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World > Asia > Taiwan
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Taiwan |
Introduction:
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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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| Official name: |
Taiwan |
| Capital: |
name: Taipei
geographic coordinates: 25 03 N, 121 30 E
time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
| Government type: |
multiparty democracy |
| Population: |
22,858,872 (July 2007 est.) |
| Languages: |
Mandarin Chinese (official), Taiwanese (Min), Hakka dialects |
| Official Currency: |
Taiwan Dollar (TWD)
Current Taiwan Dollar Exchange Rates
Historical Taiwan Dollar Exchange Rates
Chart Taiwan Dollar Exchange Rates |
| Currency code: |
TWD |
| Area: |
total: 35,980 sq km
land: 32,260 sq km
water: 3,720 sq km
note: includes the Pescadores, Matsu, and Quemoy islands |
| Climate: |
tropical; marine; rainy season during southwest monsoon (June to August); cloudiness is persistent and extensive all year |
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Map of Taiwan
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