The island, about 100 miles off the southeast coast of China, is bordered by the East China Sea on the north, the Pacific Ocean on the east, the South China Sea on the south, and the Formosa Strait on the west.

Taiwan is divided into 18 counties , 5 municipalities , and 2 special municipalities.

Counties: Chang-hua, Chia-i, Hsin-chu, Hua-lien, I-lan, Kao-hsiung county, Kin-men, Lien-chiang, Miao-li, Nan-t'ou, P'eng-hu, P'ing-tung,T'ai-chung, T'ai-nan, T'ai-pei county, T'ai-tung, T'ao-yuan, and Yun-lin.Municipalities: Chia-i, Chi-lung, Hsin-chu, T'ai-chung, T'ai-nan.

Special municipalities: Kao-hsiung city, T'ai-pei city. Taipei is Taiwan's capital city.

25 Groups are recognized by the government:Taoism, Buddhism, Tantric Buddhism, Catholicism, Protestantism, Islam, Syuan Yuan Jiao (Hsuan Yuan Chiao), Li-ism, Tenrikyo, Baha'i, the Lord of Universe Church, Tian De Jiao (Tien Te Chiao) Yi Guan Dao (I- kuan Tao), Mahikarikyo , Confucianism , Da Yi Jiao (Ta Yi Chiao) , Hai Zih Dao (Hai Tse Tao), the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity , the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Maitreya Great Tao, Zhonghua Sheng Jiao ,Universe Maitreya, Emperor Jiao, Xian Tian Jiu Jiao , Huang Zhong, and Church of Scientology.

Mandarin Chinese (official), Taiwanese (Min), Hakka dialects

Taiwanese (including Hakka) 84%, mainland Chinese 14%, aborigine 2%

1544 The Portuguese sailing to Japan spot Taiwan and refer to it as Ilha Formosa (Beautiful Island).

1622 Jheng Cheng-gong, also known as Koxinga, defeats Dutch forces, ending Dutch rule in Taiwan

1684 Manchus replace the Jheng family as the new rulers of Taiwan.

Taiwan becomes a dependency of the Fujian provincial administration

1885 Taiwan is made a province of China, and Liou Ming-chuan becomes the first governor

1895 The Treaty of Shimonoseki concludes Sino-Japanese War; Taiwan isceded to Japan

1945 World War II ends with Japan's surrender to the Allies.Taiwan is retroceded to the Republic of China after 50 years of Japanese colonization.

1947 Due to bad administration, ethnic tension, and other factors, an islandwide uprising, known as the February 28 Incident, breaks out.

1949 The central government of the Republic of China relocates to Taiwan, after the mainland falls to the Chinese Communists.

1950 Chiang Kai-shek resumes the presidency of the Republic of China

1967 The Executive Yuan extends the period of compulsory education from six to nine years.

1971 The Republic of China withdraws from the United Nations

1978 Chiang Ching-kuo is elected president

1979 The US grants diplomatic recognition to the People's Republic of China and breaks ties with the Republic of China.

In December, a demonstration organized by opposition politicians and the Formosa Magazine to commemorate Human Rights Day ended in confrontation and became a key event in Taiwan's process of democratization now known as the Kaohsiung Incident.

1986 The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) announces its formation

1987 The Emergency Decree is lifted.

The government announces that residents of Taiwan are officially allowed to visit relatives on the mainland.

1988 President Chiang Ching-kuo dies on January 13, and Vice President

1990 Lee Teng-hui is sworn in as president of the Republic of China.

Lee Teng-hui is elected the eighth-term president of the ROC by the National Assembly

1992 The election for the Second Legislative Yuan is held-the first popular election of the legislature since

1996 The first direct presidential election is held, and incumbent president and KMT candidate Lee Teng-hui is elected

2000 Democratic Progressive Party candidate Chen Shui-bian is elected president of the Republic of China, ending the KMT's

50-year hold on the presidency in Taiwan.

2004 Chen Shui-bian is re-elected to the Presidency of the Republic.

Taiwan's first national referendum is held concurrently with the presidential election.

Source: government information office Republic of China ( Taiwan)