Where is Taiwan located?

Taiwan is an island in the western Pacific Ocean, approximately 100 miles (160 km) off the coast of southeastern China. It is part of a string of islands off the coast of East and Southeast Asia, extending from Japan south through the Philippines to Indonesia. Taiwan is bounded by the East China Sea to the north and northeast, the Pacific Ocean to the east, the Bashi Channel to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the west, separating it from the Chinese mainland. Taipei, situated in the north, is the seat of government of the Republic of China (ROC).

What is Taiwan known for being?

Taiwan is known for its economic success, particularly in manufacturing and trade. Beginning in the mid-1960s, Taiwan experienced rapid economic growth, which has been called an "economic miracle." Initially focused on textiles and light manufacturing, Taiwan has become one of the world's largest producers of computers and electronic equipment. The island's economy relies primarily on small- and medium-sized companies rather than large conglomerates. Taiwan's culture is influenced by aboriginal peoples, Chinese immigrants, Western colonial rule, Japanese rule, and Westernization since World War II. The government has made efforts to promote Chinese culture, including calligraphy, traditional Chinese opera, and folk arts. Democratization has led to more eclecticism in the arts and exploration of new themes.

How is Taiwan different from mainland China?

Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is an island in the western Pacific Ocean about 100 miles (160 km) off the coast of southeastern China. After Chinese communist armies defeated Nationalist forces on the mainland in 1949 and established the People’s Republic of China, the Nationalist government and armies fled to Taiwan. The ROC claimed jurisdiction over mainland China until the early 1990s, but the government in Beijing maintains that it has jurisdiction over Taiwan under its "one-China policy". While Taiwan is self-governing, most countries do not dispute China's position. There has been no agreement on how or when the two entities will be reunified. Taiwan's culture is mainly Chinese in origin but has also been influenced by Japanese culture and the culture of aboriginal peoples. Daily life in Taiwan is oriented toward family, job, and education.

What is the capital city of Taiwan and what language do most people speak there?

Taipei , a special municipality, serves as the seat of government for Taiwan (Republic of China). It is located near the northern tip of Taiwan island. Mandarin Chinese is Taiwan's official language. However, because of Taiwan's diverse history, many people speak other languages and dialects, including Taiwanese, Hakka, and languages unique to the aboriginal groups.

Why do some countries see Taiwan as separate from China?

Taiwan's unique position stems from its complex history and political status. Prior to the 1600s, Taiwan was self-governed before periods of Dutch colonization and Chinese rule. After Japan's defeat in World War II, Taiwan was returned to Chinese control in 1945. However, in 1949, the Chinese Communist armies defeated Nationalist forces on the mainland, leading the Nationalist government to retreat to Taiwan. This separation led to the existence of two entities: the People’s Republic of China on the mainland and the Republic of China in Taiwan. While the People’s Republic of China claims sovereignty over Taiwan, the ROC maintains that it is a self-governing island. Some countries do not dispute the PRC's one-China policy. The question of Taiwan's political status remains a sensitive issue.

How does Taiwan’s government work and what are its main industries?

Taiwan's government is based on a republican system with five branches: executive, legislative, judicial, Control Yuan, and Examination Yuan, although it now effectively operates with three. The president, elected by popular vote, is the head of state, while the premier, appointed by the president, leads the government. Taiwan's economy has transformed from an agriculture-based system to one driven by industry and services. Key industries include electronics, basic metals, plastics, and machinery. The service sector, which accounts for about two-thirds of the GDP, encompasses wholesale and retail trade, government services, finance, insurance, and real estate.

Taiwan

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Images, Videos & Interactives

Political map of Taiwan showing major cities, municipal boundaries, and surrounding bodies of water including the East China Sea, South China Sea, and Philippine Sea. The map highlights Taipei Municipality in the north and Kao-hsiung Municipality in the south, with a locator inset indicating Taiwan's position off the southeastern coast of China.

Map showing Taiwan's location in East Asia, with surrounding countries and regions labeled, including China to the west, Japan to the northeast, South Korea further north, the Philippines to the south, and Vietnam to the southwest. Major cities such as Taipei, Hong Kong, and Macau are also marked.

Physical map of Taiwan showing major mountain ranges, peaks such as Mount Yu and Mount Hsing-lung, national parks, rivers, and surrounding bodies of water including the Taiwan Strait, East China Sea, South China Sea, and Philippine Sea. The map also includes a locator inset highlighting Taiwan's position off the southeastern coast of China.

At a Glance

Taiwan summary

Taiwan

self-governing island, Asia

Also known as: Chung-hua Min-kuo, Formosa, Republic of China, T’ai-wan(Show More)

Written by

John C. Copper

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Nov. 12, 2026 •History

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Taiwan, island in the western Pacific Ocean that lies roughly 100 miles (160 km) off the coast of southeastern China. It is approximately 245 miles (395 km) long (north-south) and 90 miles (145 km) across at its widest point. Taipei, in the north, is the seat of government of the Republic of China (ROC; Nationalist China). In addition to the main island, the ROC government has jurisdiction over 22 islands in the Taiwan group and 64 islands to the west in the P’eng-hu (Pescadores) archipelago. Two island groups controlled by the ROC government, Matsu and Quemoy, lie just off the coast of China’s Fujian (Fukien) province. In the East China Sea, the ROC claims the group of islands it calls Diaoyutai, which also are claimed by Japan as Senkaku and by the People’s Republic of China as Diaoyu. Moreover, in the South China Sea, the ROC’s claim to the Paracels is disputed with the People’s Republic of China and Vietnam, whereas a larger group of countries—the People’s Republic of China, Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines, in addition to the ROC—all claim the Spratly Islands.

