Official Name: Chung-hua Min-kuo (Republic of China)

Area: Asia

Size: 35.980 km²

Coastline: 1.566 km

Independence: declared October 10, 1911 

Form of Govt.: Multiparty republic

Head of Govt.: Premier

Capital: Taipei

Largest City: Taipei

Demographics (2005): 22,858,872.   635.32 /km²

Han Chinese 98%, Indigenous Taiwanese 2%

GDP per Capita (2005): $29,000 

Languages: Mandarin Chinese (official), Min, Hakka dialects

Geography: sheer cliffs line the coastline of the nearly circular island; the flanks of the central volcanic peak are deeply dissected; narrow coastal plain lies between The Peak and the coastal cliffs. Active volcanism on Tristan da Cunha, last eruption in 1961

Climate: Taiwan has a tropical climate that is influenced by the monsoons. Summers are hot and humid while winters are mild and short. Typhoons from the South China Sea bring heavy rains between July and September. Average annual precipitation is over 2,000 mm in the low lying areas and increases with altitude. Average temperature ranges in Taipei are from 12 to 18 degrees in February to 24 to 34 degrees in July.