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| TAIWAN 台湾 |
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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 native 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.
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| Fast Fact 基本资料 |
| Geographical Location 地理 |
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The island of Taiwan lies some 200 kilometers
off the southeastern coast of China, across the Taiwan Strait,
and has an area of 35,801 square kilometers (13,823 square
miles), with the East China Sea to the north, the Philippine
Sea to the east, the Luzon Strait directly to the south and
the South China Sea to the southwest. The island is characterized
by the contrast between the eastern two-thirds, consisting
mostly of rugged mountains running in five ranges from the
northern to the southern tip of the island, and the flat to
gently rolling plains in the west that are also home to most
of Taiwan's population. Taiwan's highest point is the Yu Shan
at 3,952 meters, and there are five other peaks over 3,500
meters. This makes it the world's 7th highest island.
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| Area 面积 |
| 35,980 sq km |
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| Population 人口 |
| 23 million |
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| Capital 首都 |
| Taipei 台北 |
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| People 人民 |
| Taiwanese (including Hakka) 84%, mainland Chinese
14%, aborigine 2% |
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| Religion 宗教 |
| mixture of Buddhist, Confucian, and Taoist
93%, Christian 4.5%, other 2.5% |
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| Climate 气候 |
Taiwan's climate is marine tropical. The
Northern part of the island has a rainy season that lasts
from January to late March during the southwest monsoon, and
also experiences "Plum Rains" in May. The entire
island succumbs to hot humid weather from June until September,
while October to December are arguably the most pleasant times
of year. The middle and southern parts of the island do not
have an extended monsoon season during the winter months,
but can experience several weeks of rain, especially during
and after Lunar New Year. Natural hazards such as typhoons
and earthquakes are common in the region.
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