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114-619: The Godzilla Megamullion is 600 kilometres (370 mi) to the south-east of Okinotorishima , the southernmost island of Japan. It is part of the Parece Vela Rift in the Philippine Sea , between Japan and the Philippines in the western Pacific Ocean. The megamullion is dome-shaped, and is named after Godzilla as it is the largest known oceanic core complex, measuring approximately 125 by 55 km (78 by 34 mi), more than ten times

228-403: A power station , despite protests by environmentalists. His government has helped fund expeditions to Okinotori by Japanese fishermen and scientists. Governor Ishihara himself toured the islands on May 20, 2005 to inspect the conservation and management efforts, went snorkeling to see firsthand the condition of the surrounding waters, and released Japanese horse mackerel fry to show support for

342-506: A province . Taipei became the permanent capital in 1893. Liu's efforts to increase revenues on Taiwan's produce were hampered by foreign pressure not to increase levies. A land reform was implemented, increasing revenue which still fell short of expectation. Modern technologies such as electric lighting, a railway, telegraph lines, steamship service, and industrial machinery were introduced under Liu's governance, but several of these projects had mixed results. A campaign to formally subjugate

456-651: A Japanese expedition was sent to survey Taiwan. After being attacked by the Indigenous people, they took some prisoners and returned home. In 1616, a Japanese fleet of 13 ships were sent to Taiwan. Due to a storm, only one ship made it there and is presumed to have returned to Japan. In 1624, the Dutch East India Company (VOC) established Fort Zeelandia on the coastal islet of Tayouan (in modern Tainan ). The lowland areas were occupied by 11 Indigenous chiefdoms , some of which fell under Dutch control, including

570-489: A Republic, and to distribute land equally among the people." Revolutionary leader Sun Yat-sen proposed the name Chunghwa Minkuo as the assumed name of the new country when the revolution succeeded. During the 1950s and 1960s, after the ROC government had withdrawn to Taiwan, it was commonly referred to as "Nationalist China" (or " Free China ") to differentiate it from "communist China" (or " Red China "). Over subsequent decades,

684-513: A democracy. Chiang Ching-kuo , Chiang Kai-shek's son, served as premier from 1972 and rose to the presidency in 1978. He sought to move more authority to " bensheng ren " (residents of Taiwan before Japan's surrender and their descendants). Pro-democracy activists Tangwai emerged as the opposition. In 1979, the Kaohsiung Incident took place in Kaohsiung on Human Rights Day . Although

798-644: A foundation was completed for a lighthouse and a meteorological observation site, but construction was interrupted by the outbreak of World War II . After Japan's defeat, the United States assumed sovereignty over the Ogasawara islands , and returned authority over the islands to Japan in 1968. Japan will concur in any proposal of the United States to the United Nations to place under its trusteeship system, with

912-632: A good proportion of islanders and re-privatizing businesses. After the end of World War II, the Chinese Civil War resumed. A series of Chinese Communist offensives in 1949 led to the capture of its capital Nanjing on 23 April and the subsequent defeat of the Nationalists on the mainland. The Communists founded the People's Republic of China on 1 October. On 7 December 1949, Chiang Kai-Shek evacuated his Nationalist government to Taiwan and made Taipei

1026-925: A name for the island, or the part of it closest to Penghu . Elsewhere, the name was used for the Ryukyu Islands in general or Okinawa specifically; the name Ryūkyū is the Japanese form of Liúqiú . The name also appears in the Book of Sui (636) and other early works, but scholars cannot agree on whether these references are to the Ryukyus, Taiwan or even Luzon . The name Formosa ( 福爾摩沙 ) dates from 1542, when Portuguese sailors noted it on their maps as Ilha Formosa ( Portuguese for " beautiful island "). The name Formosa eventually "replaced all others in European literature" and remained in common use among English speakers into

1140-508: A port, lighthouse, and power station may be used as a counterargument for China's claim regarding "sustain[ing] human habitation or economic life", but the UNCLOS definition for an island per Art. 121(3) also requires one to have its own natural source of freshwater as a prerequisite to sustaining human habitation or economic life, which is absent on Okinotorishima. The territory lies at a militarily strategic point, midway between Taiwan and Guam ,

1254-513: A rebellion" (三年一反、五年一亂), primarily in reference to the period between 1820 and 1850. Many officials stationed in Taiwan called for an active colonization policy over the 19th century. In 1788, Taiwan Prefect Yang Tingli supported the efforts of a settler named Wu Sha to claim land held by the Kavalan people . In 1797, Wu Sha was able to recruit settlers with financial support from the local government but

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1368-516: A surplus of $ 46.5 million. Along with Hong Kong, Singapore, and South Korea, Taiwan became known as one of the Four Asian Tigers . Because of the Cold War, most Western nations and the United Nations regarded the ROC as the sole legitimate government of China until the 1970s. Eventually, especially after Taiwan's expulsion from the United Nations , most nations switched diplomatic recognition to

1482-507: A two-year grace period, which few saw as feasible. Estimates say around 4,000 to 6,000 departed before the expiration of the grace period, and 200,000 to 300,000 followed during the subsequent disorder. On 25 May 1895, a group of pro-Qing high officials proclaimed the Republic of Formosa to resist impending Japanese rule. Japanese forces entered the capital at Tainan and quelled this resistance on 21 October 1895. About 6,000 inhabitants died in

1596-521: Is "a naturally formed area of land, surrounded by water, which is above water at high tide". It states that "rocks which cannot sustain human habitation or economic life of their own shall have no exclusive economic zone." Japan signed the Convention in 1983; the Convention came into force in 1994–1996 for Japan. Japan claims an EEZ over 400,000 square km (154,500 square miles) around Okinotorishima. China and South Korea dispute this claim in their addenda to

