Simple directory > Regional > Taiwan

Official name: Chung-hua Min-kuo (Republic of China) Head of State: President Chen Shui-bian (MCT) (since 2000; re-elected Mar 2004) Head of government: Prime Minister Frank Hsieh (MCT) (sworn in 1 Feb 2005) Ruling party: Min-chu Chin-pu Tang (MCT) (Democratic Progressive Party) (since Dec 2001; re-elected 11 Dec 2004) Area: 35,961 square km Population: 23.07 million (2004) Capital: Taipei Official language: Mandarin Chinese Currency: Taiwanese dollar (T$) = 100 cents Exchange rate: T$32.98 per US$ (Nov 2004) GDP per capita: US$12,660 (2003) GDP real growth: 3.20% (2003) Labour force: 10.00 million (2003) Unemployment: 5.30% (2003) Inflation: 0.10% (2003) Balance of trade: US$17.00 billion (2003) Foreign debt: US$24.70 billion (2003) Visitor numbers: 2.50 million (annually)* * estimated figure

 

Historical profile
Before the arrival of the Europeans, the island was occupied by indigenous people and immigrants from mainland China.

1590 Portuguese navigators discovered Taiwan and called it Ilha Formosa, meaning `beautiful island' in Portuguese. This is the origin of Taiwan's other name, Formosa.

1624 The Dutch arrived in Taiwan.

1629 The Spaniards, alarmed by growing Dutch control of Taiwan, arrived and occupied the northern part of the island.

1630 The Dutch formally settled on the island.

1630–62 The Dutch and Spanish fought for control of the island. The Spanish were defeated and driven off the island. The Dutch strengthened their control after the establishment of the Dutch East India Company. Taiwan became an important trading centre. Chinese resistance eventually grew so strong that the Dutch were driven out.

1700–1800 Chinese mass migration to the island took place with most immigrants fleeing the Japanese-occupied provinces of Guangdong and Fujian.

1885 Taiwan was officially made a province of China.

1895 China ceded control of Taiwan to Japan following the Sino-Japanese war. The Japanese modernised the country, upgrading infrastructure, restoring the communications network and developing agriculture.

1945 After Japan's defeat in the Second World War, Taiwan became a province of the Republic of China, controlled by the Kuomintang (KMT) (Nationalist Party).

1949 The KMT was driven out of the mainland by the communist People's Liberation Army (PLA) led by Mao Zedong. President Chiang Kai-shek withdrew his forces to Taiwan. The KMT asserted that it, rather than the new People's Republic of China, constituted the rightful government of mainland China and that it would eventually resume control of all of China.

1954 The US signed a security agreement with the KMT pledging to protect Taiwan.

1971 The People's Republic of China replaced Taiwan as Chinese representatives at the UN.

1975 Chiang Kai-Shek died. His son, Chiang Ching-kuo, became president.

1987 Martial law and one-party rule were dismantled.

1988 The death of President Chiang Ching-kuo. Taiwan-born Lee Teng-hui became president.

1994 Nationwide local elections were held. The KMT retained its dominance of the political system, although the candidate of the opposition Min-chu Chin-pu Tang (MCT) (Democratic Progressive Party), Chen Shui-bian, was elected mayor of Taipei.

1995 The KMT lost ground to the MCT in the legislative elections.

1996 President Lee Teng-hui comfortably won Taiwan's first direct presidential elections.

1998 The KMT was re-elected, with an increased majority.

1999 Taiwan suffered its worst earthquake for nearly 100 years. Measuring 7.6 on the Richter Scale, the earthquake caused an estimated US$334 million worth of damage and killed around 2,000 people.

2000 Chen Shui-bian of the MCT won the presidential elections. General Tang Fei became prime minister. General Tang resigned and was replaced by Chang Chun-hsiung.

2001 President Chen's pro-independence MCT won the parliamentary elections; the KMT lost its majority in parliament for the first time in 50 years.

2002 Taiwan joined the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Yu Shyi-kun was appointed prime minister by the president, after the resignation of Chang Chun-hsiung and the cabinet. Laws were enacted to put the military under the control of the civilian cabinet. President Chen Shui-bian took over the leadership of the MCT.

2003 The health minister resigned over the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars) crisis.

2004 President Chen Shui-bian (MCT), after surviving an assassination attempt on the eve of the presidential elections, was re-elected on 20 March. There was a dispute over the results and the President promised a recount. In August, parliament voted for constitutional changes, to be confirmed by referendum, and electoral reform. Although President Chen's pro-independence Min-chu Chin-pu Tang (MCT) (Democratic Progressive Party) won the December parliamentary elections, it narrowly failed to take control of parliament.

2005 Yu Shyi-kun's cabinet resigned and on 25 January, the President appointed Frank Hsieh (MCT) as prime minister. In March, China's National People's Congress passed an anti-secession law, enshrining Beijing's claim of sovereignty and its threat of military force in the event of Taiwan's formal independence; more than one million people took to the streets to express opposition to the law. In June, the Supreme Court ruled the 24 March 2004 presidential elections valid.

 

There's no web links here.