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139-586: Orchid Island is known by the Tao people indigenous to the island as Pongso no Tao ("island of human beings"). It was also known by the Tao as Ma'ataw ("floating in the sea") or Irala ("facing the mountain"); the latter being contrasted with the Tao name for the Taiwanese mainland – "Ilaod" ("toward the sea"). In the 17th century, it appeared on Japanese maps as "Tabako", a name borrowed into French and English as "Tabaco". It

278-577: A Western Malayo-Polynesian language and are presumed to be more closely related to the ethnic groups of the Philippines, particularly the Ivatan people . A common theory tracing their ancestry posits that their ancestors left the Batanes Archipelago in the Philippines, and settled Orchid Island approximately 800 years ago. This reasoning is based primarily on the language similarities of the Ivatan and

417-448: A monsoon -influenced Köppen's tropical rainforest climate (Af) with frequent cyclones therefore not equatorial, with annual temperatures averaging around 23 °C (73 °F) on the mountains and 26 °C (79 °F) on the coasts, one of the highest in Taiwan. Lesser Orchid Island is an uninhabited volcanic islet nearby. It is the southernmost point of Taitung County. It is home to

556-506: 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

695-651: 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

834-489: 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,

973-502: A critically endangered endemic orchid, Phalaenopsis equestris f. aurea . Forest Belle Rock is located south of Lesser Orchid Island. There are seven neighborhoods (社) in Lanyu Township, four of which are also administrative villages (村): Orchid Island hosts many tropical plant species, sharing many species with tropical Asia but also many endemics : there are 35 plant species found nowhere else. For example, Pinanga tashiroi

1112-513: 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

1251-399: A few days prior to the actual event. On the actual day of the launching ceremony, the Tao people gather and slaughter pigs as sacrifice, and the boat owner offers meat and taro to all of the families in his community. The men, dressed in traditional garb, circle the launching boat performing ceremonial rituals to ward off evil spirits before sending it into the water. They also throw the boat in

1390-632: 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

1529-411: A maritime culture, with great ritual and spiritual significance placed on boat-building and fishing. Their ways of life have been threatened by the continued emigration to the mainland of Taiwan in search of jobs and education. As a result, the continuation of past traditions has been hindered. Despite being linked to both other Taiwanese indigenous peoples and Batanic indigenous Filipino populations,

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1668-614: 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 is claimed by the PRC, which refuses to establish diplomatic relations with countries that recognise

1807-925: 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

1946-424: 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

2085-423: A piece of cloth, reverse side out, on their heads. It is also considered taboo to wear clothing with an odd number of blue or black stripes. Therefore, clothing patterns typically consist of 8 to 12 stripes. Neither in ritualistic or everyday situations do the Tao people wear shoes. The Tao peoples' production methods are divided into two primary categories: agriculture and fishing. Due to taro's ability to grow in

2224-464: 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

2363-483: A result, they have a belief system made of components from ancestral beliefs and Christian ideologies. Ancestral Tao belief systems consisted of several layers, each host to a variety of gods and spirits. The first layer is home to the main god, Simo-Rapao, who oversees all other gods. According to Tao mythology, he created the Earth's first two individuals from a piece of rock, and a piece of bamboo. He doles out punishment, and

2502-507: A say in the decision to locate the facility on the island. In 2002, almost 2000 protesters, including many residents and elementary and high school students from the island, staged a sit-in in front of the storage plant, calling on Taipower to remove nuclear waste from the island. The government had pledged and then failed to withdraw the 100,000 barrels of waste from their island by the end of 2002. Aboriginal politicians successfully obstructed legislative proceedings that year to show support for

2641-573: 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

2780-409: A total of 3,000 speakers, and 3,255 individuals deemed ethnically Tao. Orchid Island ( Chinese : 蘭嶼 ; pinyin : Lányǔ ; Pe̍h-ōe-jī : Lân-sū ) is known by the Tao people as Pongso no Tao ("island of human beings"), Irala ("facing the mountain"), or Ma'ataw ("floating in the sea"). It is located approximately 40 miles off the southeastern coast of Taiwan, and directly north of

2919-507: 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

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3058-554: A very stormy passage, so much so, that my servant boy and the Chinese preacher (Chiu Paw-ha) who accompanied me, were dead sick during the seven days we were at sea. While laboring off the Island of Botel Tobago, our mainsail was torn in pieces ; and, for several days, every other great sea we faced threatened to engulf us. I was sorry for the poor ship-hands, who had to work hard, and be content with mere snatches of time for food and sleep. It

