Background: First inhabited by Austronesian people, Taiwan became home to Han immigrants beginning in the late Ming Dynasty (17th century). In 1895, military defeat forced China's Qing Dynasty to cede Taiwan to Japan, which then governed Taiwan for 50 years. Taiwan came under Chinese Nationalist (Kuomintang, KMT) control after World War II. With the communist victory in the Chinese civil war in 1949, the Nationalist-controlled Republic of China government and 2 million Nationalists fled to Taiwan and continued to claim to be the legitimate government for mainland China and Taiwan, based on a 1947 constitution drawn up for all of China. Until 1987, however, the Nationalist Government ruled Taiwan under a civil war martial law declaration dating to 1948. Beginning in the 1970s, Nationalist authorities gradually began to incorporate the native population into the governing structure beyond the local level. The democratization process expanded rapidly in the 1980s, leading to the then-illegal founding of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Taiwan’s first opposition party, in 1986 and the lifting of martial law the following year. Taiwan held legislative elections in 1992, the first in over 40 years, and its first direct presidential election in 1996. In the 2000 presidential elections, Taiwan underwent its first peaceful transfer of power with the KMT loss to the DPP and afterwards experienced two additional democratic transfers of power in 2008 and 2016. Throughout this period, the island prospered and turned into one of East Asia's economic 'Tigers,' becoming a major investor in mainland China after 2000 as cross-Strait ties matured. The dominant political issues continue to be economic reform and growth, as well as management of sensitive relations between Taiwan and China.

Area
Total: 35,980 km²
Land: 32,260 km²
Water: 3,720 km²
Note: includes the Pescadores, Matsu, and Kinmen islands
Comparative: slightly smaller than Maryland and Delaware combined

Land boundaries
Total: 0 km

Coastline: 1,566.3 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate: tropical; marine; rainy season during southwest monsoon (June to August); persistent and extensive cloudiness all year

Terrain: eastern two-thirds mostly rugged mountains; flat to gently rolling plains in west

Elevation
Highest point: Yu Shan 3,952 m
Lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
Mean elevation: 1,150 m

Land use
Agricultural land: 22% (2023 est.)
Arable land: 16.6% (2023 est.)
Permanent crops: 5.4% (2023 est.)
Permanent pasture: 0% (2022 est.)
Forest: 0% (2022 est.)
Other: 78% (2022 est.)

Irrigated land: 3,820 km² (2012)

Natural hazards: earthquakes; typhoons
Volcanism: Kueishantao Island (401 m), east of Taiwan, is the only historically active volcano, but it has not erupted in centuries

Geography
Note: strategic location adjacent to both the Taiwan Strait and the Luzon Strait

Population
Total: 23,595,274 (2024 est.)
Male: 11,606,491
Female: 11,988,783
Distribution: distribution exhibits a peripheral coastal settlement pattern, with the largest populations on the north and west coasts
Growth rate: 0.03% (2024 est.)

Languages: Mandarin (official), Min Nan, Hakka dialects, approximately 16 indigenous languages
Major-language sample(s): ; 世界概況 – 不可缺少的基本消息來源 (Mandarin); The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Religions: Buddhist 35.3%, Taoist 33.2%, Christian 3.9%, folk religion (includes Confucian) approximately 10%, none or unspecified 18.2% (2005 est.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 12.1% (male 1,472,059/female 1,391,031)
15-64 years: 69% (male 8,132,356/female 8,155,582)
65 years and over: 18.8% (2024 est.) (male 2,002,076/female 2,442,170)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 44.9 (2024 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 17.6 (2024 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 27.3 (2024 est.)
Potential support ratio: 3.7 (2024 est.)

Median age
Total: 44.6 years (2024 est.)
Male: 43.6 years
Female: 45.5 years

Population growth rate: 0.03% (2024 est.)

Birth rate: 7.3 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Death rate: 8.1 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Population distribution: distribution exhibits a peripheral coastal settlement pattern, with the largest populations on the north and west coasts

Urbanization
Urban population: 80.1% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 0.65% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 4.504 million New Taipei City, 2.754 million TAIPEI (capital), 2.319 million Taoyuan, 1.553 million Kaohsiung, 1.369 million Taichung, 863,000 Tainan (2023)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 3.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 4.2 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 3.5 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 81.6 years (2024 est.)
Male: 78.6 years
Female: 84.7 years

Total fertility rate: 1.11 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 3.4% (2024 est.); 3.5% (2023 est.); 3.7% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Capital
Name: Taipei
Geographic coordinates: 25 02 N, 121 31 E
Time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Etymology: the name means 'Northern Taiwan,' from the Chinese words tai (a short form of Taiwan) and bei (north), reflecting the city's position in the far north of the island

Administrative divisions: includes main island of Taiwan, plus smaller islands nearby and off coast of China's Fujian Province; Taiwan is divided into 13 counties (xian, singular and plural), 3 cities (shi, singular and plural), and 6 special municipalities directly under the jurisdiction of the Executive Yuan
Counties: Changhua, Chiayi, Hsinchu, Hualien, Kinmen, Lienchiang, Miaoli, Nantou, Penghu, Pingtung, Taitung, Yilan, Yunlin
Cities: Chiayi, Hsinchu, Keelung
Special municipalities: Kaohsiung (city), New Taipei (city), Taichung (city), Tainan (city), Taipei (city), Taoyuan (city)
Note: Taiwan uses a variety of romanization systems for names; a modified Wade-Giles system still dominates, but the city of Taipei has adopted a Pinyin romanization for street and place names; other local authorities use different romanization systems

