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Taiwan Profile |
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Quick Facts About Taiwan
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Source: CIA World Factbook
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Capital
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name: Taipei
geographic coordinates: 25 03 N, 121 30 E
time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
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Country Name
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conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Taiwan
local long form: none
local short form: T"ai-wan
former: Formosa
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Dependency Status
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*
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Type of Government
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multiparty democracy
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Background
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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 1947 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 Taiwan"s eventual status - as well as domestic political and economic reform.
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Branches
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Army, Navy (includes Marine Corps), Air Force, Coast Guard Administration, Armed Forces Reserve Command, Combined Service Forces Command, Armed Forces Police Command
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Age Structure
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0-14 years: 16.2% (male 1,936,232/female 1,788,419)
15-64 years: 73% (male 8,476,685/female 8,336,600)
65 years and over: 10.8% (male 1,192,496/female 1,294,524) (2010 est.)
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Languages
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Mandarin Chinese (official), Taiwanese (Min), Hakka dialects
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Population
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23,024,956 (July 2010 est.)
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Religions
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mixture of Buddhist and Taoist 93%, Christian 4.5%, other 2.5%
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Internet Users
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15.143 million (2008)
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Area - Comparative
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slightly smaller than Maryland and Delaware combined
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Area
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total: 35,980 sq km
land: 32,260 sq km
water: 3,720 sq km
note: includes the Pescadores, Matsu, and Quemoy islands
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Terrain
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eastern two-thirds mostly rugged mountains; flat to gently rolling plains in west
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Climate
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tropical; marine; rainy season during southwest monsoon (June to August); cloudiness is persistent and extensive all year
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Natural Hazards
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earthquakes; typhoons
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| Taiwan |
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Source:
CIA World Factbook |
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