3197-449: A wide array of climates, it is a vital part of the Tao diet. The Tao people plant taro on the narrow coastal plains, and thus their diet consists of wetland taro and taro sweet potatoes. Their food is divided into two groups: kanen and yakan . Kanen is considered an entrée similar to rice, and yakan is deemed a side dish. Women are charged the task of collecting and cooking the kanen , while men are supposed to search for

3336-581: Is a Malayo-Polynesian language, a subgroup of Austronesian languages . More specifically, it is considered a Western Malayo-Polynesian language, one of two primary branches in the Austronesian subgroup—the other being Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian. The Tao language is a member of the Batanic languages and are grouped together with the Ivatan and Itbayat languages of the Philippines . As of 1994, there were

3475-403: Is a species of palm tree found nowhere else than Orchid Island. Green sea turtles make nests on the island, which is surrounded by coral reefs. Four species of sea snake inhabit the waters around the island. Humpback whales were historically common in the area, and there were continuous sightings of them in the 2000s, which marked the first return of the species into Taiwanese waters since

3614-500: 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 the Kingdom of Tungning , the first predominantly Han Chinese state in Taiwanese history . The island

3753-536: Is an ample source of fresh water. In 1877, the Qing dynasty claimed Orchid Island as part of its Chinese empire, but was unable to rule effectively. The island was ceded to Japan along with Taiwan in 1895. Japan's rule of the island lasted from 1895 to 1945. During this time, the government declared the island off limits to outsiders, and deemed it an ethnological research area. The Japanese government heavily monitored any outside influence that might drastically interfere with

3892-479: Is complicated by political factors. Taipower is "trying to convince the islanders to extend the storage arrangement for another nine years in exchange for payment of NT$ 200 million (about $ 5.7 million)". Following years of protests by residents, more concerns arose about the facility after Japan's Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011. A report released in November 2011 said a radioactive leak had been detected outside

4031-444: Is equivalent to spring, and spans from February to May. This is considered to be flying fish season, during which the men catch fish for ceremonial use. Teyteyka lasts from June to October, and signifies the end of the period of time in which flying fish can be caught on the surface. Finally, the amyan season signifies the time of year spent waiting for the flying fish to return. This season lasts from November to January. During

4170-546: Is evidence of limited gene flow between the groups. The authors concluded that Orchid Island was settled independently from Taiwan during the early period of the Austronesian expansion (approximately 4000 BP), and not from the Batanes Islands as previous believed. Long-term trade contacts and limited intermarriage resulted in strong cultural and linguistic exchanges between the groups in subsequent millennia. In addition to

4309-474: Is half an hour and the daily frequency is dependent on weather conditions. Ferry trips to the island are available from Taitung City's Fugang Fishery Harbor year round. In the summer, there is a ferry from Houbihu port in Kenting. Tao people The Tao people ( Chinese : 達悟族 ; pinyin : Dáwùzú ) are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the tiny outlying Orchid Island of Taiwan . They have

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4448-448: Is responsible for all natural calamities that affect the island. Sio-Mima is native of the second layer of the Tao cosmogony. He is believed to control the rest of the world, deemed dominated by white people. The third level is home to Si-Toriao and Si-Lovolovoin. Si Toriao allegedly controls the rain and lightning, while Si-Lovolovoin serves as a messenger to all of the gods. In the final layer of their ancient religious belief system resides

4587-511: Is still known by Filipinos as Botel Tobago , a name also formerly used in English. Lesser Orchid Island was similarly known as "Little Botel-Tobago". "Orchid Island" is a calque of the Chinese name, written 蘭嶼 in traditional characters , although strictly the second character means an islet rather than an island . The name honors the local Phalaenopsis orchids and was established by

4726-417: 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 is contentious. Despite being a founding member, the ROC no longer represents China as

4865-455: 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

5004-402: The yakan . A crucial aspect of the Tao daily diet is seafood. While men are primarily charged with fishing duties, women are responsible for gathering shells, seaweed, and smaller fish from holes along the shore. The men practice both spear and net fishing as means for sustenance. All fish is categorized as either rahed or oyod . Rahed fish is deemed bad, and thus only eaten by

