This is an essay I wrote for my Geography class, and I would like to share this information with SDK. Enjoy!!


Taiwan is an island located east of China, next to the Pacific Ocean. It lies on the Tropic of Cancer, and has a maritime subtropical climate. Two-thirds of the island is very mountainous and has over 100 peaks. There are an estimated amount of 24 million people in Taiwan, and the population continues to grow by 0.3% every year. The main language of Taiwan is Mandarin Chinese, but a lot of their people speak in Taiwanese and Hakka dialects. 93% of the population in Taiwan is either Taoist or Buddhist, but 4.5% is Christian, and 2.5% are of other religions. Taiwan has a multi-party democratic form of government, and they use the civil law system, a legal system inspired by Roman law.

The Chinese started migrating to Taiwan as early as the T’ang Dynasty (AD 618-907). In 1628, the Dutch had taken control of the island, and then in 1683, the Manchus of mainland China conquered it and made it a part of China. The island was a part of Japan following the Sino-Japanese War (1895) and remained under Japanese control until 1945, and then China regained control. Taiwan has a capitalist economy with gradually decreasing government guidance of investment and foreign trade. Apart from all the setbacks, such as the Asian economic crisis, Taiwan has kept an excellent economy for more than 30 years. They have a highly skilled labor force, and many of whom enjoy a higher standard of living. Their currency, or form of money, is the New Taiwan Dollar (TWD).

In Taiwan, the literacy rate is at 94%, higher in men than women. Their 9-year (K-eighth) education system has been in effect since 1979, meaning its only required to go until the 8th grade, but 91% of them go on to high school. Each year 100,000 students take the college entrance exam and about 61% of them pass. Overall, they have a pretty good system going. Taiwanese people are well-nourished, but face problems such as chronic obesity and heart disease. The typical life expectancy in 2009 was 78.

Western style clothing is the norm for many in Taiwan. For everyday attire, they usually just throw on some jeans or other casual clothing. The Taiwanese are reserved, quiet, generous, and friendly. Causing public embarrassment or bringing shame to another is frowned upon. Even if you disagree with another, you should not express your opposition in public. Loud or obnoxious behavior is considered as being of poor taste, and winking at someone is impolite and shows disrespect. There are many gestures that differ from the ones we use in the U.S. One would point with the open hand, not the index finger, and to beckon, one would wave all the fingers with the palm down. Shaking a hand from side to side with the palm facing forward is a common way to say no.

There are many greetings you can use to greet another in Taiwan. Among the common ones include hello (ni hau), morning (zao), and please sit (ching tzuo). Another commonly used greeting is ‘Have you eaten?’, or ‘Chyr bau le meiyou?,’ which comes from the tradition to never let another go hungry. It was always polite to ask someone if they had eaten and then offer them a meal. When being introduced, the Taiwanese nod their head and smile, and a slight bow shows respect, but is not necessary. After initial greetings, polite questions may be asked to keep the conversation going.

Chinese names are arranged with the family name first, and then the first and middle names. For example, if your name was Mikaera Tsao Sumisu, your name there would be Sumisu Mikaera Tsao. Families in Taiwan have been traditionally large, but dramatic economic change and a government family-planning campaign have reduced the number in a nuclear family to two. Except in urban areas, western-style dating is uncommon in Taiwan. Students would much rather pay attention to their schoolwork and associate with their peers without dating; they seldom date. Serious dating doesn’t usually happen until one is working or pursuing higher education. Those who do date enjoy going to the movies or out to dinner. People generally marry between the ages of 27 and 31. Babies are considered one when they are born, and there are certain ages that one will look forward to in life. When you turn 18, you can legally drink, get a marriage license, and get a driver’s license; at age 20, you can vote and sign contracts.

There are plenty of things to do in Taiwan, such as going to the Taipei City Zoo, Formosa Wonder World, or even the National Museum of History. Social visits usually occur in the home, and visiting is an integral part of Chinese culture. Friends and relatives may come unannounced, but they usually come with advance notice. People normally take their shoes off when they enter a home, and can wear slippers inside. When one visits, they are likely to receive tea, fruit, candy, or a soft drink. They’re careful not to admire an object too much, because the host may feel obligated to present it as a gift, even if they don’t want to. First-time visitors almost always present the host with a small gift.

Some popular arts in Taiwan are weaving, pottery, ceremonial dance, and cinema. There are a lot more but those are just a few to give you an idea. The most popular forms of recreation in Taiwan are watching television, movies, and listening to music. They also enjoy playing basketball, badminton, table tennis, and baseball. The elderly enjoy Tai Chi, a form of martial arts, and folk dancing for exercise and relaxation. The national holiday is Republic Day (Anniversary of the Chinese Revolution; 1911) and it is celebrated on the 10th of October. The Chinese New Year is celebrated annually on the first day of the first lunar month.

People typically eat with chopsticks and a soupspoon. Dinner, the main meal, consists of rice, soup, meat, and/or vegetable dishes. Each person at the table has their own personal bowl of rice, and leaving rice in the bowl is considered impolite. The Taiwanese have added a subtropical flavor with plenty of seafood and the liberal use of sugar. If a group of people go out to eat, they usually are in competition for who gets to pay the whole bill; it’s like an honor. A popular food in Taiwan is o-a-tsian, which means oyster omelet.

In Taiwan, there are around 40 airports and about 5 heliports. Motorcycles and bikes are popular means of transportation. There are a little over 14.5 million telephone lines in use, and almost 27 million cellular phones in use. There are about 16 million internet users, as well. Taiwan and South Korea have been in competition for a while, whether it is in sports, brand names, or economic performance, or anything else it may be, and so far, South Korea is ahead in economic performance and many other things as well.

Overall, Taiwan is a great country that has some extremely respectful society rules and people. I wish that the United States were a bit more like them. There are so many things that make them unique from us, and vice versa. If we were all the same, though, there would be nothing interesting.