1710-423: Is a coral reef , geologically an atoll , with two rocks enlarged with tetrapod-cement structures. It is administered by Japan with a total shoal area of 8,482 m (2.10 acres) and land area 9.44 m (101.6 sq ft). Its dry land area is mostly made up by three concrete encasings and there is a 100 by 50 m (330 by 160 ft) stilt platform in the lagoon housing a research station. There

1824-543: Is a third completely artificial tetrapod-cement islet. Okinotorishima is located on the Palau–Kyushu Ridge in the Philippine Sea , 534 km (332 mi) southeast of Okidaitōjima and 567 km (352 mi) west-southwest of South Iwo Jima in the Bonin Islands or 1,740 km (1,080 mi) south of Tokyo , Japan . Okinotorishima is the southernmost part of Japan and the only Japanese territory south of

1938-502: Is claimed by the PRC, which refuses to establish diplomatic relations with countries that recognise the ROC. Taiwan maintains official diplomatic relations with 11 out of 193 UN member states and the Holy See . Many others maintain unofficial diplomatic ties through representative offices and institutions that function as de facto embassies and consulates . International organizations in which

2052-555: Is contentious. Despite being a founding member, the ROC no longer represents China as a member of the United Nations after UN members voted in 1971 to recognize the PRC instead. The ROC maintained its claim of being the sole legitimate representative of China and its territory until 1991, when it ceased to regard the Chinese Communist Party as a rebellious group and acknowledged its control over mainland China. Taiwan

2166-412: Is formed by Taipei (the capital), New Taipei City , and Keelung . With around 23.9 million inhabitants, Taiwan is among the most densely populated countries . Taiwan has been settled for at least 25,000 years. Ancestors of Taiwanese indigenous peoples settled the island around 6,000 years ago. In the 17th century, large-scale Han Chinese immigration began under a Dutch colony and continued under

2280-473: Is known as the Shikoku Basin ). This back-arc basin was formed by seafloor spreading between the late Oligocene and Miocene . The Parece Vela Basin contains the longest megamullion in the world. The original Spanish name of the islets is normally used for the geological formations , hence, Parece Vela megamullion , Parece Vela ridge , Parece Vela Rift or Parece Vela basin . The waters around

2394-467: Is submerged even at low tide. The area has three tiny individual islets : Minami-Kojima is a completely artificial islet created in shallow water. But also the two original islets appear completely artificial today, with little if any trace of the two natural rocks that still appear on photographs of 1987. In 1925, there were still five above-water rocks, which have eroded since. A report from 1947 mentions five above-water rocks. Three smaller ones were on

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2508-505: Is the "Republic of China". Shortly after the ROC's establishment in 1912, while it was still located on the Chinese mainland, the government used the short form "China" ( Zhōngguó , 中國 ) to refer to itself, derived from zhōng ("central" or "middle") and guó ("state, nation-state"). The term developed under the Zhou dynasty in reference to its royal demesne , and was then applied to

2622-477: The Formosa Air Battle was fought between American carriers and Japanese forces in Taiwan. Over 200,000 of Taiwanese served in the Japanese military , with over 30,000 casualties. Over 2,000 women, euphemistically called " comfort women ", were forced into sexual slavery for Imperial Japanese troops. After Japan's surrender , most Japanese residents were expelled . While Taiwan was under Japanese rule,

2736-573: The Kingdom of Middag . When the Dutch arrived, southwestern Taiwan was already frequented by a mostly transient Chinese population numbering close to 1,500. The VOC encouraged Chinese farmers to immigrate and work the lands under Dutch control and by the 1660s, some 30,000 to 50,000 Chinese were living on the island. Most of the farmers cultivated rice for local consumption and sugar for export while some immigrants engaged in deer hunting for export. In 1626,

2850-678: The Kingdom of Tungning , the first predominantly Han Chinese state in Taiwanese history . The island was annexed in 1683 by the Qing dynasty of China and ceded to the Empire of Japan in 1895. The Republic of China , which had overthrown the Qing in 1912 under the leadership of Sun Yat-sen , took control following the surrender of Japan in 1945. The immediate resumption of the Chinese Civil War resulted in

2964-427: The Philippines were launched from Taiwan. The Imperial Japanese Navy operated heavily from Taiwanese ports, and its think tank " South Strike Group " was based at Taihoku Imperial University . Military bases and industrial centers, such as Kaohsiung and Keelung , became targets of heavy Allied bombings , which destroyed many of the factories, dams, and transport facilities built by the Japanese. In October 1944,

3078-517: The Plains Indigenous peoples rarely rebelled against the government and the mountain Indigenous peoples were left to their own devices until the last 20 years of Qing rule. Most of the more than 100 rebellions during the Qing period, such as the Lin Shuangwen rebellion , were caused by Han settlers. Their frequency was evoked by the common saying "every three years an uprising, every five years

3192-585: The Republic of China was founded on mainland China on 1 January 1912 following the Xinhai Revolution of 1911. Central authority waxed and waned in response to warlordism (1915–28), Japanese invasion (1937–45), and the Chinese Civil War (1927–49), with central authority strongest during the Nanjing decade (1927–37), when most of China came under the control of the Kuomintang (KMT). During World War II ,

