Changes

==Politics==

==Politics==

The Taiwanese people enjoy a free market economy, while the democratically elected government provides freedom of the press {{fact}}, freedom of religion, and universal health care. Nevertheless, the Republic of China has been unsuccessful in its repeated attempts to rejoin the United Nations. During the Cold War, the Republic of China was recognized by most of the world as the sole legitimate government of China {{fact}} and a bastion of freedom against Communist oppression on the mainland. However, the Communist bloc gained enough votes in 1971 to eject Free China from the UN and the Western bloc derecognized Free China en masse. Under the administration of [[Jimmy Carter]], the United States broke relations with Free China and established them with [[People's Republic of China|Communist China]] in 1979. In the United States, both Democrat and Republican administrations have blocked the efforts of the Taiwanese people to seek Taiwan’s entry on the world stage and refuse to use its official name - the Republic of China -- in official contexts.

The Taiwanese people enjoy a free market economy, while the democratically elected government provides freedom of the press, freedom of religion, and universal health care. Nevertheless, the Republic of China has been unsuccessful in its repeated attempts to rejoin the United Nations. During the Cold War, the Republic of China was recognized by most of the world as the sole legitimate government of China and a bastion of freedom against Communist oppression on the mainland. However, the Communist bloc gained enough votes in 1971 to eject Free China from the UN and the Western bloc derecognized Free China en masse. Under the administration of [[Jimmy Carter]], the United States broke relations with Free China and established them with [[People's Republic of China|Communist China]] in 1979. In the United States, both Democrat and Republican administrations have blocked the efforts of the Taiwanese people to seek Taiwan’s entry on the world stage and refuse to use its official name - the Republic of China -- in official contexts.

This, however, is but a part of Taiwan's complex political situation.  There are several Taiwanese independence movements in various communities, including the various aboriginal tribes and the semi-native Taiwanese-speaking communities whose descendants arrived much earlier than the Nationalist move, and the many social groups of Taiwan all seemingly wish to go in a different direction to each other.  Despite this, the island is very peaceful, and one of the safest countries in Asia.

This, however, is but a part of Taiwan's complex political situation.  There are several Taiwanese independence movements in various communities, including the various aboriginal tribes and the semi-native Taiwanese-speaking communities whose descendants arrived much earlier than the Nationalist move, and the many social groups of Taiwan all seemingly wish to go in a different direction to each other.  Despite this, the island is very peaceful, and one of the safest countries in Asia.

===Chinese Claim and Counterclaim===

===Chinese Claim and Counterclaim===

Though Taiwan exhibits all of the characteristics of a sovereign nation, the [[People's Republic of China]] makes a claim to all of Taiwan's territory, and asserts that Taiwan is merely a territory of the Communist China. Meanwhile, the Republic of China, which governs Taiwan, was founded in 1912, predating the Communist regime, and continues to assert its claim to the entirety of mainland China, as well as Tibet and the entirety of Mongolia,{{fact}} which were both previously ruled under the Qing dynasty government, the latter being territory that is unclaimed by the People's Republic.

Though Taiwan exhibits all of the characteristics of a sovereign nation, the [[People's Republic of China]] makes a claim to all of Taiwan's territory, and asserts that Taiwan is merely a territory of the Communist China. Meanwhile, the Republic of China, which governs Taiwan, was founded in 1912, predating the Communist regime, and continues to assert its claim to the entirety of mainland China, as well as Tibet and the entirety of Mongolia, which were both previously ruled under the Qing dynasty government, the latter being territory that is unclaimed by the People's Republic.

[[Category:Islands]]

[[Category:Islands]]