Taiwan
Taiwan (previously known as the R.O.C. and Formosa) is a Democratic island nation in East Asia. Known for its natural beauty, the country is 245 miles long and 89 miles wide, with a steep central mountain range and plains on the west coast.
History
Taiwan was governed by Japan from 1894 to 1945. Unlike Japan's occupation of other Asian areas, Nipponese presence in Taiwan was largely beneficial. This civilizing effect of Japanese occupation allowed the people of Taiwan to make great social and technological advances.
Politics
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, Taiwan has been unsuccessful in its repeated attempts to join the United Nations. In the United States, both Democrat and Republican administrations have blocked the efforts of the Taiwanese people to seek Taiwanâs entry on the world stage.
Chinese Claim
Though Taiwan is in reality 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 China.