Taiwan

TAIWAN

Information about travelling to Taiwan

Taiwan is located in Eastern Asia, islands bordering the East China Sea, Philippine Sea, South China Sea, and Taiwan Strait, north of the Philippines, off the southeastern coast of China

Facts about Taiwan
Population22,920,946 (July 2008 est
CapitalTaipei
Time zoneUTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Location Eastern Asia, islands bordering the East China Sea, Philippine Sea, South China Sea, and Taiwan Strait, north of the Philippines, off the southeastern coast of China

General info about Taiwan
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.
Languages spoken
Mandarin Chinese (official), Taiwanese (Min), Hakka dialects
What about drugs?
regional transit point for heroin, methamphetamine, and precursor chemicals; transshipment point for drugs to Japan; major problem with domestic consumption of methamphetamine and heroin; rising problems with use of ketamine and club drugs
Ethnic division
Taiwanese (including Hakka) 84%, mainland Chinese 14%, indigenous 2%
HIV/AIDS prevalence rate
NA
Climate
tropical; marine; rainy season during southwest monsoon (June to August); cloudiness is persistent and extensive all year
Resources
small deposits of coal, natural gas, limestone, marble, and asbestos
Economy
Taiwan has a dynamic capitalist economy with gradually decreasing guidance of investment and foreign trade by the authorities. In keeping with this trend, some large, state-owned banks and industrial firms have been privatized. Exports have provided the primary impetus for industrialization. The island runs a large trade surplus, and its foreign reserves are among the world's largest. Recently opened cross-strait travel, transportation, and tourism links are likely to increase Taiwan's economic interdependence on China, which has overtaken the US to become Taiwan's largest export market and its second-largest source of imports after Japan. China is also the island's number one destination for foreign direct investment. Growth fell below 2% in 2008 because of the global slowdown.
Environment
air pollution; water pollution from industrial emissions, raw sewage; contamination of drinking water supplies; trade in endangered species; low-level radioactive waste disposal

Cities in Taiwan

chaochou     chengkung     chiali     chichi     chihu     chingshui     chishan     cholan     chunan     chungho     chupei     chushan     chutung     erhlin     fengshan     homei     houlung     hsichih     hsilo     hsinchu     hsinhua     hsinpu     hsintien     hsinying     huwei     ilan     juifang     kangshan     kaohsiung     keelung     kuanhsi     kuanshan     lotung     luchou     lukang     makung     matou     meinung     miaoli     nantou     paiho     panchiao     pate     peikang     peitou     pingchen     pingtung     potzu     puli     putai     sanchung     sanhsia     shalu     shulin     suao     tachi     tachia     taichung     tainan     taipao     taipei     taitung     tali     talin     tanshui     taoyuan     tienchung     toucheng     toufen     touliu     tounan     tsaotun     tucheng     tuku     tunghsiao     tungkang     wuchi     yangmei     yingko     yuanli     yuanlin     yuli     yungho     yungkang    


Airports in Taiwan
HengchunHCN
HsinchuHSZ
HualienHUN
InternationalKHH
Shang-YiKNH
LishanLHN
MatsuMFK
MakungMZG
PingtungPIF
TainanTNN
Taoyuan International AirportTPE
Sung ShanTSA
TaitungTTT
TaichungTXG


Beer in Taiwan (0.33l)
Taichung~ 1.9 EUR
Taipei~ 2.3 EUR
Taipei~ 2.3 EUR

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