Taiwan – country information

Country name	Taiwan
Official name	Republic of China
Capital	Taipei
Continent	Asia
Area	36,188 km2
Population	23,379,129 (2014)
The highest mountains	Yushan 3997 m
State system	a pluralist republic with a bicameral parliament
The biggest cities	Taipei (capital city) 2,725,000, Kaohsiung 1,430,000, Taichung 820,000
Official language	Chinese
Ethnicity/National Composition	Taiwanese 85%, Mainland Chinese 13%, original aboriginal tribes 2%
Religious affiliation	Chinese traditional religions 50%, Buddhist 43%, Christian 6%, Muslim 0.5%, other 0.5%
Currency	1 New Taiwan dollar (NT$) = 100 cents
gross domestic product (GDP)	US$38,400 (2012)
Average life expectancy of the population	77.43 years (2006)
Structure of GDP	agriculture, forestry and fishing 3.5%, mining 0.5%, industry 36%, construction 5%, services 55%

Country overview

The independent island nation of Taiwan, formerly known as Formosa, is separated from China’s southeast coast by the 160 km wide Taiwan Strait. To the south of the island lie the Philippines and to the northeast the Japanese islands of Sakashima, which are part of the Ryukyu archipelago. Taiwan claims that its government is the legitimate government of the Republic of China (see official name), since the island became a refuge in 1949 for the last Chinese Kuomintang government after its defeat of the mainland communists. The Taiwanese government also claims jurisdiction over several islands off the coast of China and over 60 Pescador Islands (Pengpu Archipelago), which lie to the west of Taiwan.

According to Abbreviationfinder, Taiwan is a partially recognized state of the Republic of China. Taiwan is an island in the Pacific Ocean, 150 km from the eastern shores of mainland China, from which it is separated by the Taiwan Strait. colonial name – Formosa (Beautiful island). The largest city and capital is Taipei. The official language is Chinese. The climate is subtropical in the north, tropical monsoon in the south. In Taiwan, the rainy season is from June to August.

Emergency numbers: police – 110, fire department – 119.

Resorts and attractions in Taiwan

The water offered to guests in hotels and restaurants is purified or boiled. Outside of expensive hotels and restaurants, drink boiled or bottled water and don’t eat raw fruit. Make sure you get all your vaccinations on time: tetanus, polio, a dose of gamma globulin. Do not walk barefoot, do not swim in natural waters.

The crime rate in Taiwan is quite low. Be very careful when crossing the road – drivers rarely stop to let pedestrians pass.

Taitung – is famous as a quiet and secluded town, which is conveniently located in the southeast of Taiwan. This is an ecologically clean resort, the difference of which is a small amount of road traffic. There are no industrial plants and there is no noise typical for big cities.
Hualien is a small provincial town on the Pacific coast in harmony with the surrounding landscape. This is a truly resort place famous for its picturesque unique mountain landscapes. This is a great holiday destination with crystal clear waters and magical coral reefs.
Taipei – the capital of Taiwan is the largest city with bright sights and excellent conditions for a great holiday. You will definitely enjoy the variety of unusual natural landscapes. Temples and amazing museums are open to visit.
Green Island, or as the locals call it, is the Island of Fire. A unique and picturesque island off the coast of the Pacific Ocean on the southeast coast of Taiwan. This is a great resort that is part of the Taiwan Coastal National Park.
Kaohsiung – the southern capital of Taiwan and the most important commercial center of the country. Here is the international port of Taiwan. Kaohsiung is considered a unique natural find with unique natural conditions, whose territory is famous for citrus forests, exotic animal species and crystal clear sea.

Interesting Facts

Taiwan Phrasebook

Hello – ning hao
Good morning – zao
Good afternoon – ning hao
Good evening – ning hao
Good night – wan’an
Goodbye – zaijian
Please – qing
Thank you – sese
Not at all – bu xie
Excuse me (asking a question) – ching wen
Excuse (attracting attention) – lao jia
Excuse (apology) – dui bui
Yes – dui
No – bu shi

Country data

Location: East Asia

Time zone: CET + 7 (during European summer time: CET + 6)

