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Revision as of 02:17, 5 July 2008

Jhonghua Mi­nguo Republic of China Taiwan
Flag	Coat of arms
Anthem National Anthem of the Republic of China!
Capital and Largest city	Taipei
Official languages	Mandarin
Government  - President  - Vice President  - Premier	Semi-presidential System Lee Teng-hui Huang Chuo-ming Liu Chao-shiuan
Establishment  - Start of Revolution  - Republic established  - Relocated to Taiwan	Xinhai Revolution October 10, 1911 January 1, 1912 December 7, 1949
Area  - Total  - Water (%)	36,188km2 13,975 sq mi 10.34
Population  - July 2008 est.  - Density	22,911,292 633.12/km2 1,639.43/sq mi
GDP  - Total  - Per capita	2007 estimate $923.8 billion $40,182
Gini	48 (medium)
HDI	0.932 (high)
Currency	New Taiwan Dollar (NTD)
Time zone	CST (UTC +8)
Internet TLD	.tw
Calling code	+886

The Republic of China is a defacto country in East Asia that has evolved from a single-party state with full global recognition into a multi-party democratic state with limited international recognition. It was a founding member of the United Nations. Established in 1912, the Republic of China encompassed much of mainland China. In 1945 at the end of World War II the Republic of China added the island groups of Taiwan (Formosa) and the Pescadores to its authority. These island groups, together with Kinmen and Matsu, became the full extent of the Republic of China's authority after 1949 when the Kuomintang (KMT) lost the Chinese Civil War to the Chinese Communist Party and the People's Republic of China (PRC) was founded in mainland China. Under ROC law, these areas are known as the Free Area of the Republic of China.

Although the Republic of China has governed only Taiwan and outlying islands since 1949, during the early Cold War the ROC was recognized by most Western nations and the United Nations as the sole legitimate government of China. During the 1970s, the ROC began to lose these recognitions in favor of the People's Republic of China. The Republic of China has not formally relinquished its claim as the legitimate government of all China. Both Presidents Lee Teng-hui and Chen Shui-bian have held the view that it is a sovereign and independent country separate from mainland China and there is no need for a formal declaration of independence.

During the 1950s and 1960s, it was common to refer to the Republic of China as Nationalist China or Free China. Over subsequent decades, the Republic of China has been commonly referred to as "Taiwan". Since the late 1970s the name "China" is commonly used to refer to the People's Republic of China. Because of diplomatic pressure from the People's Republic of China, the Republic of China is referred to as "Chinese Taipei" in most international organizations. The capital city is Taipei.

The Republic of China was established in 1912, replacing the Qing Dynasty and ending over two thousand years of imperial rule in China. It is the oldest surviving republic in East Asia. The Republic of China on mainland China went through periods of warlordism, Japanese invasion, civil war between the Kuomintang and the Communists. The Republic of China on Taiwan has experienced rapid economic growth and industrialization, and democratization.

Starting in 1928, the Republic of China was ruled by the Kuomintang as an authoritarian one-party state. In the 1950s and 1960s, the KMT went through wide restructuring and decreased corruption and implemented land reform. There followed a period of great economic growth, the Republic of China became one of the Four Asian Tigers, despite the constant threat of war and civil unrest. In the 1980s and 1990s the government peacefully transitioned to a democratic system, with the first direct presidential election in 1996 and the 2000 election of Chen Shui-bian, the first non-KMT after 1949 to become President of the Republic of China. The KMT regained presidency and increased its majority in the legislature in the 2008 presidential and legislative elections.

Territories

The territories below constitute the territories that are under the de facto government of the Republic of China. These are referred to by the Government of the Republic of China as the "Free Area of the Republic of China".

These territories consist of:

• Formosa
• Quemoy
• Matsu Islands
• Pescadores
• Kinmen

The territory currently ruled from Beijing by the Communist government has no special legal name in the Republic of China, but various terms have been used since 1949 including:

• Communist-zone
• Insurrectionist provinces
• Mainland area (currently preferred)

Hong Kong and Macau are not regarded as part of the mainland area, and are simply called "Hong Kong area", and "Macau area" respectively. The Republic of Chine does not recognise the handover arrangements of Hong Kong and Macau.

Government

Economy