Naruwan Taiwan!

Taiwan is a modern industrialized city clinging to the fringes of an ancient culture. Here in Taiwan, you can find traditional noodles sold in 7-Elevens, or politicians and civilians alike, consult and pray in temples before important elections.

History of Thailand

EARLIEST INHABITANTS The indigenous people of Taiwan are believed have been living on the islands for approximately 8,000 years before major Han Chinese immigrations began in the 1600s.

EUROPEAN COLONISATION Early Taiwan, isolated and underdeveloped, had been a neglected island until the 17th Century. During the age of exploration and maritime conquest by Europeans, Taiwan attracted the world's attention because of its strategic location and trading position.

The Portuguese made Taiwan well known as the Formosa, meaning beautiful island, when they sailed past the island en-route to Japan, although they never established a permanent settlement on Taiwan. The Dutch and the Spanish independently colonized parts of Northern and Southern Taiwan. The Dutch encouraged people from China to migrate to Taiwan in the 1630s to grow sugarcane and rice, which remained as the mainstay of Taiwan's economy until the 1950s. European colonization marked the beginning of foreign rule over Taiwan, brought the island into the global commercial marketplace, and saw the immigration of large numbers of Han Chinese. These developments had a lasting impact on Taiwan, helping to shape its culture and open its society.

Location Taiwan is a medium archipelago in Eastern Asia, with islands bordering the East Chian Sea, Philippine Sea, South China Sea and Taiwan Straits.

The island is located 355 km north of Philippines and 595km southwest of Japan's Okinawa. ? 

Land Area Total: 35,980 sq km with land area:  32,260 sq km and water: 3,720 sq km Taiwan is 160km wide at its narrowest point and 140 km in length.

Climate Because of the mountains that cover the middle of Taiwan, going north to south, its weather is as diverse as the landscape. The lower areas have a subtropical and in the far south of the island changes to a tropical climate. Yet, the mountainous areas are sometime prone to low temperature that sometimes results in snow.

Taiwan has two distinctive seasons: hot (May- October) and cool (November- March). High humidity is present year round.

During the close of the hot season, a seasonal weather situation occurs- and sometimes leaves with disastrous results. August through October is also known as the typhoon season.

People Taiwanese, including Hakka (84%), mainland Chinese (14%) and indigenous people (2%)

Population Taiwan has a population of 23 million. The larger part of the island's inhabitants are the descendants of immigrants from the various provinces of mainland China, but in particular from the southeastern coastal provinces of Fujian and Guangdong.

Taipei has a population of 2.9 million as the economic and political center of Taiwan.

Religion Taiwan is highly diversified in terms of religious faith, with the practice of Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity, Mormonism, the Unification Church, Islam, and Hinduism, as well as native sects.

All sorts of different kinds of deities are worshipped in the same temple, forming one of the unique features of religion in Taiwan. Confucius is another important part of religious thinking in Taiwan. External religions first arrived on the island in the early part of the 17th century, when Catholicism and Protestantism were introduced by Spanish and Dutch missionaries. Presbyterianism is perhaps the Protestant branch of Christianity that has played the most prominent role in Taiwan's history.

Language The official language of Taiwan is Mandarin Chinese but because many Taiwanese are of southern Fujianese descent, Min-nan (the Southern Min dialect) is also widely spoken.

The smaller groups of Hakka people and aborigines have also preserved their own languages. Many elderly people can also speak some Japanese, as they were subjected to Japanese education before Taiwan was returned to Chinese rule in 1945 after the Japanese occupation which lasted for half a century.

The most popular foreign language in Taiwan is English, which is part of the regular school curriculum.

Politics The head of state is the President, who is elected by popular vote for a four-year term on the same ticket as the Vice-President. The President has authority over the five administrative branches (Yuan): The Control Yuan, Examination Yuan, Executive Yuan, Judicial Yuan and legislative Yuan.

Executive branch
Chief of state: President MA Ying-jeou (since 20 May 2008);
Vice President Vincent SIEW (since 20 May 2008)
Head of government: Premier (President of the Executive Yuan) WU Den-yih (since 10 September 2009); Vice Premier (Vice President of Executive Yuan) Sean CHEN (since 17 May 2010)
Cabinet: Executive Yuan - ministers appointed by president on recommendation of premier
Elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms (eligible for a second term); election last held on 22 March 2008 (next to be held on 14 January 2012); premier appointed by the president; vice premiers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the premier
Election results: MA Ying-jeou elected president; percent of vote - MA Ying-jeou 58.45%, Frank HSIEH 41.55%

Political parties & leaders
Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [TSAI Ing-wen];
Kuomintang or KMT (Nationalist Party) [MA Ying-jeou];
Non-Partisan Solidarity Union or NPSU [LIN Pin-kuan];
People First Party or PFP [James SOONG]

Source of information: The World Fact Book (Taiwan) 2011

Taiwan has a dynamic capitalist economy with gradually decreasing government guidance of investment and foreign trade. In keeping with this trend, some large, state-owned banks and industrial firms have been privatized.

Exports, led by electronics and machinery, generate about 70% of Taiwan's GDP growth, and have provided the primary impetus for economic development. This heavy dependence on exports exposes the economy to upturns and downturns in world demand.

In 2009, Taiwan's GDP contracted 1.9%, due primarily to a 20% year-on-year decline in exports. In 2010 GDP grew 10.5%, as exports returned to the level of previous years. Taiwan's diplomatic isolation, low birth rate, and rapidly aging population are major long-term challenges.

