Taiwan - Tourism and Travel

Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China, is a country in east Asia that consists of the island of Taiwan and several smaller island. The island of Taiwan is separated from the People's Republic of China (mainland China) by the Taiwan Strait.

Taiwan has an area of 13,969 square miles (36,179 square kilometers).

A large portion of Taiwan is covered in mountains and forests.

Taiwan has a tropical monsoon climate. Summers are warm and wet, and winters are mild.

The capital of Taiwan is Taipei.

Taiwan has one of the world's strongest economies. It is an important exporter of electronic and hi-tech products, as well as textiles, clothing, footwear and fertilizers.

Taiwan became a republic in 1949. It was established by Chinese nationalists who were forced to leave mainland China after the Communist victory. The People's Republic of China still does not recognize Taiwan as a sovereign nation and considers it to be a province of the People's Republic.

Taiwan has a population of 23,046,000.

Most of the population lives along the western coastal plains, and the majority of economic activity takes place here.

98% of the people are of Han ethnicity.

The official language of Taiwan is Mandarin Chinese. Amoy Chinese and Hakka Chinese are also spoken.

There are Buddhists, Confucianists, Taoists and Christians.

The official currency of Taiwan is the Taiwan dollar, which is equal to 100 cents.

Taiwan has a presidential system of government.