3306-606: The Ryukyu Islands 30,000 years ago. Slash-and-burn agriculture practices started at least 11,000 years ago. Stone tools of the Changbin culture have been found in Taitung and Eluanbi . Archaeological remains suggest they were initially hunter-gatherers that slowly shifted to intensive fishing. The distinct Wangxing culture , found in Miaoli County , were initially gatherers who shifted to hunting. Around 6,000 years ago, Taiwan

3420-573: The Spanish Empire occupied northern Taiwan as a trading base, first at Keelung and in 1628 building Fort Santo Domingo at Tamsui . This colony lasted until 1642, when the last Spanish fortress fell to Dutch forces. The Dutch then marched south, subduing hundreds of villages in the western plains. Following the fall of the Ming dynasty in Beijing in 1644, Koxinga (Zheng Chenggong) pledged allegiance to

3534-531: The Taiwan Area , and Taiwan underwent a process of localization in which Taiwanese culture and history were promoted over a pan-China viewpoint while assimilationist policies were replaced with support for multiculturalism . In 1996, Lee was re-elected in the first direct presidential election . During Lee's administration, both he and his party were involved in corruption controversies that came to be known as " black gold " politics. Chen Shui-bian of

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3648-722: The Tropic of Cancer . Japan argues that Okinotorishima is significant enough for it to claim a 200 nmi (370 km) exclusive economic zone (EEZ) around it, but China , South Korea , and Taiwan dispute the Japanese EEZ, saying that the atoll does not meet the definition of an island under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea . The atoll may have been sighted first by Spanish sailor Bernardo de la Torre in 1543, although

3762-469: The White Terror , as the period is known, 140,000 people were imprisoned or executed for being perceived as anti-KMT or pro-Communist. Many citizens were arrested, tortured, imprisoned or executed for their real or perceived link to the Chinese Communist Party. Since these people were mainly from the intellectual and social elite, an entire generation of political and social leaders was destroyed. Following

3876-543: The Yongli Emperor and attacked the Qing dynasty along the southeastern coast of China. In 1661, under increasing Qing pressure, he moved his forces from his base in Xiamen to Taiwan, expelling the Dutch the following year. The Dutch retook the northern fortress at Keelung in 1664, but left the island in 1668 in the face of indigenous resistance. The Zheng regime, known as the Kingdom of Tungning , proclaimed its loyalty to

3990-472: The Zhu Yigui settler rebellion in 1722, separation of aboriginals and settlers became official policy via 54 stelae used to mark the frontier boundary. The markings were changed four times over the latter half of the 18th century due to continued settler encroachment. Two aboriginal affairs sub-prefects, one for the north and one for the south, were appointed in 1766. During the 200 years of Qing rule in Taiwan,

4104-451: The temporary capital of the ROC. Some 2 million people, mainly soldiers, members of the ruling Kuomintang and intellectual and business elites, were evacuated to Taiwan, adding to the earlier population of approximately six million. These people and their descendants became known in Taiwan as " waisheng ren " ( 外省人 ). The ROC government took to Taipei many national treasures and much of China's gold and foreign currency reserves. Most of

4218-554: The 1943 Cairo Declaration specified that Formosa and the Pescadores be returned by Japan to the ROC; the terms were later repeated in the 1945 Potsdam Declaration that Japan agreed to carry out in its instrument of surrender . On 25 October 1945 , Japan surrendered Taiwan to the ROC, and in the Treaty of San Francisco , Japan formally renounced their claims to the islands, though without specifying to whom they were surrendered. In

4332-540: The 1950s and were defeated by Communists in 1961 . Since losing control of mainland China, the Kuomintang continued to claim sovereignty over 'all of China', which it defined to include mainland China (including Tibet), Taiwan (including Penghu), Outer Mongolia , and other minor territories . Martial law , declared on Taiwan in May 1949, continued to be in effect until 1987, and was used to suppress political opposition. During

4446-401: The 20th century. In 1603, a Chinese expedition fleet anchored at a place in Taiwan called Dayuan, a variant of "Taiwan". In the early 17th century, the Dutch East India Company established a commercial post at Fort Zeelandia (modern-day Anping ) on a coastal sandbar called "Tayouan", after their ethnonym for a nearby Taiwanese aboriginal tribe, possibly Taivoan people . This name

4560-474: The CLCS, saying the area only consists of rocks and not islands. Neither China nor South Korea have territorial claims regarding Okinotorishima, but foreign policy analysts speculated that they want to "investigate the surrounding seabed for submarine operations in case of military conflict involving the Republic of China (Taiwan)." Japan claims that rock is not defined in the convention. The construction of

4674-735: The DPP was elected as the first non-KMT president in 2000 . However, Chen lacked legislative majority. The opposition KMT developed the Pan-Blue Coalition with other parties, mustering a slim majority over the DPP-led Pan-Green Coalition . Polarized politics emerged in Taiwan with the Pan-Blue preference for eventual Chinese unification , while the Pan-Green prefers Taiwanese independence . Chen's reference to " One Country on Each Side " of

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4788-492: The Indigenous peoples ended with the loss of a third of the army after fierce resistance from the Mkgogan and Msbtunux peoples. Liu resigned in 1891 due to criticism of these costly projects. By the end of the Qing period, the western plains were fully developed as farmland with about 2.5 million Chinese settlers. The mountainous areas were still largely autonomous under the control of Indigenous peoples. Indigenous land loss under

4902-587: The Japan Marine Science and Technology Center in 1988, which appears as a rectangle of 100 by 50 m (330 by 160 ft). The platform has a helicopter landing pad and a large three-story building with a marine investigation facility and a meteorological station. The rocks are in the western part of a lagoon surrounded by a submerged coral reef, over which the waves break, and that extends 4.5 km (2.8 mi) east-west and 1.7 km (1.1 mi) north-south, with an area of roughly 5 km within

