TAIWAN

• Land area: 12,456 sq mi (32,261 sq km); total area: 13,892 sq mi (35,980 sq km)

Borders• •NW: China 161 Km

• •NE: South Korea 1483 km & Japan 2097 km

• •S: Philippines 1155 km

• •SW: Hong Kong 823 km & Vietnam 1673 • km

• •Taiwan is at the same latitude as Mexico and Hawaii.

• •It is on the tropic of cancer.

Coastline:

Taiwan's coastline is approximately 1,566 km long. There are four types of coastal landscape based on crust movement, rock formation and the resulting slope and contour of the sea floor as it rises to meet dry land:a) Eastern fault coastb) Western uplifted coastc) Northern mixed coastd) Southern coral-reef coaste) the outlying islets

○ Local Official Name: T'ai-wan○ Former Name: Formosa○ National Holiday: Republic Day (Anniversary of the Chinese Revolution), October 10○ People: Population: 23,036,087 people type – nationality○ Birth Rate: 12.56 births per 1,000 people○ Population Growth: 0.61% per year○ Ethnic Groups: Taiwanese (including Hakka) 84%, mainland Chinese 14%, aborigine 2%

○ Languages: Mandarin Chinese (official), Taiwanese (Min), Hakka dialects ○ Religion: Mixture of Buddhist, Confucian, and Taoist 93%, Christian 4.5%, other 2.5% ○ Capital and largest city: Taipei, 271 sq km ○ Population density: 9649 people / sq km ○ Other large cities: Kaohsiung, 153.5927 sq km, Taichung, 163 sq. km

Taipei 101

Statistics: ○ World’s second largest microchip supplier○ the third-best investment destination in the world’s 50 major countries, on a par with Norway, but behind Singapore and Switzerland, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) said.○ Taiwan’s Taipei 101 was the world's tallest building from 2004 until 2010○ Small deposits of coal, natural gas, limestone, marble, and asbestos

Birth of Taiwan Republic:

○Born in October 25, 1945

○Ruled by the Republic of China

○Another name is the Taiwan under Republic of China rule

○Formerly called Formosa(Taiwan R.O.C)

Constitution of the Republic of China:

○Adopted on: 25 Dec 1946○On January 10, 1947, Governor Chen Yiannounced that the new ROC Constitution would not apply to Taiwan after it went into effect in mainland China on December 25, 1947.○Because Taiwan is still under military occupation.○China also said that Taiwan is not capable of self-governing.○Declared state of martial law from March 1947 until 1987.

Political System:

Type: Multi-party democracy.Constitution: December 25, 1946; last amended 2005.Branches (Yuan): Executive, Legislative, Judicial, Control, Examination.Major political parties: Kuomintang (KMT or Nationalist Party); Democratic Progressive Party (DPP); several small parties.Suffrage: Universal over 20 years of age.

Executive Body:

Head of State: President Head of Government: Prime Minister

Ma Ying-jeou Wu Den-yih

Legislative Yuan:○ Unicameral legislature of the Republic of China (ROC).○ One of the five branches of government stipulated by the Constitution of the Republic of China, which follows Sun Yat-sen's Three Principles of the Peoplesometimes referred to as a "parliament“○ Power to amend the constitution and formerly to elect the President and Vice President, could be considered a parliament.

Legislative:

○ (225 seats - 168 elected by popular vote, 41 elected on basis of proportion of island wide votes received by participating political parties.○ Eight elected from overseas Chinese constituencies on basis of proportion of island-wide votes received by participating political parties, eight elected by popular vote among aboriginal populations; members serve three-year terms)○ National Assembly (300 seat nonstanding body; delegates nominated by parties and elected by proportional representation six to nine months after Legislative Yuan calls to amend Constitution, impeach president, or change national borders)

Judiciary: Judicial Branch: Judicial Yuan (justices appointed by the president with consent of the Legislative Yuan)

The Judicial Yuan (Judiciary) is the highest judicial organization of Taiwan.The Judicial Yuan is comprised up of

1. the Supreme Court,2. the High Courts,3. the District Courts,4. the Supreme Administrative Court,5. the High Administrative Courts, and

The Judiciary exercises administrative supervision of the Republic Of China court system, while enforcing compliance by ROC court personnel with constitutionally mandated judicial independence.

Foreign Relations:

The Republic of China (ROC), commonly known as Taiwan, is currently recognized by 23 sovereign states. The course of the foreign relations of the ROC is dominated by maintaining diplomatic relations with these countries, as well as unofficial relations with other countries via its de facto embassies and consulates.

EU-Taiwan Relations• In line with its “One China” policy, the EU does not recognize

Taiwan as a sovereign state and therefore has no diplomatic or formal political relations with Taiwan. The EU does, however, support Taiwan’s practical participation in international organizations where this does not require statehood.

• The EU has solid economic and trade relations with Taiwan. Taiwan and the EU have a healthy trade relationship - Taiwan is the EU’s 4th largest trade partner in Asia and the EU is Taiwan’s fourth largest market.

• Regular contacts take place in sectors such as research and technology, information society, education and culture, fisheries, environment, intellectual property rights and standards and norms. Regular EU/Taiwan “consultations” are held in order to ensure coordination and coherence of activities in these fields, the most recent in October 2007 in Taipei.