Taiwan
The Country of the Week
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Taipei
- Population
- 23,600,776 (2025 est.)
- Area
- 35,980 sq km
- Government
- semi-presidential republic
- Religions
- Buddhist 35.3%, Taoist 33.2%, Christian 3.9%, folk religion (includes Confucian) approximately 10%, none or unspecified 18.2% (2005 est.)
- Ethnic Groups
- Han Chinese (including Holo, who compose approximately 70% of Taiwan's population, Hakka, and other groups originating in mainland China) more than 95%, indigenous Malayo-Polynesian peoples 2.3%
- Currency
- New Taiwan dollars (TWD)
- Life Expectancy
- 81.6 years (2024 est.)
- Internet Domain
- .tw
- Climate
- tropical; marine; rainy season during southwest monsoon (June to August); persistent and extensive cloudiness all year
- Terrain
- eastern two-thirds mostly rugged mountains; flat to gently rolling plains in west
- Natural Resources
- small deposits of coal, natural gas, limestone, marble, asbestos, arable land
- Major Exports
- integrated circuits, machine parts, broadcasting equipment, computers, plastics (2023)
Source: CIA World Factbook (public domain)
Overview
First inhabited by Austronesian people, Taiwan became home to Han immigrants beginning in the late Ming Dynasty (17th century). In 1895, military defeat forced China's Qing Dynasty to cede Taiwan to Japan, which then governed Taiwan for 50 years.