Prior to the 1600s, Taiwan was self-governing, although there was no central ruling authority. It was a colony of the Netherlands for about 40 years in the early to mid-17th century and was subsequently independent again for about two decades. China gained control there in the late 17th century and ruled Taiwan for some two centuries. Japan acquired Taiwan in 1895 following the first Sino-Japanese War, and it became a colony.

Quick Facts

See article: flag of Taiwan

Head Of Government:: Premier: Cho Jung-tai

Population:: (2026 est.) 23,243,000

Currency Exchange Rate:: 1 USD equals 32.899 Taiwan new dollar

Seat Of Government:: Taipei

Head Of State:: President: Lai Ching-te

Taiwan was returned to Nationalist Chinese control in 1945 following Japan’s defeat in World War II. However, in 1949 Chinese communist armies defeated Nationalist forces on the mainland and established the People’s Republic of China there. The Nationalist government and armies fled to Taiwan, again resulting in the separation of Taiwan from China. In the ensuing years the ROC claimed jurisdiction over the Chinese mainland as well as Taiwan, although in the early 1990s Taiwan’s government dropped this claim to China. The Chinese government in Beijing has maintained that it has jurisdiction over Taiwan and has continued to propound a one-China policy—a position that few countries in the world dispute. There has been no agreement, however, on how or when, if ever, the two entities will be reunified.

Land

Taiwan, roughly oval in shape, is approximate in area to the Netherlands or to the U.S. states of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut combined. It is part of a string of islands off the coast of East and Southeast Asia extending from Japan south through the Philippines to Indonesia. Taiwan is bounded to the north and northeast by the East China Sea, with the Ryukyu Islands (the southernmost part of Japan) to the northeast. To the east is found the great expanse of the Pacific Ocean, and to the south is the Bashi Channel, which separates Taiwan from the Philippines. To the west is the Taiwan (Formosa) Strait, which separates Taiwan from the Chinese mainland.

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Relief

Taiwan’s volcanic soil and the frequency of earthquakes on the island indicate a common origin with the other nearby archipelagoes. However, the configuration of its coastlines and the age and formations of rocks on Taiwan’s west coast suggest to some geologists that Taiwan was once part of the Asian mainland. In general, the relief of the island consists of an uplifted crustal block that trends north-northeast to south-southwest. The interior of the island is mountainous and slopes sharply downward on the east side to the Pacific and more gently in the west to the Taiwan Strait.

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Mountains cover approximately two-thirds of the surface of the island. The highest are in the Chung-yang (Zhongyang, or Central) Range in the east, which extends along the island’s north-south axis and in many places descends to the shoreline. Several dozen peaks in the range tower near or above 10,000 feet (3,000 metres), the highest being Yu (Jade) Mountain, which rises to 13,113 feet (3,997 metres). The western part of the island, consisting of terraced tablelands and alluvial plains, has most of Taiwan’s flatland and, consequently, the bulk of its farmland and most of its population. By contrast, the east coast—aside from one major rift valley—provides little room for human settlement.

Many of Taiwan’s best harbours are located along the western coastline—e.g., Kao-hsiung (Gaoxiong) and An-p’ing (Anping) district of T’ai-nan (Tainan) special municipality in the southwest—with the exceptions being Suao Bay on the northeast coast and Chi-lung (Jilong, or Keelung) on the northern tip of the island. Most of the farmland and consequently most of the population are to be found on the western part of the island.

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Drainage and soils

Taiwan has a relatively large number of rivers for its size, but they are mostly short and small and are not navigable—the exception to the latter description being the Tan-shui (Danshui, or Tamsui) River, which flows northward from the mountains and passes near Taipei before emptying into the Taiwan Strait. Most of Taiwan’s rivers originate on the slopes of the Chung-yang Range, and those that flow east are steeper and have faster flowing currents than those that flow west. Riverbeds of the west-flowing streams, after leaving the mountains, tend to be wide and shallow and that, together with the fact that those rivers carry considerable silt, makes managing water resources difficult. The Cho-shui (Zhuoshui) River in central Taiwan is the island’s longest, at 116 miles (186 km), and the Kao-p’ing (Gaoping) River in the south has the largest drainage basin. Irrigation and drainage channels link many of Taiwan’s rivers.

The soils of Taiwan vary considerably in fertility. Because the island is of volcanic origin, it has rich soils. However, those soils have largely been leeched of their nutrients by heavy rains and long-term irrigation. In the northern part of the island, the soils in arable areas are primarily acid alluvials and latosols; in the south, areas of arable land have neutral to weak-alkaline and planosol-like alluvial soils. Much of Taiwan’s soil is deficient in phosphorous and potash, and fertilizers are needed to produce good harvests, especially where the land is double cropped.

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Land

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Relief

Drainage and soils