5016-799: The Legislative Yuan and prevented the ratification of the Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement in what became known as the Sunflower Student Movement . The movement gave rise to youth-based third parties such as the New Power Party , and is viewed to have contributed to the DPP's victories in the 2016 presidential and legislative elections , the latter of which resulted in the first DPP legislative majority in Taiwanese history. In January 2024, William Lai Ching-te of

5130-472: The Musha Incident of 1930. Intellectuals and laborers who participated in left-wing movements were also arrested and massacred (e.g. Chiang Wei-shui and Masanosuke Watanabe ). Around 1935, the Japanese began an island-wide assimilation project . Chinese-language newspapers and curriculums were abolished. Taiwanese music and theater were outlawed. A national Shinto religion was promoted in parallel with

5244-519: The PRC participates either refuse to grant membership to Taiwan or allow it to participate on a non-state basis. Domestically, the major political contention is between parties favoring eventual Chinese unification and promoting a pan-Chinese identity, contrasted with those aspiring to formal international recognition and promoting a Taiwanese identity ; in the 21st century, both sides have moderated their positions to broaden their appeal. In his Daoyi Zhilüe (1349), Wang Dayuan used " Liuqiu " as

5358-495: The PRC under a policy of " mutual non-denial ". Under Ma, Taiwan and China opened up direct flights and cargo shipments. The PRC government even made the atypical decision to not demand that Taiwan be barred from the annual World Health Assembly . Ma also made an official apology for the White Terror. However, closer economic ties with China raised concerns about its political consequences. In 2014, university students occupied

5472-406: The PRC. Until the 1970s, the ROC government was regarded by Western critics as undemocratic for upholding martial law, severely repressing any political opposition, and controlling the media. The KMT did not allow the creation of new parties and competitive democratic elections did not exist. From the late 1970s to the 1990s, Taiwan underwent political and social reforms that transformed it into

5586-489: The Qing administration into acculturated aborigines who had adopted Han culture and non-acculturated aborigines who had not. The Qing did little to administer or subjugate them. When Taiwan was annexed, there were 46 aboriginal villages under its control, likely inherited from the Kingdom of Tungning. During the early Qianlong period there were 93 acculturated villages and 61 non-acculturated villages that paid taxes. In response to

5700-514: The Qing occurred at a relatively slow pace due to the absence of state-sponsored land deprivation for the majority of Qing rule. Following the Qing defeat in the First Sino-Japanese War (1894–1895), Taiwan, its associated islands, and the Penghu archipelago were ceded to Japan by the Treaty of Shimonoseki . Inhabitants wishing to remain Qing subjects had to move to mainland China within

5814-519: The ROC transitioned from a one-party state under martial law to a multi-party democracy , with democratically elected presidents beginning in 1996 . Taiwan's export-oriented economy is the 21st-largest in the world by nominal GDP and the 20th-largest by PPP measures, with a focus on steel, machinery, electronics, and chemicals manufacturing. Taiwan is a developed country . It is ranked highly in terms of civil liberties , healthcare , and human development . The political status of Taiwan

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5928-588: The Republic of China has become commonly known as "Taiwan", after the main island. To avoid confusion, the ROC government in Taiwan began to put "Taiwan" next to its official name in 2005. In ROC government publications, the name is written as "Republic of China (Taiwan)", "Republic of China/Taiwan", or sometimes "Taiwan (ROC)". "Taiwan Area" was defined to mean the island of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu, and other territory under ROC's effective control, in contrast to "Mainland Area" which refers to ROC territory outside

6042-826: The South China Sea . The ROC also briefly retained control of the entirety of Hainan , parts of Zhejiang ( Chekiang )—specifically the Dachen Islands and Yijiangshan Islands —and portions of Tibet , Qinghai , Xinjiang and Yunnan . The Communists captured Hainan in 1950, captured the Dachen Islands and Yijiangshan Islands during the First Taiwan Strait Crisis in 1955 and defeated the ROC revolts in Northwest China in 1958. ROC forces entered Burma and Thailand in

6156-555: The Taiwan Area and under Chinese Communist control. The Republic of China participates in most international forums and organizations under the name " Chinese Taipei " as a compromise with the People's Republic of China (PRC). For instance, it is the name under which it has participated in the Olympic Games as well as the APEC . "Taiwan authorities" is sometimes used by the PRC to refer to

6270-583: The Taiwan Strait undercut cross-Strait relations in 2002. He pushed for the first national referendum on cross-Strait relations, and called for an end to the National Unification Council . State-run companies began dropping "China" references in their names and including "Taiwan". In 2008, referendums asked whether Taiwan should join the UN. This act alienated moderate constituents who supported

6384-401: The Treaty of Peace with Japan signed at the city of San Francisco on September 8, 1951, effective as of the date of entry into force of this Agreement. Japan, as of such date, assumes full responsibility and authority for the exercise of all and any powers of administration, legislation and jurisdiction over the territory and inhabitants of the said islands. 2. For the purpose of this Agreement,

6498-473: The United States as the sole administering authority, Nansei Shoto south of 29° north latitude (including the Ryukyu Islands and the Daito Islands), Nanpo Shoto south of Sofu Gan (including the Bonin Islands, Rosario Island and the Volcano Islands) and Parece Vela and Marcus Island. 1. With respect to Nanpo Shoto and other islands, as defined in paragraph 2 below, the United States of America relinquishes in favor of Japan all rights and interests under Article 3 of

