The Republic of China was founded in 1912 by Dr. Sun Yat-sen as Asia's first constitutional democracy. The ROC government relocated to Taiwan when the Chinese Communist Party established the People's Republic of China (PRC) on the Chinese mainland in 1949.
The Taiwan Area: The area over which the ROC government exercises administrative
control is called the Taiwan area. This area includes the islands
of Taiwan, Penghu (the Pescadores), Kinmen (Quemoy), Matsu, Orchid
Island, Green Island, and the Tiaoyutai Islets. Also under ROC
government jurisdiction are the Spratlys, the Paracels, Macclesfield
Bank, and the Pratas Islands.
Location: Taiwan is located in the middle of a chain
of islands in the West Pacific stretching from Japan to the Philippines.
Taiwan is separated from the southeast coast of China by the Taiwan
Strait, which is about 220 kilometers at its widest point and
130 kilometers at its narrowest.
Size: Taiwan is 394 kilometers long and has a maximum
width of 144 kilometers. Its area of approximately 36,000 square
kilometers (14,000 square miles) is slightly smaller than the
Netherlands.
Topography: Taiwan is very mountainous. Five longitudinal
mountain ranges occupy almost half of the island and extend 330
kilometers from north to south. Taiwan has more than 200 peaks
rising over 3,000 meters above sea level.
Climate: Taiwan has an oceanic, subtropical monsoon climate.
The mean monthly temperature in the lowlands is about 16 deg C
(61 deg F) in the winter and ranges between 24 deg C (75 deg F)
and 30 deg C (86 deg F) in the summer. Average annual rainfall
is approximately 2,515 mm (100 inches).
Population: As of April 2002, about 22.4 million people
were residing in the Taiwan area.
Languages: Mandarin is the official language of the Republic
of China, although the Southern Fujianese and Hakka dialects are
used extensively in the Taiwan area. The ten tribes of indigenous
people in Taiwan speak different languages belonging to the Proto-Austronesian
linguistic family.
GNP Per Capita: US$12,941 in 2001.