5143-562: The Council of Indigenous Peoples of the Taiwanese government to use the name "Tao" in place of "Yami". Citing threats to their culture and health, the Tao people have protested against the nuclear waste plant constructed on their island by the government in 1982 and advocated for its removal. The Tao people are Austronesians , like other Taiwanese indigenous peoples . However, it is still unknown how they settled Orchid Island and from where. Unlike other indigenous Taiwanese groups, they speak

5282-477: 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,

5421-511: The Ivatan people of the neighboring Batanes Islands of the Philippines until the beginning of the Colonial Era . The island first appears on surviving charts in the 17th century, when it was noted by Japanese sailors. The island was visited by a surveying party from HMS  Sylvia in 1867. In the early 1870s, William Campbell saw the island from aboard the Daphne , and wrote: We had

5560-524: 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,

5699-427: 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,

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5838-517: 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

5977-570: 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 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

6116-660: The Republic of China government in 1947. It is also sometimes known as Lanyu or Lan Yu , derived from Pinyin romanization of the name's Mandarin reading ( Mandarin Chinese : 蘭嶼 ; pinyin : Lányǔ ). It is also known in Taiwanese Hokkien Chinese : 蘭嶼 ; Pe̍h-ōe-jī : Lân-sū . The island had previously been known to the Chinese as "Redhead Island" ( Mandarin Chinese : 紅頭嶼 ; pinyin : Hóngtóuyǔ ; Taiwanese Hokkien Chinese : 紅頭嶼 ; Pe̍h-ōe-jī : Âng-thâu-sū ), referring to

6255-644: 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 ,

6394-606: 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

6533-573: 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

6672-531: 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

6811-469: 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

6950-543: 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

7089-472: 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,

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7228-451: 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

7367-554: 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

7506-540: 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

7645-401: 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

7784-617: The Batanes Islands of the Philippines. It is a small island of about 45 square kilometers with an estimated total population of 4,000 inhabitants. It was originally referred to as Hongtou Island (Red Head Island) by the Han Chinese; however, it was officially renamed Orchid Island in 1947 for its rich orchid produces. There are very few plains on the island; instead, its geography is composed of steep mountains and hilly terrain. Most villages are located at mountain bases, because river run-off

7923-735: 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

8062-492: 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

8201-747: 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

8340-472: 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

8479-640: The Offshore Islands Development Act, households on the island enjoy free electricity. The situation on the island resulted from the preferential policy given to the island residents due to the construction of the Lanyu Storage Site on the island in 1982. Due to the free electricity, electricity consumption on the island is generally much higher than in other parts of Taiwan. In 2011, the average annual electricity consumption per household in Lanyu

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8618-495: 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

8757-406: 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

8896-489: 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

9035-514: 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

9174-450: 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 the PRC participates either refuse to grant membership to Taiwan or allow it to participate on

9313-588: 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

9452-826: 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

9591-400: 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

9730-412: 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

9869-419: The Tao people of Orchid Island, there is a growing population of ethnic Chinese / Han Taiwanese individuals. This adds approximately 1,000 people to the number of inhabitants on the island. The word Tao simply means "person"/"human" in the language of the Tao people. The word Yami (meaning "north") originated from Japanese ethnologist Torii Ryūzō . He used the term to refer to the culture and language of

10008-442: The Tao people remain unique in their customs and cultural practices. The Tao people have been more commonly recorded under the exonym " Yami people " by official documents and academic literature, following Japanese anthropologist Torii Ryuzo's coining of the name in 1897. However, as a collective, these Orchid Island inhabitants typically prefer "Tao people" as their group identifier. Recently, they have successfully petitioned

10147-485: The Tao people's ways of life. As a result, the Tao culture remains the best-preserved out of all Taiwanese indigenous peoples. Following Japan's defeat in World War II, the Republic of China took control of Orchid Island in 1945. Tourism was introduced to the island in 1967, leading to increasing modernization among the Tao people. Due to Westernization, their indigenous beliefs have melded with Christian practices. As

10286-436: The Tao people. In recent years, some Tao people have rejected the name, but opinion remains divided. While this indigenous group identifies collectively by the name Tao or Yami, individual communities on the island affiliate with unique names tied to their locality . The language of the Tao people can be referred to simply as Tao or Yami . Natively, it is referred to as ciriciring no tao ("speech of human beings"). It

10425-501: The Tao people. Also, it appears that these two groups traded goats, pigs, weapons, and gold until about 300 years ago due to continuous warfare. A 2011 genetic study found that the Tao people are more genetically closely related to the other Taiwanese indigenous peoples in the Taiwanese mainland than to the Ivatan people of the Philippines. However, the Tao and the Ivatan both speak closely related Western Malayo-Polynesian languages and there