Free trade agreements have proliferated in East Asia over the past several years, but so far Taiwan has been excluded from this greater economic integration, largely because of its diplomatic status. The island runs a large trade surplus, and its foreign reserves are the world's fourth largest, behind China, Japan, and Russia.

Since President MA Ying-jeou took office in May 2008, cross-Strait economic ties have increased significantly. Since 2005 China has overtaken the US to become Taiwan's second-largest source of imports after Japan. China is also the island's number one destination for foreign direct investment.

Taiwan has focused much of its efforts on improving the cross-Strait economic relationship. Three financial memorandums of understanding, covering banking, securities, and insurance, took effect in mid-January 2010, opening the island to greater investments from the mainland's financial firms and institutional investors, and providing new opportunities for Taiwan financial firms to operate in China.

GDP (Purchasing power parity): $823.6 billion (2010 est.)
GDP (Real growth rate): 10.5% (2010 est.)
GDP – per capita (PPP): $35,800 (2010 est.)
Unemployment rate: 5.2% (2010 est.)

Source: CIA The World Fact Book (May 17' 2011)

Taiwan Corporate Income Tax Rate

Quick Facts for visitors

Access to Taipei, Taiwan
By Plane
Taiwan's international air routes are served by 34 airlines that fly to 56 major cities throughout the world. Four carriers operate domestic routes that reach to all of the island's main cities and offshore islands. Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) is 40km south of the city which will take approximately 30minutes to get to the city center.

By Car / Coach
Scheduled buses run from the airports to all major cities. Island-wide and regional bus companies also operate inter-city services that cover the whole island. Tour bus operators offer buses for charter.

By Train
The Taiwan High speed Railway (THSR) covers 345 kilometers, connecting Taipei and Zuoying on the northern edge of Kaohsiung, passing through ten counties, Taiwan's four biggest cities, and 77 townships en route. There are eight stations already constructed along the line: Taipei, Banciao, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Taichung, Chiayi, Tainan, and Zuoying. A further four stations, Nangan, Miaoli, Changhua, and Yunlin, are to be opened later.

Trains on the round-the-island rail network provide extremely convenient services. Tickets may be purchased three days in advance. There are MRT systems in Taipei City and Kaohsiung City . The Taipei MRT has eight routes and the Kaohsiung MRT has two routes. The Kaohsiung MRT also links with the Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) and Taiwan Railway lines, and provides service to Kaohsiung International Airport.

By Ferry
International passenger ships call at Keelung, Kaohsiung, and Hualien harbors. Passenger ships also support the airlines in offering passenger services between Taiwan and outer islands, including Kinmen and Matsu.

Visa
Foreign nationals may obtain tourist visas if they hold foreign passports or travel documents valid for more than six months in the Republic of China for purposes of sightseeing, business, family visits, study or training, medical treatment, or other legitimate activities. Visa requirements included one completed application form, incoming and outgoing travel tickets, one photo, documents verifying the purpose of the visits, and other relevant documents. The Visitor Visa Application Form can be downloaded from the website of the Bureau of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The completed form should be submitted to an overseas mission of the Republic of China for visa issuance.

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• Overseas mission of the Republic of China
• CKS Airport

Customs Regulations

• CUSTOMER MUST BE IN COUNTRY AT TIME OF CUSTOMS CLEARANCE
• Shipment must arrive within six months of customer
• Used household goods in suitable quantities may be duty-free

Dutiable/Restricted Items

• Tobacco products, currency and gold bullion require an Import Permit
• Wine (Very high duty and tax - 280%)
• New items and appliances (new or used)
• New items should be repacked to avoid or reduce duties
• Electrical items such as TVs, computers, stereos, etc. are dutiable and limited to one of each type per family
• Pianos and carpets

Prohibited Items

• Alcohol
• Weapons (including toy weapons), hunting knives, bows, firearms, ammunition and explosives (presence of these items in shipment will result in serious troubles for the customer)
• Drugs (non-prescription of various kinds)
• Pornography and politically sensitive literature
• Gambling tools
• Food, plants, trees, soil and vegetables
• Items whose export/import is prohibited by Washington Treaty such as taxidermied animals, wild animal fur, insect specimens, corals and sea shells, etc.
• Uncooked meat and poultry
• All items (publications and articles) from the PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF CHINA (P.R.C.) should not be shipped as it is strictly prohibited in the Republic of China/Taiwan, and will be charged to return costs.

If a shipment contains animal fur such as lion skin, leopard skin, a mink coat, ivory or any endangered species, the owner must obtain city's approval from origin country before sending mentioned items to Taiwan.

Currency Restriction

Foreign currencies: value over US$10,000 should be declared.
New Taiwan Currency: under NT$60,000. A traveler should apply for permission to the Central Bank for amounts over such value. There is no restriction on the amount of gold that a traveler can bring out of Taiwan; however, a traveler should declare to the customs office. When carrying out gold valued over US$20,000 out of Taiwan, a traveler should apply for an export permit to the Board of Foreign Trade, MOEA and apply for customs clearance to the customs office.

NB: A traveler should register at the customs office counter when bringing out of Taiwan gold, foreign currencies or New Taiwan currency in excess of the said amount.

Electricity
Taiwan uses electric current of 110 volts at 60 cycles, appliances from Europe, Australia or South-East Asia will need an adaptor or transformer. Many buildings have sockets with 220 volts especially for the use of air conditioners.

Time
UTC +8hours