Taiwan Travel Guide

Country Facts

Location

Between the South and East China Seas, off the southeast coast of the People’s Republic of China.

Language

As is the case in mainland China, the official language of Taiwan is Mandarin Chinese, commonly referred to as guoyu (‘national language'). However, the native Taiwanese tongue, alternatively called taiyu or minnan hua, is still widely spoken as a first language by the island's dominant ethnic group, which originally hails from China's southern Fujian province.

Area

36,188 sq km (13,972 sq miles).

Time Zone

GMT + 8.

Electricity

110 volts AC, 60Hz.

Population

22.8 million (official figure 2006).

Population Density

635 per sq km.

Capital City

Taipei. Population: 2.6 million (2006).

Government

Republic since 1912.

Head of Government

Prime Minister Wu Den-yih since 2009.

Head of State

President Ma Ying-jeou since 2008.

Religion

‘Folk religion' - a blend of ancient animist beliefs with the traditions of Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism - forms the core beliefs of most Taiwanese. Purer forms of Buddhism are also on the rise, along with Christianity.

Recent History

President Chen Shui-bian, from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), was elected in 2000, ending more than 50 years of Nationalist (Kuomintang) rule. He was re-elected by a very narrow margin in March 2004, after a campaign focusing on formal independence for Taiwan. As a result, Beijing, which sees constitutional change as a dangerous step towards formal statehood for Taiwan, refuses to deal with Mr Chen.

Following elections in March 2008, Taiwan's newly-elected president, Ma Ying-jeou, pledged to establish better economic and political ties with China. President Ma Ying-jeou said he wants to work towards a peace treaty with Beijing, but would only do so if China removed missiles pointed at Taiwan.

Communications

Telephone

Country Code: +886. There is an extensive internal telephone system.

Mobile Telephone

Roaming agreements exist with international mobile phone companies.

Internet

Internet cafés provide public access to Internet and e-mail services.

Post

Airmail to Western Europe takes up to 10 days.

Press

• Daily Chinese-language papers include the United Daily News, the Central Daily News, China Times, Taiwan Daily and Liberty Times.
• English-language dailies include The China Post, Taipei Times and Taiwan News.

Radio

•Broadcasting Corporation of China (BCC) has national and regional networks, while CBS-Radio Taiwan International, the national broadcaster, also beams services to mainland China and the rest of the world with programs in various languages and Chinese dialects.
• Public Radio System (PRS) is government run and broadcasts travel, weather and social information.
• International Community Radio Taipei (ICRT) is the biggest English-language FM station.

Public Holidays

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2011-December 2012 period.
2011
1 Jan - 3 Jan Founding of the Republic of China and New Year’s Day
28 Feb Peace Memorial Day
5 Apr Tomb-Sweeping Day
1 May Labor Day
28 May *(5th day, 5th moon) Dragon Boat Festival
3 Oct *(15th day, 8th moon) Mid-Autumn Moon Festival
10 Oct National Day

2012
1 Jan - 3 Jan Founding of the Republic of China and New Year’s Day
23 Jan Chinese New Year
28 Feb Peace Memorial Day
5 Apr Tomb-Sweeping Day
1 May Labor Day
30 Sep *(15th day, 8th moon) Mid-Autumn Moon Festival
10 Oct National Day
* Date to be confirmed.

Contact Information

Taiwan Visitors' Association

5th Floor, 9 Minchuan East Road, Section 2, Taipei 104, Taiwan
Tel: (2) 2594 3261 (information hotline).
Website: www.tva.org.tw

Taipei Representative Office in the UK

50 Grosvenor Gardens, London SW1 0EB, UK
Tel: (020) 7881 2650 or 2654 (visa section).
Website: www.taiwanembassy.org/uk
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0930-1230 (visa section).

Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) in the USA

4201 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20016, USA
Tel: (202) 895 1800.
Website: www.tecro.org

Taiwan Visitors' Association in the USA

1 East 42nd Street, 9th Floor, New York, NY 10017, USA
Tel: (212) 867 1632.
Website: www.go2taiwan.net