10564-480: The air several times prior to launch. The ceremony is deemed complete once the boat has remained afloat. Those of the Yami tribe have traditional clothing with designs described as belonging to the more simpler side, unlike many other surrounding local indigenous tribes of Taiwan. Fibers of the flax plant and banana leaf, but then later more commonly cotton, were used to create clothes of white, black, and navy colors. Due to

10703-559: 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

10842-470: The beach. During Japan 's rule of Taiwan , its government declared Kōtō Island an ethnological research area off-limits to the general public. After the Republic of China took over Taiwan , the island was administered as the Hong-tou-yu " township " of Taitung County after 19 January 1946 but the Japanese restrictions on visitors remained in effect. Because of these policies, the Tao continue to have

10981-462: The best-preserved traditions among the Taiwanese aborigines despite the end of the ban on settlement and tourism in 1967. Since 1967, schools have been built on the island and education in Mandarin is compulsory. Lesser Orchid Island has been used for target practice drills by the Republic of China Air Force . A nuclear-waste storage facility was built in 1982 without prior consultation with

11120-564: The bow and stern of the boat with chicken feather decorations. The hull of the boat typically consists of three main patterns: human figure, eye of the boat, and waves. The human figure symbolizes heroism through the representation of the earliest Tao man. The eye of the boat consists of a variety of concentric circles edged with triangles. Their composition represents the sun's rays, and is considered to ward off evil spirits that may cause disasters at sea. They typically make boats to seat 1–3 people, 6 people, 8 people, or 10 people. However, no matter

11259-496: 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

11398-486: The cessation of whaling. Sightings are reported almost every year, although the whales do not stay for long, as they once did. They appear instead to be migratory visitors. Out of a total current population of 5036, approximately 4200 belong to the indigenous Tao people and the remaining 800 are mainly Han Chinese . The islanders are mostly farmers and fishermen relying on a large annual catch of flying fish and on wet taro , yams , and millet . On 19 September 2014,

11537-539: The collection of evil spirits, even more than they worship an omnipotent God. They believe that when an individual passes away, his or her soul travels to Malavang a Pongso, the White Island, while the rest of the minor souls from within become anito. As a result of this belief, they have an uncontrollable fear of the dead. When a Tao individual is near death, relatives and friends stand beside his or her deathbed in full battle regalia in order to fight off evil spirits. Once

11676-520: 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

11815-475: The decades since the storage facility was constructed, there have been reports of increased cancer rates. In 2007, Taipower promised to remove all nuclear waste by 2016. On 22 November 2019, the government awarded $ 2.55 billion NTD ($ 83.6 million USD) to Orchid Island residents as compensation for the nuclear waste storage facility, which was determined to have been constructed without their knowledge or consent. Republic of China Taiwan , officially

11954-596: 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

12093-399: 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 is formed by Taipei (the capital), New Taipei City , and Keelung . With around 23.9 million inhabitants, Taiwan

12232-928: 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

12371-515: 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

12510-552: The facility and this has added to residents' concerns. In February 2012, hundreds of Tao living on Orchid Island held a protest outside the nuclear waste storage facility. Chang Hai-yu, a preacher at a local church, said "it was a tragedy that Tao children are being born into a radiation-filled environment". Lanyu mayor Chiang To-li "urged Taipower to remove nuclear waste from the island as soon as possible". In March 2012, about 2,000 people staged an anti-nuclear protest in Taiwan's capital Taipei . Scores of aboriginal protesters "demanded

12649-463: The first 7-Eleven store in the island was opened. During the opening ceremony, the township chief said that the store could provide conveniences to the local residents such as fee and tax collection. The Lanyu nuclear waste storage facility was built at the southern tip of Orchid Island in 1982. The plant receives nuclear waste from Taiwan's three nuclear power plants operated by state utility Taiwan Power Company (Taipower). Islanders did not have

12788-486: 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, 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

12927-604: The front and back. A common men’s vest design would consist of white nylon fabric with five white and eleven navy horizontal lines woven with navy cotton thread clamp, and the whole garment is hemmed with white nylon thread and two plastic buttons at the front inner waist. T-bands are woven black or navy at both ends. For special or ceremonial occasions, men and women wear blue and white vests in addition to vibrant accessories, such as an octagonal wooden hat for women, and silver helmets for men. During funerals and times of mourning, women wear their upper garments inside out, and men wear

