Taiwan

TAIWAN (R.O.C)

Ø   Founded in 1912, the first democratic republic in Asia.

Ø   Area : 36,000 square kilometers

Ø   Population : 23 million

Ø   Language : Mandarin / Taiwanese / Hakka / Indigenous Languages

Ø   President : Mr. Ma Ying Jeou

History

Ø   Between 7000 and 400 years ago, Austronesians, the ancestor of the island's indigenous peoples, became the earliest known inhabitants of Taiwan.

Ø   16th century (the age of discovery): Western sailors arrived in the Far East to set up colonies and conduct trade.

Ø   In the first half of the 17th Century, the Dutch established a presence at Anping.

1624-1662 Dutch

1626-1642 Spanish

Ø   Late 19th century: colony of Japan (50 years)