GENERAL FACTS ABOUT TAIWAN |
|
Population Twenty-one million people live in Taiwan and on its surrounding islands. The
population is comprised of aboriginal natives, who make up 2 percent of the population, and ethnic Chinese. A distinction is made between the ethnic Chinese who came before and after the Chinese Revolution
of 1949. The Taiwanese, who came before, account for 84 percent, and the mainland Chinese, who came after, make up 14 percent. Geography Taiwan is an island less than 100 miles off the southeast coast of mainland China. It is two-and-a-half times as
long as it is wide, with gentle plains in the west and high mountains in the east. This rugged but scenic mountain range runs north and south, with its highest peak, Yushan, rising 13,110 feet above sea level. The range plunges into the Pacific Ocean, which makes much of the east coast uninhabitable, thus 90 percent of the population lives in the west. A few small islands nearby also are under Taiwanese control. Climate
Taiwan's climate is subtropical with wet and dry seasons. The summers are hot and humid, and the winters can be very cold, with some snow fall at higher elevations. the mountainous areas are usually cool year-round, and receive the most rainfall, especially during the summer months. The northern part of the island receives rain year-round and has no marked dry season. Rain can be
especially heavy during monsoon season from July through September. Taiwan also experiences numerous small earth quakes each year. Politics Since 1987, Taiwan has been a democracy. The ruling party is the Kuomintang (KMT) or the Nationalist Party. Its major opposition is the
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Taiwan is a province of China, not an independent country, so be careful not to mistake it for one. Relations between Taiwan and China are often hostile, and were particularly so during the period preceding Taiwan's first direct presidential elections in 1996 when President Lee Teng-Hui was returned to office. The citizens of both China and Taiwan are divided about the unification. You should avoid conversations about
politics, because the topic evokes strong emotional reactions in most people. Religion There are approximately 2.7 million Taoists, 4.8 million Buddhists, and 400,000 Christians in Taiwan today. Most Taiwanese also believe in a Chinese folk religion, which is based mainly on Confucianism and consists of different
cultural beliefs. Currency Taiwan's form of currency is the New Taiwan Dollar. The current exchange rate is roughly NT$32.35 to the U.S. dollar, and about NT$21.41 to the Canadian dollar. Notes come in denominations of NT$50, NT$100, NT$500, and NT$1,000; coins are in denominations of NT$1, NT$5, and NT$10.
New Taiwan Dollars are not considered hard currency, so exchanging them outside of Taiwan is difficult. See the section on "Banking and Changing Money" for more information.
Taiwanese Customs >>> | 