6612-404: The area around Luoyi (present-day Luoyang ) during the Eastern Zhou and later to China's Central Plain , before being used as an occasional synonym for the state during the Qing era. The name of the republic had stemmed from the party manifesto of the Tongmenghui in 1905, which says the four goals of the Chinese revolution was "to expel the Manchu rulers, to revive Chunghwa , to establish

6726-402: The area, as well as repair work on the embankment . In 2005, the government installed a radar system (at the cost of ¥ 330 million), repaired a heliport, and placed an official address plaque saying, "1 Okinotori Island, Ogasawara Village, Tokyo" in Japanese. Fishing expeditions also support the claim of economic activity . Former Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara has talked of building

6840-408: The area. In 1931, confirming that no other countries had claimed the reefs, Japan declared it Japanese territory, placing it under the jurisdiction of the Tokyo Metropolis , classifying it as part of the Ogasawara Village , and naming it Okinotorishima, meaning "remote bird islands". English names derived from the Japanese include Okinotori coral reefs and Okinotori Islands. During 1939 and 1941,

6954-409: The artificial islet. Administratively, the island is considered part of Ogasawara village, Tokyo . In 1939, the construction of a naval base was started by Japan, but suspended in 1941, at the start of the Pacific War . Typhoons are constant threats to Okinotori's existence. In the 1970s there were about five or six visible protrusions, but by 1989, only two were visible. In order to prevent

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7068-407: The basis for a claim to the exclusive control over the resources in the waters around such a construction." On 22 April 2004, Chinese diplomats stated during bilateral talks with Japan that they regarded Okinotorishima as an atoll , not an islet , and did not acknowledge Japan's claim to an EEZ stemming from Okinotorishima. Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea , an island

7182-496: The capital. The Qing government generally tried to restrict migration to Taiwan throughout the duration of its administration because it believed that Taiwan could not sustain too large a population without leading to conflict. After the defeat of the Kingdom of Tungning, most of its population in Taiwan was sent back to the mainland, leaving the official population count at only 50,000, including 10,000 troops. Despite official restrictions, officials in Taiwan solicited settlers from

7296-520: The colonization of the area but were ignored. The Qing took on a more active colonization policy after 1874 when Japan invaded Indigenous territory in southern Taiwan and the Qing government was forced to pay an indemnity for them to leave. The administration of Taiwan was expanded with new prefectures, sub-prefectures, and counties. Mountain roads were constructed to make inner Taiwan more accessible. Restrictions on entering Taiwan were ended in 1875 and agencies for recruiting settlers were established on

7410-437: The description of an uninhabitable rock that cannot sustain economic life of its own. It is not, therefore, entitled to generate a 200-mile exclusive economic zone. The Law of the Sea Convention is also quite clear - in Article 60 (8) -that artificially built islands do not generate 200-mile resource zones. The more than $ 200 million the Japanese are spending to construct what is in essence an artificial island cannot, therefore, be

7524-403: The development of textile, food, and other labor-intensive industries. As the Chinese Civil War continued, the government built up military fortifications throughout Taiwan. Veterans built the Central Cross-Island Highway through the Taroko Gorge in the 1950s. During the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis in 1958, Nike Hercules missiles were added to the formation of missile batteries throughout

7638-569: The eruption of the Korean War , US President Harry S. Truman dispatched the United States Seventh Fleet into the Taiwan Strait to prevent hostilities between the ROC and the PRC. The United States also passed the Sino-American Mutual Defense Treaty and the Formosa Resolution of 1955 , granting substantial foreign aid to the KMT regime between 1951 and 1965. The US foreign aid stabilized prices in Taiwan by 1952. The KMT government instituted many laws and land reforms that it had never effectively enacted on mainland China. Economic development

7752-465: The expropriation of businesses into government-operated monopolies, and the hyperinflation of 1945–1949. The shooting of a civilian on 28 February 1947 triggered island-wide unrest, which was suppressed with military force in what is now called the February 28 Incident . Mainstream estimates of the number killed range from 18,000 to 30,000. Chen was later replaced by Wei Tao-ming , who made an effort to undo previous mismanagement by re-appointing

7866-408: The first undisputed sighting was by Miguel López de Legazpi in 1565. Its first recorded name was Parece Vela ( Spanish for "looks like a sail ", alluding to the original appearance of the reef). This name has been retained in English as well, especially to designate the geological formations of the islets. In 1789, Captain William Douglas arrived with the British ship Iphigenia and, in 1790,

7980-497: The five rocks that were present in 1939 above water; in 1988 the Japan Marine Science and Technology Center built a marine investigation facility which it has since maintained following typhoon damage . Funding for full repairs was finally allocated in early 2016. The facility also doubles as an EEZ observation post for the Maritime Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism , being equipped with radar and various other sensors to help monitor activity in

8094-406: The gold was used to pay soldiers' salaries, with some used to issue the New Taiwan dollar , part of a price stabilization program to slow inflation in Taiwan. After losing control of mainland China in 1949, the ROC retained control of Taiwan and Penghu ( Taiwan, ROC ), parts of Fujian ( Fujian, ROC )—specifically Kinmen, Wuqiu (now part of Kinmen) and the Matsu Islands and two major islands in

8208-559: The government in Taiwan. Taiwan was joined to the Asian mainland in the Late Pleistocene , until sea levels rose about 10,000 years ago. Human remains and Paleolithic artifacts dated 20,000 to 30,000 years ago have been found. Study of the human remains suggested they were Australo-Papuan people similar to Negrito populations in the Philippines. Paleolithic Taiwanese likely settled

