This island covers a total area of 13,976 square miles and has a population size of approximately 23.55 million.
The PRC government further argues that Taiwan has been refused entrance as a member of the UN and that only 19 UN government representative recognize its sovereignty.In contrast, the ROC (Taiwan) argues that it acts as an independent nation. It has coastlines along a number of major bodies of water, including the South China Sea, the East China Sea, the Philippine Sea, and the Luzon Strait. The size of its population and economy make Taiwan the largest non-United Nations member in the world.Taiwan has a long history, beginning around 6,000 years ago, when it was first inhabited by people believed to come from present-day mainland China. According to this theory, a territory that is under the rule of a sovereign state comes under the rule of a successor state when the original ruling government renounces its claim to the area. China claims that Taiwan, a self-ruled island democracy, should be part of its own territory and has long threatened to use force to bring it under its control. In 1950, Communist forces managed to take control of nearby islands, but Taiwan remained under KMT control.When the Korean War began in June of 1950, the US changed its stance on Taiwan’s claims to independence by sending military forces to prevent Communist forces from invading. Eastern coastline of Taiwan at Shih-t'i-p'ing (Shitiping).Portion of the Chung-yang (Zhongyang) Range in eastern Taiwan.Port of An-p'ing (Anping) district of T'ai-nan (Tainan) special municipality, southwestern Taiwan.The Tan-shui (Danshui, or Tamsui) River at Tan-shui, northern Taiwan.

This also marked the beginning of the second Chinese Civil War, which lasted from 1946 until 1950, and was fought between the Kuomintang government (KMT) and the Communist Party of China (CPC). The PRC claims that Taiwan is a province of China , not an independent state. It has coastlines along a number of major bodies of water, including the South China Sea, the East China Sea, the Philippine Sea, and the Luzon Strait. Because the island is of volcanic origin, it has rich soils. Relations between Taiwan and mainland China became more civil during the 1980s as both countries began to develop trade agreements and make contact with one another. The KMT party prevented the CPC from taking control of the island and in December of 1949, Chiang Kai-shek declared the city of Taipei to be the capital of the Republic of China, effectively claiming that Taiwan would remain under the previous, non-communist led government. During the war, the Republic of China came to be known as the People’s Republic of China (PRC), when the Communist Party of China gained control of the nation's mainland area.When it was clear that the Communist Party had captured control of the majority of the country, Chiang Kai-shek and 2 million other KMT supporters (also known as nationalists) fled to Taiwan in October of 1949. Records indicate that individuals from other places began arriving sometime during the 1500s.For the majority of the 17th century, Taiwan was under Dutch and Spanish colonial rule. These colonial powers were overthrown by the Kingdom of Tungning until 1682, when the Qing Dynasty of China took control of Taiwan. However, the configuration of its coastlines and the age and formations of rocks on Taiwan’s west coast suggest to some geologists that Taiwan was once part of the Asian mainland. Learn more about the history of Taiwan in this article. Taiwan appears to be distancing itself from China in recent months, as military activities around the island intensify amid heightened U.S.-China tensions and the coronavirus pandemic. As the population grew, its inhabitants eventually formed into separate cultures and tribes. In general, the relief of the island consists of an uplifted crustal block that trends north-northeast to south-southwest. Virtually any topic for the virtual learner. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.Prior to the 1600s, Taiwan was self-governing, although there was no central ruling authority. In this way, no other country interferes with the current status of Taiwan and allows various political groups to carry on with their own interpretation of the situation.The Republic of China's military considered Taiwan to be newly integrated as of October 1945, just after the Republic of China fought Japan in the Second Sino-Japanese War. The government of the People’s Republic of China maintains that the Republic of China was eliminated in October of 1949, and that the right to control Taiwan was transferred to the new government by way of the succession of states theory.

Although violence slowly ended, neither country has signed an agreement to officially end the civil war.The question of Taiwan's independence remains.