Taiwan

Introduction

Officially with the Republic of China, Taiwan is a country that is situated in East Asia. A country known for the quickest development of microchips that are used in everything from computers to cars and smartphones. It is a country that has been on a speedy dose of economic growth and industrialization, also commonly known as Taiwan Miracle. The first country in Asia to legalize gay marriage.

Area: 35,808 square kilometers

Population: 23.57 Million

Capital: Taipei

National Anthem: San Min Chu-i

Government Type: The government style is a unitary semi-presidential constitutional republic

Official Language: Mandarin

Religions: Buddhist 35.3%, Taoist 33.2%, Christian 3.9%, folk (includes Confucian) approximately 10%, none or unspecified 18.2%

Ethnic Groups: Hoklo Han Chinese 70%, Hakka Han Chinese 14%, Mainland Chinese 14%, Aboriginal Taiwanese

Climate: Taiwan has a subtropical climate, and the summers over there are long and hot. Summers start from April, and they go till late September or October. Taiwan has winters that are very short and mild. But there is snowfall in the mountainous regions. Additionally, there is abundant precipitation throughout the year, which is about 2590mm annually. The mainland of Taiwan has no tornadoes, and tropical cyclones are experienced in late summers.

Currency: New Taiwan Dollar is the official currency.

Taboos: Doing some research about a country before going in there saves you from a lot of the first-hand embarrassment. They believe strongly in superstitions and folklore. Don’t try greeting people with a kiss on the cheek as it will not be well-received. Knowing how to use chopsticks is something that will help you in leaving a good first impression on the local people.

Cultural Behaviors: They are people that have adopted many western manners and are still proud of their heritage. The level of hospitality that Taiwanese people have has impressed a lot of foreigners that have visited Taiwan. If you visit a Taiwanese household, it is a good idea to take something as a gift. A beautiful bouquet or box of chocolates would do as well. Taiwanese people consider outside shoes as unclean, so make sure that you remove your shoes when you enter a house in Taiwan. An interesting fact about Chinese people is that they are obsessed with exchanging business cards with other people. Business cards should be presented with both hands as that is the right way. On the contrary, presenting business cards with one hand is considered uncultivated, disrespectful, and rude.

Taiwan is ranked at 21st in the Human Development Index. The country is going forward with huge investments in the information technology sector. Billions of dollars are invested in the technological sector, and Taiwan has become the favorite for its future-centered objectives.

It is also the most earthquake-prone country in the world, with a yearly experience of 1000 perceivable earthquakes and 17,000 non-perceivable earthquakes. A fun fact about Taiwanese people is that they have been deemed the face mask capital of Asia. It is due to the fact that they wear face masks to protect themselves from illness or to announce the illness.