8322-554: The initial fighting and some 14,000 died in the first year of Japanese rule. Another 12,000 "bandit-rebels" were killed from 1898 to 1902. Subsequent rebellions against the Japanese (the Beipu uprising of 1907, the Tapani incident of 1915, and the Musha incident of 1930) were unsuccessful but demonstrated opposition to Japanese rule. The colonial period was instrumental to the industrialization of

8436-578: The intent of the provision was geared toward the former. In 2016, Japan's arrest of a Taiwanese fishing ship's crew led Taiwan to protest against Japan's claim of island status for Okinotori and by extension the EEZ. Taiwan Taiwan , officially the Republic of China ( ROC ), is a country in East Asia . The main island of Taiwan , also known as Formosa , lies between the East and South China Seas in

8550-531: The island from submersion caused by erosion and maintain its claim to the EEZ, the Japanese government launched an embankment building project in 1987, and Higashikojima and Kitakojima were surrounded by concrete. Japan has encased the reefs with $ 280 million worth of concrete and covered the smaller one with a $ 50 million titanium net to shield it from debris thrown up by the ocean's waves. The Japanese government has spent over $ 600 million fortifying

8664-466: The island's most important trading center and served as its capital until 1887. Use of the current Chinese name ( 臺灣 / 台灣 ) became official as early as 1684 during the Qing dynasty with the establishment of Taiwan Prefecture centered in modern-day Tainan . Through its rapid development the entire Taiwanese mainland eventually became known as "Taiwan". The official name of the country in English

8778-434: The island, with its expansion of railways and other transport networks, the building of an extensive sanitation system, the establishment of a formal education system , and an end to the practice of headhunting . The resources of Taiwan were used to aid the development of Japan. The production of cash crops such as sugar greatly increased, and large areas were therefore diverted from the production of rice. By 1939, Taiwan

8892-476: The island. During the 1960s and 1970s, the ROC maintained an authoritarian, single-party government under the Kuomintang's Dang Guo system while its economy became industrialized and technology-oriented. This rapid economic growth, known as the Taiwan Miracle , occurred following a strategy of prioritizing agriculture, light industries, and heavy industries, in that order. Export-oriented industrialization

9006-404: The islets appears as a circle with a diameter of 60 meters (196 ft) on detailed satellite images , which would correspond to a land area—albeit mostly artificial—of 2,827 m (0.699 acres) per islet, or 8,482 m (2.096 acres) in total. In addition, there is a platform on stilts in the shallow part of the lagoon 140 m (460 ft) east-northeast of the southern islet, built by

9120-476: The latter where U.S. forces are based. Vessels of the PRC are believed to have been mapping the ocean's bottom over which U.S. warships might pass on their way to Taiwan. The PRC conducted four maritime surveys near the Okinotori coral reefs in 2001, two in 2002, and one in 2003. However, the number of such incidents rose to four in 2004. These incidents have drawn protests from Japan. Van Dyke has suggested that

9234-832: The local fishing industry. The islands are an intermittent rallying point for Japanese nationalists , and, as such, a hot-button political issue in Japan. In 1988, Jon van Dyke , a law professor at the University of Hawaii, challenged whether Okinotorishima met the requirements for establishing an exclusive economic zone (EEZ): "Article 121(3) of the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention, which Japan has signed, states that Rocks which cannot sustain human habitation or economic life of their own shall have no exclusive economic zone or continental shelf. Okinotorishima - which consists of two eroding protrusions no larger than king-size beds - certainly meets

9348-457: The loss of the Chinese mainland to Communist forces , who established the People's Republic of China and the flight of the ROC central government to Taiwan in 1949. The effective jurisdiction of the ROC has since been limited to Taiwan, Penghu , and smaller islands. The early 1960s saw rapid economic growth and industrialization called the " Taiwan Miracle ". In the late 1980s and early 1990s,

9462-642: The main island of Taiwan. After Chiang Ching-kuo's death in 1988, Lee Teng-hui became the first president of the ROC born in Taiwan. Lee's administration oversaw a period of democratization in which the Temporary Provisions against the Communist Rebellion were abolished and the Additional Articles of the Constitution were introduced. Congressional representation was allocated to only

9576-512: The mainland, but efforts to promote settlement ended soon after. In 1884, Keelung in northern Taiwan was occupied during the Sino-French War but the French forces failed to advance any further inland while their victory at Penghu in 1885 resulted in disease and retreat soon afterward as the war ended. Colonization efforts were renewed under Liu Mingchuan . In 1887, Taiwan's status was upgraded to

9690-612: The mainland, causing tens of thousands of annual arrivals by 1711. A permit system was officially recorded in 1712, but it likely existed as early as 1684; its restrictions included only allowing those to enter who had property on the mainland, family in Taiwan, and who were not accompanied by wives or children. Many of the male migrants married local Indigenous women. Over the 18th century, restrictions were relaxed. In 1732, families were allowed to move to Taiwan. By 1811, there were more than two million Han settlers in Taiwan, and profitable sugar and rice production industries provided exports to

9804-506: The mainland. In 1875, restrictions on entering Taiwan were repealed. Three counties nominally covered the entire western plains, but actual control was restricted to a smaller area. A government permit was required for settlers to go beyond the Dajia River . Qing administration expanded across the western plains area over the 18th century due to continued illegal crossings and settlement. The Taiwanese Indigenous peoples were categorized by

