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Country name : Taiwan
Official name : Republic of China
System of government : Republic
National anthem :

Geography

Area : 36,180 km²
Capital : Taipei
Border countries : Islands bordering the East China Sea, Philippine Sea, South China Sea and Taiwan Strait.

People

Population : 23 millions (2003)
Language(s) : Mandarin Chinese (official), Chinese dialects.
Religions : Buddhists (45 %), Taoists (23 %), Confucians (21 %), Christians (7 %), other (4 %).

Economy

>Thanks to its rapid growth, Taiwan has one of the world's highest standards of living.
>Exports have grown even faster and have provided the primary impetus for industrialization.
>Rice is the chief crop, followed by wheat, sugarcane, sweet potatoes, vegetables, fruits and tea.
>Service industries contribute 60% OF Taiwan's gross domestic product.

History

>The earliest Chinese settlements on Taiwan began in the 7th century.
>The Portuguese explored the area in 1590, naming et "the Beautiful" (Formosa).
>1624 : The Dutch began to colonize the southwestern part of Taiwan.
>1683 : Taiwan became a dependency of the Chinese empire.
>1895 : The island passed to Japan after the first Sino-Japanese War.
>1945 : Taiwan was returned to China as a province after the World War II.
>1949 : The Central government of the Republic of China relocated to Taiwan after the main land falls to the Communists.
>1971 : China's seat in the United Nations was taken away from the Republic of China and given to the People's Republic.
>The dominant political issue continues to be relationship between Taiwan and China.