Land & Climate
Taiwan, including the Pescadores islands, covers 13,885 sq miles. Mountains runs from north to south and cover about two-thirds of island. The highest peak, Yu-San rises 13,113 feet above sea level. At many places along the eastern coast, the mountains drop sharply to the sea. Short, swift rives have cut gorges through the mountains. In the west, the mountains slope to gently rolling hills and level land. Taiwan has subtropical climate, with hot, humid summers and an average anual rainfall of more than 100 inches. Temperatures average about 80 degree F in summer and 65 F in winter.Typhoons, occur every year, with damaging rains and winds that sometimes exceed 100 miles/ per hour, bring cooler weather to the island.
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People
Of Taiwan's 23 million people, about 400,000 are of Malayo-Polynesian stock originating in prehistoric times from the Pacific islands to the south. They were slowly displaced by immigrants from southeast China. Although banned by the government, immigration continued until 1895, when the Ching Dynasty ceded Taiwan to Japan at the end of the Sino-Japnanese war. By the mid-twentierth century, the descendants of these immigants numbered over 6 millions. In 1949 they were joined by more than a million refugees who accompanied the Koumintang (KMT) when it lost China to communist control. Today, over 70% of the people living in the major metropolitan centers on the western plain.
( The picture -- Taiwanese in 19 century)
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History
The island was already inhabited by aboriginal people of Austronesian descent when the Mainland Asian pioneers arrived in Taiwan several centuries ago. Those newcomers co-existed sometwhat peacefully and intermarried with the aborigines who were widely distributed throughout the entire territory. During the 16th century, the Portuguese sailors among many European settlers who sailed in, named it Formosa -- meaning "Beautiful island."
After the brief domination by the Portuguese, Spanish and Dutch, Taiwan was ruled by the refugee regime of the Han admiral, Koxinga, then followed by the Manchus in Ching Dynasty. It was ceded in perpetuity to Japan under the Treaty of Shimonoseki in 1895. The same year, Taiwanese revolted against Japanese rule and proclaimed a short-lived independent Republic of Taiwan. (The picture -- Aborigines)
After World War II(1945), Taiwan was occupied "On behalf of the allied forces" by Chiang Kai-Shek's Republic of China, which was fighting a losing civil war on the mainland with the People's Republic of China. Chiang "retreated" with this remaing troops and government to Taiwan after losing the war in 1949. Taiwanese people, having never accepted subjugation, continued to resit outside control. Debates over the rightful status of Taiwan continues to this day.(The picture -- Dutch's invasion on Formosa)
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Culture
In the course of the islands's history, Taiwan has drawn from a cacophony of cultural and social influences and developed a distinct of its own.
The Formosan Aborigines today still retain their indigenous culture to a certain extent. There are nine main groups, each with its own distinct dialect and customs: Atayal, Saisiat, Bunun, Rukain, Paiwan, Puyuma, Ami and Yamil
Today, among Taiwan's population of 21 million people, about 85% of the Taiwanese population continue to speak the Holo or Hakka dialects of their ancestors. With the arrival of the KMT and its amry in 1949, Mandarin became the official language of the island. Today, it is not uncommon to find a family where the granparents speak Holo, Hakka, Aborigine, Japanes and Mandarin
Religious customs, too, came to Taiwan in various waves. In addition to the spiritual animism of the Aborigines, Taoist, Buddhist, Confucianist, Matsuist, Muslim, Christian and other religious influences all vie for acceptance.
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Government
The "Republic of China" gets its name from the fact that the KMT considers itself, and not the Beijing regime, as the only legitimate government of China, Tibet, and Mongolia. In 1949, when the communists drove the KMT from China and established the People's Republic of China in Beijing, Generalissimo Chiang Kai-sjel seized Taiwan, intended to use it as launch base for retaking China. Martial law was declared and a reign of terror kept dissents in check. Freedoms of speech, press, and association were banned. As Taiwan prospered, however, its entry into the global economy brought greater openness. Thanks to the valiant struggle for freedom and democracy of thousands brought an end to martial law and the ban on opposition parties. Since 1986, scores of parties have sprung up. In December 1994, the National Legislautre passed a resoulution declaring that "Taiwan is not a part of the People's Republic of China." In 1996, for the first time in history, the people on Taiwan chose thier own president by direct bollot.
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Economy
With the influx of Han immigrant labor in the 17th century, Taiwan began exporting deerskins and camphor. A hunting-and gathering economy was gradually supplanted by the agrarian pioneers. In the first half of this century the Japanese developed a mordern infrastructure, and Taiwan became a major exporter of rice, sugar and tea. Touted as an "economic miracle," by late 1993 the island ranked 21st in the world in GNP and 13th in trade volume. Since then Taiwan has held first or second place in foreign reserves. Succes is drving it further from a labor-to a capital-intensive economy. Its high-en electronics, quality textiles, plastics and other manufactures now reach around the globe. Annual two-way trade with the US has topped US $ 40 billions, making Taiwan the US's 6th largest trading partner. Looking to the future, per-capita imcome is expected to top US $17,000 annually by the year 2000.
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