The Island Nation

Taiwan is an island located in East Asia and also the general name used by the government of the Republic of China. Along with the main island, it also encompasses Diaoyu Island, Paracel Islands, Itu Aba Island, Orchid Island and Green Island. It also shares claim with the People's Republic of China on three other areas: the Penghu Islands, Kinmen and the Matsu Islands.

After World War II, the Republic of China was able to seize control of Taiwan from the Japanese military. However, four years later, it lost control of mainland China during the Chinese Civil War. The war was fought between Chinese Nationalists and the Chinese Communist Party and came to a head in 1949. The Kuomintang government of the Nationalists fled to the island and established its new capital in Taipei. Today, the government essentially has two levels: national and local.

The entire nation of Taiwan is claimed as part of the People's Republic of China, despite the fact that it has never made an attempt at exerting its control. The nation was historically part of China for most of known history. It was invaded and conquered by the Japanese in 1895 during the first part of the Sino-Japanese War. The Japanese ruled with an iron fist but was returned to China proper following the surrender of Japan to the Allies.

The government is known as a flawed democracy by the Economist Intelligence Unit Index of Democracy. It has recurring issues with various facets of its processes. National elections are free and fair and offer strong security for voters. However, Taiwan's electoral process has been found to be heavily influenced by foreign powers in both its policies and capabilities through various civil servants within the government.

Taiwan's main island is also known as Formosa which is Portuguese for "beautiful island." It is situated off the coast of China and southwest of Japan. It also sits northwest of the Philippines. To the east sits the Pacific Ocean, while the South China Sea is located to the south. The Taiwan Straight is located to the west and the East China Sea is located to the north.

The island itself is 394 kilometers long and 144 kilometers wide. The majority of the island is covered by tropical and subtropical vegetation which dots its steep mountainous regions. Its highest point is the mountain of Yu Shan, located at 3,952 meters above sea level.

The economy of Taiwan is one of the largest in the region and widely considered one of the Four Asian Tigers along with Hong Kong, South Korea and Singapore. The rise of this economy has widely become known as the Taiwan Economic Miracle due to its rapid economic rise during the latter half of the 20th century. The International Monetary Fund recognizes the nation as one of the most advanced and largest economies in the world. The key component to the economy is its technology sector, which plays a large role in the entire global economy. The nation is responsible for a very large portion of consumer electronics throughout the world. This comes with a strong connection to factories located in mainland China.

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