13066-533: The funeral has commenced, attendees catch crab and fish to be cooked and eaten on that day in remembrance of the deceased. There is no specific ceremony for the entrance into adulthood. A boy is considered an adult when he reaches the ages of 18 or 19, and a girl is considered an adult when she turns 16 or 17. A Tao man is deemed eligible for marriage when he participates in a fishing team, and can accomplish his fishing duties on his own. For women, they have to be proficient at taro cultivation and fabric weaving. Once

13205-514: 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

13344-505: 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

13483-621: The indigenous group having no head and/or class system, clothing was equal amongst the people, even those who were technically more personal wealth than others. Women wore pair square-clothed shirts accompanied by a short skirt. It would be common to see a woman with a large piece of cloth that has four longitudinal strips of white, black, or navy blue sewn together. Short skirts have three white and black or navy blue longitudinal stripes at each end while five or six-year-old girls wear only one piece. Men wear loincloths , vests and T-bands on their upper body. Jackets have white, black, or navy stripes on

13622-554: 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

13761-415: The involved families are called upon to resolve the situation. Social affairs are governed by the male heads of families and members of the fishing community. In 1967, the Taiwanese government stepped in to provide the Tao people concrete homes, an act which the aboriginal community deemed an affront to their culture. However, most Tao live in these homes now with the addition of open-air pavilions. Due to

13900-464: The island's inhabitants. Tao Aborigines have protested, and since the early 1990s demonstrated, their desire to rid their island of the "evil spirits" of nuclear waste. The plant receives nuclear waste from Taiwan's three nuclear power plants, all operated by the state utility Taipower . About 100,000 barrels of nuclear waste have been stored at the Lanyu complex. In 2002 and 2012, there were major protests from local residents, calling on Taipower to remove

14039-462: 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

14178-515: The island's northwestern mountain peaks, which resemble red human heads when illuminated by the setting sun. These characters were borrowed into Japanese as Kōtōsho during their rule of Taiwan. Based on genetic studies, Orchid Island was settled by the ancestors of the Tao people during the Austronesian Expansion (approximately 4000 BP) from the mainland of Taiwan . They maintained close contact through trade and intermarriage with

14317-619: The island's relative remoteness, it lacks the equivalent infrastructure in transportation, health care or education in comparison to the main island. However, in 2007 an official of the Council of Indigenous Peoples stated that it would raise its budget to help the aboriginal groups of Taiwan. The Taiwan Power Company (Taipower) completed construction of Orchid Island's nuclear waste storage facility in 1982. The facility houses waste from Taiwan's three operating nuclear power plants. Since its construction, 98,700 barrels of waste have been deposited on

14456-434: 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

14595-476: 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

14734-480: The island. Since its construction, the storage facility has been met with opposition. Due to language barriers, the Tao people were not aware that a nuclear storage facility was being erected on their island. During its construction, workers told the islanders that they were building a food cannery that would help the local economy. In 1987, when the Tao people finally learned of the dangers of nuclear waste, they began protests that lasted for more than twenty years. In

14873-425: The latter two seasons, fish cannot be caught for ceremonial use. During these off seasons, the Tao people are charged with producing goods and recreation. Fishing is the main way in which Tao men can make a living on the island. A crucial component of Tao life centers upon the building of their fishing boats. As a device used for their sole method of securing sustenance and monetary gain, they place great emphasis on

15012-642: 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

15151-512: 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

15290-612: 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

15429-506: 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

15568-411: The malevolent gods who may punish the Tao peoples with invasions of caterpillars and locusts. Ancestral Tao people believed that goddesses were responsible for the birth of their children. According to their lore, there were separate goddesses for each gender. These goddesses dictated the births and lifetimes of the Tao populace. The length of an individual's life was determined by cracking a coconut and

15707-558: The measurement of the outpouring juice. While their ancestral religious system was based on the dictation of gods, the Tao people rarely adhere to such a stringent belief system today. Instead, their belief system is intermixed with components of Christianity and remnants of their beliefs past. Today, many Tao people have converted to a Christianity (especially branches of Catholicism and Protestantism). However, much of their traditional Christian ideologies are muddied with adherence to ancient superstitions. The Tao people greatly fear anito ,