9918-599: The megamullion is a detachment fault that exposes the uppermost mantle and lower oceanic crust . The megamullion has abundant plagioclase bearing peridotite. The Godzilla Megamullion was discovered in 2001 as part of the Continental Shelf Surveys Project of the Hydrographic and Oceanographic Department of Japan , and was first described by Yasuhiko Ohara. It was initially named as the "Giant Megamullion". Since 2001 more than 20 expeditions have explored

10032-495: The megamullion, reaching an agreement with Toho , who own the rights to the character Godzilla . Toho's chief Godzilla officer Keiji Ota stated: "I am truly honored that [the megamullion] bears Godzilla's name, the Earth's most powerful monster." 16°00′N 139°20′E  /  16.000°N 139.333°E  / 16.000; 139.333 Okinotorishima Okinotorishima ( 沖ノ鳥島 , Okinotori-shima ) , or Parece Vela ,

10146-530: The megamullion. Due to the large size of the megamullion, when describing features it is often divided into distal , medial , and proximal parts. Names describing Godzilla's body parts have also been given to 14 topographic features (south-west to north-east): West Leg Ridge, South Tail Rise, East Leg Ridge, West Hipbone Rise, North Tail Rise, East Hipbone Rise, West Arm Rise, Backbone Rise, East Arm Rise, West Shoulder Ridge, Neck Peak, East Shoulder Ridge, Head Peak, Hat Ridge. The Japan Coast Guard helped to name

10260-586: The northwestern Pacific Ocean , with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeast, and the Philippines to the south. It has an area of 35,808 square kilometres (13,826 square miles), with mountain ranges dominating the eastern two-thirds and plains in the western third, where its highly urbanized population is concentrated. The combined territories under ROC control consist of 168 islands in total covering 36,193 square kilometres (13,974 square miles). The largest metropolitan area

10374-588: The overthrown Ming, but ruled independently. However, Zheng Jing 's return to China to participate in the Revolt of the Three Feudatories paved the way for the Qing invasion and occupation of Taiwan in 1683. Following the defeat of Koxinga 's grandson by an armada led by Admiral Shi Lang in 1683, the Qing dynasty formally annexed Taiwan in May 1684, making it a prefecture of Fujian province while retaining its administrative seat (now Tainan) under Koxinga as

10488-500: The place was named Douglas Reef (also spelled Douglass Reef). This name continues to appear in modern sources. In 1796, what was likely the reef was then re-discovered by the brig Nautilus , under the command of Captain Charles Bishop, and the name Nautilus Rocks has appeared in some sources. The existence of the atoll might not have been known by the Japanese until 1888. In 1922 and 1925, the Japanese navy ship Manshu investigated

10602-564: The protest was rapidly crushed by the authorities, it is considered as the main event that united Taiwan's opposition. In 1984, Chiang Ching-kuo selected Lee Teng-hui as his vice-president. After the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was (illegally) founded as the first opposition party in Taiwan to counter the KMT in 1986, Chiang announced that he would allow the formation of new parties. On 15 July 1987, Chiang lifted martial law on

10716-536: The reefs are potentially rich in oil and other mineral and fisheries resources and it lies in an area of potential military significance. At high tide , one area of the reef is 1.58 m (17.0 sq ft), roughly the size of a twin bed, and pokes just 7.4 cm (2.9 in) out of the ocean. The other is 7.86 m (84.6 sq ft), the size of a small bedroom, and rises 16 cm (6.3 in), about twice as high. The entire reef consists of approximately 7.8 km (3.0 sq mi), most of which

10830-473: The reefs to prevent them from being completely washed away. Furthermore, the Nippon Foundation has drawn plans to build a lighthouse and increase the size of the reef by breeding microorganisms known as foraminifera . Creating land using the microorganisms could take decades to a century before the island is large enough to be useful. Currently, Japan carries out maritime research and observation of

10944-413: The rim of the reef. The lagoon is 3 to 4.6 meters deep, but there are numerous coral heads of lesser depths throughout the area. The fringing reef of the atoll is pear-shaped in an east–west direction with its greatest width at the eastern end. There is a small boat channel into the lagoon in the southwest, about 15 m (49 ft) wide and 6 m (20 ft) deep, 250 m (820 ft) southeast of

11058-458: The same year, Japan and the ROC signed a peace treaty . While initially enthusiastic about the return of Chinese administration and the Three Principles of the People , Formosans grew increasingly dissatisfied about being excluded from higher positions, the postponement of local elections even after the enactment of a constitution on the mainland, the smuggling of valuables off the island,

11172-582: The situation is similar to the failed British attempt to claim an EEZ around Rockall , an uninhabited granite outcropping in the Atlantic Ocean . The UK eventually dropped its claim in the 1990s when other countries objected. Dr. Dyke has further asserted that it is impossible to make "a plausible claim that Okinotorishima should be able to generate a 200 [nautical]-mile zone". Tadao Kuribayashi , another law professor, disagrees, arguing in part that rocks and reefs differ in composition and structure, and that

11286-441: The size of the next largest known oceanic core complex. It is also the first known megamullion in a back-arc basin , which is unique as most megamullions form on slow-spreading mid-ocean ridges. Sampling of the megamullion lithology yielded mostly peridotite , gabbroic rocks, leucocratic rocks, and basalt . The gabbroic rocks and peridotite are present throughout the entire length of the megamullion's flow line, indicating that

11400-481: The southern coast of Taiwan, mostly for seasonal fishing but also subsistence farming and trading, by the early 17th century. In 1603, Chen Di visited Taiwan on an anti- wokou expedition and recorded an account of the Taiwanese Indigenous people. In 1591, Japan sent envoys to deliver a letter requesting tribute relations with Taiwan. They found no leader to deliver the letter to and returned home. In 1609,

