Taiwan

Taiwan is a state in East Asia. It borders the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeast, and the Philippines to the south by sea. . Other major cities include Kaohsiung, Taichung, Tainan, and Taoyuan. Taiwan, with a population of 23.45 million, is one of the most populous countries in the world.

The Austronesian-speaking ancestors of Taiwan's indigenous peoples settled on the island about 6,000 years ago. In the 17th century, large-scale immigration of Han Chinese to western Taiwan began under the Dutch colony and continued under the Dongning kingdom. In 1683, the island was annexed by the Chinese Qing Dynasty and ceded to the Empire of Japan in 1895. The Republic of China, which overthrew Qing in 1911, took control of Taiwan on behalf of the post-war World War II allies. the surrender of Japan in 1945. The renewed civil war in China led the Republic of China to cede mainland China to the forces of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and retreat to Taiwan in 1949. islands.

In the early 1960s, Taiwan entered a period of rapid economic growth and industrialization called the "Taiwan Miracle." In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Republic of China transitioned from a one-party military dictatorship to a multi-party democracy with a semi-presidential system. Taiwan's export-oriented industrial economy is ranked 21st in the world in terms of nominal GDP and 20 in terms of PPPs, with steel, mechanical engineering, electronics and chemicals being the main contributors. Taiwan is a developed country, ranking 15th in terms of GDP per capita. It is highly regarded in terms of political and civil liberties, education, health care and human development.

Taiwan's political status is controversial. The ROC no longer represents China as a member of the United Nations after UN members voted to recognize the PRC in 1971. Meanwhile, the Republic of China continued to claim to be the legal representative of China and its territory, although this has been downplayed since its democratization in the 1990s. China claims Taiwan, which refuses diplomatic relations with countries that recognize the Republic of China. Taiwan maintains formal diplomatic relations with 14 of the 193 UN member states and the Holy See, although many others maintain informal diplomatic relations with Taiwan through missions and institutions that function de facto as embassies and consulates. International organizations in which the PRC participates either deny Taiwan membership or allow it to participate only on a non-state basis under different names. Domestically, the main political divisions arise between parties advocating for the eventual unification of China and promoting a pan-Chinese identity, as opposed to those seeking formal international recognition and promoting Taiwanese identity, although both sides have softened their positions to broaden their appeal.