Total area: 35,980 km²

Land area: 32,260 km²

Water area: 3,720 km²

Length of the state border: 0 km

Coastline: 1,566 km

Capital: Taipei

Regions: 22
Changhua, Chiayi, Chiayi (Township), Hsinchu, Hsinchu (Township), Hualien, Kaohsiung (City), Keelung (Township), Kinmen, Lienchiang, Miaoli, Nantou, New Taipei (Town), Penghu, Pingtung, Taichung (City), Tainan (City), Taipei (City), Taitung, Taoyuan, Yilan, Yunlin

Electric current: 110 V / 60 Hz

Telephone code: 00 886 (Source: Allcitycodes)

Highest point: Yu Shan 3,952 m

Population

Population: approx. 23.4 million residents (Countryaah, 2021)

Population growth: 0.2% per year

Population density (residents per km²): 650

Life expectancy: 77 (male), 83 (female)

Official language: Chinese (Mandarin), many people also speak English

Religions:

• 93% Buddhists and Taoists
• 4% Christians
• 3% other

Climate

In the prevailing subtropical climate, it is warm all year round (annual average: 22 ° C) with constantly very high humidity.

The longest season is summer, which lasts from April to November. It’s very warm, with daytime temperatures between 25-35 ° C. Most of the rain falls from mid-May to late June.

In the very short winter (from January to February) temperatures drop to 10-15 ° C. It is very mild at this time.

In the higher regions (over 3,000 meters) it is much cooler, especially at night.

Currency / finance

Currency unit: New Taiwan Dollar (TWD)

Classification: 1 Taiwan dollar = 10 Jiao, 100 Fen

ATMs: There are many available.

International credit cards: These are accepted by a large number of hotels and shops.

Regulations: The national currency may be imported and exported up to an amount of 60,000 TWD.

The exchange in foreign currencies is only possible upon presentation of the exchange receipts. Therefore, you should only exchange at official exchange offices and keep all receipts in a safe place!

There is no limit to the amount of foreign currencies that can be imported. The export is limited to the amount of the declared import and is strictly controlled. You should therefore have all foreign currency you bring with you declared in writing upon entry.

Since the export of gold and silver from Taiwan is forbidden, you should also have all jewelry (rings, chains, piercings,…) declared upon entry, otherwise you are not allowed to take them with you when you leave the country.

The following limit values ​​must not be exceeded: Gold: 62.5 g; Silver: 625 g

Customs regulations

The following may be carried duty-free:

• 200 cigarettes or 25 cigars or 500 g tobacco
• 1 liter of alcoholic beverages
• small amounts of perfume

(Information applies to people aged 18 and over)

Tourists and people in transit can bring items of personal use with them duty-free.

You should have an English-language certificate from your doctor with you for all medication you are taking with you, otherwise these are counted as drugs / narcotics.

The export of gold and silver (in all forms) is prohibited if this has not been declared upon entry.

Drugs, old coins, Chinese antiques and works of art are also prohibited.

You should avoid taking obscene or erotic magazines and material with you.

Travel advice

There is currently no country-specific safety notice for Taiwan.

Behavioral advice

Since the water quality is often very poor, you should only use water from a flat surface for drinking and preparing food.

When buying, make sure that these are originally closed.

Economy

The economy has developed very strongly in recent years.

Taiwan has strengthened itself particularly in the position of information technology. Many products in the computer sector come from here.

Agriculture and fishing are becoming less and less important and now contribute less than 20% to the gross domestic product.

Industries: chemistry, iron and steel processing, petroleum processing, electronics, food production, mechanical engineering, textiles

Natural resources: asbestos, natural gas, wood, limestone, coal, marble

Land use:

• Land: 23%
• Grain cultivation: 1%
• Pasture area: 5%
• Forests: 55%
• other: 15%

Plants

Large parts of the island are forested. The type of trees present changes depending on the altitude.

Acacias, bamboo trees and palm trees are predominantly found in the area below 700 meters

Between 700 and 2,500 meters you can find maple, beech, oak, Japanese cedar, camphor trees, pines, elms and occasionally palm trees. Most of Taiwan’s forest areas, which are also evergreen all year round, belong to this altitude.

From a height of over 2,500 meters there are almost only conifers.

Animals

In the large forests there are a large number of small animals, mammals (e.g. monkeys, bears, deer) and birds. However, many of these animals only live in uninhabited areas.

For those interested, it is a good idea to book organized round trips, on which the many different species of native and migratory birds can be observed particularly well.