11514-431: The status quo, as well as those with cross-strait economic ties. It also created tension with the mainland and disagreements with the United States. Chen's administration was also dogged by public concerns over reduced economic growth, legislative gridlock, and corruption investigations . The KMT's nominee Ma Ying-jeou won the 2008 presidential election on a platform of increased economic growth and better ties with

11628-460: The suppression of traditional Taiwanese beliefs. Starting from 1940, families were also required to adopt Japanese surnames , although only 2% had done so by 1943. By 1938, 309,000 Japanese were residing in Taiwan. During the Second World War, the island was developed into a naval and air base while its agriculture, industry, and commerce suffered. Air attacks and the subsequent invasion of

11742-522: The term "Nanpo Shoto and other islands" means Nanpo Shoto south of Sofu Gan (including the Bonin islands, Rasairo Island, and the Volcano Islands) and Parece Vela and Marcus Island, including their territorial waters. Between 1987 and 1993 the government of Tokyo and later the central government built steel breakwaters and concrete walls to stop the erosion of Okinotorishima, which today leaves only three of

11856-539: The transformation of Kaohsiung into a special municipality on par with Taipei. In the 1970s, Taiwan became the second fastest growing economy in Asia. Real growth in GDP averaged over 10 percent. In 1978, the combination of tax incentives and a cheap, well-trained labor force attracted investments of over $ 1.9 billion from overseas Chinese , the United States, and Japan. By 1980, foreign trade reached $ 39 billion per year and generated

11970-502: The west side, nearly impossible to see from seaward because of the breaking waves. The larger rocks on the southwest side and on the northeast side, possibly Kita-Kojima and Higashi-Kojima, were reported to be 0.6 and 0.4 m (24 and 16 in) high, respectively. The original rocks appeared barren, without any terrestrial vegetation . The current artificial dry land areas with their concrete surfaces appear unfit to support terrestrial vegetation either. After concrete encasing , each of

12084-617: The zone. On March 16, 2007, a light beacon was installed by the Japan Coast Guard . The beacon is plotted on the hydrographic chart . Geologically, the islets are a coral atoll , built on the Kyushu–Palau Ridge, the westernmost part of the Izu–Bonin–Mariana Arc system. The name Parece Vela Basin has been given to the extinct back-arc basin that lies immediately to the east (the northern half of this back-arc basin

12198-548: Was achieved by tax rebate for exports, removal of import restriction, moving from multiple exchange rate to single exchange rate system, and depreciation of the New Taiwan dollar. Infrastructure projects such as the Sun Yat-sen Freeway , Taoyuan International Airport , Taichung Harbor , and Jinshan Nuclear Power Plant were launched, while the rise of steel, petrochemical, and shipbuilding industries in southern Taiwan saw

12312-421: Was also adopted into the Chinese vernacular as the name of the sandbar and nearby area (Tainan). The modern word "Taiwan" is derived from this usage, which is written in different transliterations ( 大員 ， 大圓 ， 大灣 ， 臺員 ， 臺圓 or 臺窩灣 ) in Chinese historical records. The area occupied by modern-day Tainan was the first permanent settlement by both European colonists and Chinese immigrants. The settlement grew to be

12426-565: Was attached to Jinjiang . The Yuan dynasty officially incorporated Penghu under the jurisdiction of Tong'an County in 1281. Penghu was evacuated in the 15th century by the Ming dynasty as part of their maritime ban , which lasted until the late 16th century. In 1349, Wang Dayuan provided the first written account of a visit to Taiwan. By the 1590s, a small number of Chinese from Fujian had started cultivating land in southwestern Taiwan. Some 1,500-2,000 Chinese lived or stayed temporarily on

12540-567: Was encouraged by American aid and programs such as the Joint Commission on Rural Reconstruction , which turned the agricultural sector into the basis for later growth. Under the combined stimulus of the land reform and the agricultural development programs, agricultural production increased at an average annual rate of 4 percent from 1952 to 1959. The government also implemented a policy of import substitution industrialization , attempting to produce imported goods domestically. The policy promoted

12654-563: Was settled by farmers of the Dapenkeng culture , most likely from what is now southeast China. These cultures are the ancestors of modern Taiwanese Indigenous peoples and the originators of the Austronesian language family . Trade with the Philippines persisted from the early 2nd millennium BCE, including the use of Taiwanese jade in the Philippine jade culture . The Dapenkeng culture

12768-702: Was succeeded by a variety of cultures throughout the island, including the Tahu and Yingpu ; the Yuanshan were characterized by rice harvesting. Iron appeared in such cultures as the Niaosung culture , influenced by trade with China and Maritime Southeast Asia . The Plains Indigenous peoples mainly lived in permanent walled villages, with a lifestyle based on agriculture , fishing , and hunting . They had traditionally matriarchal societies . The Penghu Islands were inhabited by Han Chinese fishermen by 1171, and in 1225 Penghu

12882-416: Was the seventh-greatest sugar producer in the world. The Han and Indigenous populations were classified as second- and third-class citizens, and many prestigious government and business positions were closed to them. After suppressing Han guerrillas in the first decade of their rule, Japanese authorities engaged in bloody campaigns against the Indigenous people residing in mountainous regions, culminating in

12996-405: Was unable to officially register the land. In the early 1800s, local officials convinced the emperor to officially incorporate the area by playing up the issue of piracy if the land was left alone. In 1814, some settlers attempted to colonize central Taiwan by fabricating rights to lease aboriginal land. They were evicted by government troops two years later. Local officials continued to advocate for

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