15846-402: The men. The oyod fish is considered the real fish and can be eaten by both men and women. The Council of Indigenous Peoples is a Taiwanese cabinet-level government body that serves the needs of the country's indigenous populations. The Tao people are one of sixteen aborigine populations represented by the council. The Tao people have no formal hierarchical structure. When disputes arise,

15985-588: 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

16124-408: The production of these boats. They make their boats using multiple wooden planks shaped with an ax. Due to their boats not being made from a single tree trunk or log, they cannot be considered canoes. They join the wooden planks together with dowels and rattan. Once they have successfully constructed the boat, they carve patterns and paint them using the traditional red, white, and black. They then adorn

16263-518: 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

16402-555: The protests. In a bid to allay safety concerns, Taipower has pledged to repackage the waste since many of the iron barrels used for storage have become rusty from the island's salty and humid air. Taipower has for years been exploring ways to ship the nuclear waste overseas for final storage, but plans to store the waste in an abandoned North Korean coal mine have met with strong protests from neighboring South Korea and Japan due to safety and environmental concerns, while storage in Russia or China

16541-459: The removal of 100,000 barrels of nuclear waste stored on Orchid Island, off south-eastern Taiwan. Authorities have failed to find a substitute storage site amid increased awareness of nuclear danger over the past decade". The island houses its only power generation facility, the fuel-fired Lanyu Power Plant . Commissioned in 1982, the plant has a total installed capacity of 6.5 MW and is owned and operated by Taipower . Stipulated under Article 14 of

16680-401: The rock shows that it is enriched in sodium, magnesium, and nickel but depleted in iron, aluminum, potassium, titanium, and strontium. As the island is within the tropics, the island experiences a warm and rainy tropical climate throughout the year with humidity often reaching more than 90%. Rainfall, abundant throughout the year, cools the temperature significantly. The climate is classified as

16819-458: 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,

16958-504: The size of the boat, the shape remains consistent. The bow and the stern of the boat are both steep, upward arcs that allow for stability and sharp turns. They consider a boat an extension of man's body, and thus boat building is deemed a sacred mission. For the Tao, boat building is the ultimate creation of beauty. Once the building of the boat is completed, the boat's owner will host a large launching ceremony. To celebrate, Tao women wear their agate beads necklaces and octagonal wooden hats

17097-481: 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,

17236-487: 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

17375-460: 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

17514-539: 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

17653-431: The two parties are of marrying capabilities, relatives of both families formally propose to the woman's parents through the giving of presents. If her parents accept these offerings, they equivocally accept the proposal. The Tao people are the only Taiwanese indigenous people with a maritime culture. The Tao peoples divide their year into three separate fishing seasons: rayon , teyteyka , and amyan . Rayon

17792-683: The waste from the island. There are eight mountains over 400 m (1,300 ft) high. The tallest mountain is Mount Hongtou or Hongtoushan ( 紅頭山 ) at 552 m (1,811 ft). The rock on the island is volcanic tholeiite andesite and explosive fragments. The volcano last erupted in the Miocene period. It is part of the Luzon Volcanic Arc . Magma was formed from underthrusting oceanic crust under compression about 20 km (12 mi) deep. The andesite rock contains some visible crystals of pyroxene or amphibole . The geochemistry of

17931-482: 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 the loss of the Chinese mainland to Communist forces , who established the People's Republic of China and

18070-560: Was 6,522 kWh, almost twice the 3,654 kWh Taiwan average. In 2002, Taipower provided an equivalent of NT$ 6.35 million worth of electricity to the island, and in 2011 the amount rose to NT$ 24.39 million. Due to this suspected abuse, members of Control Yuan called for an investigation into the electricity subsidy to Lanyu Island in 2012. The island is accessible by sea or air. Daily Air offers flights from Taitung Airport in Taitung City to Lanyu Airport on Orchid Island. The flight duration

18209-548: 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

18348-421: 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

18487-565: 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

18626-567: 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

18765-523: Was only through repeated drenchings, and with firm holding on, that I succeeded in getting a good look at the land which came now and then into view. Every one was interested as we approached Botel Tobago. The last European visit to it was by a surveying party from H.M.S. Sylvia in 1867. It stands about twenty-six miles out from the south-eastern end of Formosa, is seven and a half miles long, and densely peopled by an aboriginal race. We saw their huts, and could make out rows of little canoes or rafts drawn up on

18904-509: 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

19043-702: 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

19182-416: 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

19321-405: 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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