Taiwan: Country overview

Geography

• Full country name: Republic of China
• Population: 23.1 million
• Border countries: Taiwan is an island in an archipelago with a small number of other islands, located approximately 100 miles from the coast of mainland China.
• Climate: sub-tropical (also described as marine tropical) except for the more tropical area in the extreme south. Parts of the island can experience typhoons from May to November, and some areas have a monsoon cycle during October to March. Rainfall is high and summers are hot. Humidity can be high from around June to September.
• Terrain: the main island is approximately 250 miles in length and around 88 miles across. The landscape consists of a variety of mountain ranges (mostly along the East) and lower lying, flatter plains in the West, which are more densely populated.
• Natural hazards: Taiwan suffers from earthquakes and typhoons.

Living in Taiwan

• Cost of living: typically varies and can be higher in some urban areas, with Taipei being fairly expensive. Property can be rented but a deposit of, for example two months, may be required.
• Utilities: water, gas, electricity and air conditioning are available and are typically equal to standards of most developed countries. Natural gas is widely used for cooking and water heating.
• Internet domain: .tw
• Health: standards of health are generally high and compare favourably with those in other countries. A National Health Insurance (NHI) programme provides healthcare for the population. A wide range of healthcare services and specialist medical staff work in Taiwan and hospitals are licensed by the Department of Health (DOH). Some health and dental services have English-speaking staff and may operate a 'pay as you use' system so it is wise to have plenty of spare funds available.
• Laws and customs: drug offences are treated very seriously in Taiwan. Smuggling, trafficking, possession or use of illegal drugs may lead to a severe jail sentence or even the death penalty in some cases. Taiwan now has a parliamentary democracy, freedom of speech and freedom of the press.

Economy and finance

• Currency: New Taiwan Dollar (NT$)
• Type of economy: Capitalist
• Health of economy: Taiwan has been described as one of the 'Asian Tigers'. The highly skilled workforce and diversity of the Taiwanese economy enables Taiwan to deal with global economic circumstances. Further details of key economic indicators are available at the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (Taiwan)  and additional information can be obtained from Invest in Taiwan . Key export partners include Europe, China, Japan and the United States.
• Unemployment rate: 4.35% (September 2009, Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics, Taiwan). 
• Main exports: various types of computer equipment, textiles, metals, vehicles, plastic and rubber products. A diverse business and financial services sector also exists.

Culture

• People: in addition to the Taiwanese, a large number of people from mainland China as well as foreign workers from various parts of the world also live in the province. A number of smaller ethnic groups also exist with Hakka and Holo being spoken as well as Taiwanese and the official language of Mandarin.
• Major religions: a wide variety of religions are followed. Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism are practised by a very high percentage of the population (over 90%). Other religions include Christianity and Islam.
• History: see BBC Timeline: Taiwan .
• Local etiquette: day-to-day business routines are in many ways similar to those in the UK. Taiwanese society has many festivals and celebrations and this has an influence on popular local culture. Taiwan has a diverse culture, accommodating traditional Chinese and western influences. In the workplace and in daily life, most forms of social etiquette such as attitudes to punctuality and good manners will be understood and accepted. Handshakes are the usual form of greeting, with bowing only used for very formal occasions. It is generally expected that guests will remove their shoes when visiting someone's home.

Politics

• Type of government: multi-party democracy with regular presidential and legislative elections. Taiwan is legally a province of the Republic of China - a position acknowledged internationally.
• Major political parties: the Kuomintang (Nationalist) Party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), the People First Party, Taiwan Solidarity Union, Non-Partisan Solidarity Union and the New Party.

Travel advice

Find the latest travel advice and a traveller's checklist on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)  website.