 35,980 sq km

Capital: Taipei

Largest City: Taipei City

Currency: New Taiwan dollar (NT$)

Population: 22,814,636 - (June 2006 est)

Life Expectency: Males - 73.5 years and Females - 79.7 years

Literacy: Adult literacy is 96.1% and primary education is free and compulsary.

Time Zone: CST (UTC+8)

Internet TLD: .tw

Calling Code: +886

Government: Multi Party Republic Government was established in 1912 in Nanjing, with Sun Yat Sen as the Provincial president. With the rise of Yuan, parliament authority became nominal and with his death in 1913 parliament recomnded to give legitimacy to a new government.

Judicial Branch: Judicial Yuan is the highest Judicial body . Judges are appointed by the President of the State with consent of Legislative Yuan. Supreme Court has civil and criminal division for the trial of the cases.

Constitution: constitution was written in 1946, adopted by National assembly and was promulgated by government on 1 January 1947 but became effective from 25 Dec 1947.

Flag: Is crimson in colour, it contains blue canton bearing white sun(white sun in a blue sky) on the hoist corner. Blue red and white stands for the Three Principals of the People Nationalism, Democracy and Social well being. the 12 points of the white sun shows 12 two hour period of the day representing un ending progress.

National Anthem: "San Min Chu" (Three Principles of the People National Emblem:The blue sky with a white sun National Flower" Prunus Mei, The plum blossom with shades of pink and white