Legal system: civil law system

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Executive branch
Chief of state: President LAI Ching-te (since 20 May 2024)
Head of government: Premier CHO Jung-tai (President of the Executive Yuan) (since 20 May 2024)
Cabinet: Executive Yuan; ministers appointed by president on recommendation of premier
Election/appointment process: president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by simple-majority popular vote for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); premier appointed by the president; vice premiers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the premier
Most recent election date: 13 January 2024
2024: AI Ching-te elected president; percent of vote - LAI Ching-te (DPP) 40.1%, HOU Yu-ih (KMT) 33.5%, KO Wen-je (TPP) 26.5%)
2020: TSAI Ing-wen reelected president; percent of vote - TSAI Ing-wen (DPP) 57.1%, HAN Kuo-yu (KMT) 38.6%, James SOONG (PFP) 4.3%
Expected date of next election: 2,028

Legislative branch
Legislature name: Legislative Yuan
Legislative structure: unicameral
Number of seats: 113 (directly elected)
Electoral system: plurality/majority
Scope of elections: full renewal
Term in office: 4 years
Most recent election date: 13 January 2024
Parties elected and seats per party: Kuomintang (KMT) 52, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) 51, Taiwan People's Party (TPP) 8, independent 2
Percentage of women in chamber: 41.6%
Expected date of next election: January 2,028

Flag description: red field with a dark blue rectangle in the upper-left corner, bearing a white sun with 12 triangular rays

National anthem
Title: 'Zhonghua Minguo guoge' (National Anthem of the Republic of China)
Lyrics/music: HU Han-min, TAI Chi-t'ao, and LIAO Chung-k'ai/CHENG Mao-yun
History: adopted 1937; also the song of the Kuomintang Party; informally known as 'San Min Chu I' or 'San Min Zhu Yi' (Three Principles of the People); the anthem is banned from performance in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau

Real gdp growth rate: 1.28% (2023 est.); 2.59% (2022 est.); 6.62% (2021 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real gdp per capita: 1.28% (2023 est.); 2.59% (2022 est.); 6.62% (2021 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 48.3% (2023 est.)
Government consumption: 13.3% (2023 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 23.7% (2023 est.)
Investment in inventories: -0.6% (2023 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 64% (2023 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -49.1% (2023 est.)

Industries: electronics, communications and information technology products, petroleum refining, chemicals, textiles, iron and steel, machinery, cement, food processing, vehicles, consumer products, pharmaceuticals

Unemployment rate: 3.4% (2024 est.); 3.5% (2023 est.); 3.7% (2022 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 3.4% (2024 est.); 3.5% (2023 est.); 3.7% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Budget
Revenues: $94.943 billion (2019 est.)
Expenditures: $105.833 billion (2019 est.)

Exports: $432.432 billion (2023 est.); $479.415 billion (2022 est.); $446.371 billion (2021 est.)
Note: figures complied according to the General Trade System - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: integrated circuits, machine parts, broadcasting equipment, computers, plastics (2023)
Commodities note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports: $351.441 billion (2023 est.); $428.083 billion (2022 est.); $381.958 billion (2021 est.)
Note: figures complied according to the General Trade System - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: integrated circuits, crude petroleum, machinery, natural gas, coal (2023)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Electricity
Installed generating capacity: 64.535 million kW (2023 est.)
Consumption: 270.648 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 7.907 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 84.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources nuclear: 6.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources solar: 4.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources wind: 2.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 1.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources biomass and waste: 1.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Coal
Production: 5.212 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Consumption: 64.609 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Exports: 47,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
Imports: 58.15 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Proven reserves: 1 million metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum
Total petroleum production: 800 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 954,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 2.38 million barrels (2021 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 60.761 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
Consumption: 27.222 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Imports: 26.997 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Proven reserves: 6.23 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 289.109 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 140.734 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 92.014 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 56.361 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 206.102 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 10 million (2023 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 43 (2023 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 30 million (2023 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 128 (2023 est.)

Internet
Users percent of population: 90% (2021 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 5,831,470 (2019 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 25 (2019 est.)

Military expenditures: 2.4% of GDP (2024 est.); 2.5% of GDP (2023 est.); 2.1% of GDP (2022 est.); 2.1% of GDP (2021 est.); 2.1% of GDP (2020 est.)

Airports: 57 (2025)

Heliports: 56 (2025)

Railways
Total: 1,613.1 km (2018)
Standard gauge: 345 km (2018) 1.435-m gauge (345 km electrified)
Narrow gauge: 1,118.1 km (2018) 1.067-m gauge (793.9 km electrified)
150 0.762-m gauge note: the 0.762-gauge track belongs to three entities: the Forestry Bureau, Taiwan Cement, and TaiPower

Merchant marine
Total: 465 (2023)
By type: bulk carrier 29, container ship 53, general cargo 58, oil tanker 35, other 290