Taiwan Geography & History PDF

Welcome to the Republic of China (Taiwan)! SLIDESMANIA.COM SLIDESMANIA.COM What is the first thing that will come to your mind once you hear the country Taiwan? Red, White, and BlueThree core principles of the country. Representations SLIDESMANIA.COM White Sun - equality and democracy. Blue- liberty...

Welcome to the Republic of China (Taiwan)! SLIDESMANIA.COM SLIDESMANIA.COM What is the first thing that will come to your mind once you hear the country Taiwan? Red, White, and BlueThree core principles of the country. Representations SLIDESMANIA.COM White Sun - equality and democracy. Blue- liberty and nationalism. Introduction: SLIDESMANIA.COM Taiwan’s people have shaped the island’s history. In turn, the population’s ideas and attitudes have been deeply influenced by local experience as well as the impact of China and Japan. Migrants from the Chinese mainland, the first of whom landed in the Tainan area almost 400 years ago, turned the island from a realm where Austronesian hunter-gatherers lived almost Stone Age lives into a denselypopulated Chinese society. Events on the Chinese mainland, most recently the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949, resulted in additional waves of migrations. The sheer density of Taiwan’s population is said to be a factor in making modern Taiwanese society highly competitive and entrepreneurial, yet also urban-centered and outward-looking.Taiwan(also known as Ilha Formosa which means “beautiful Island”) is a small group of islands north of the Philippines and west of the China coast. It is only separated from mainland China by a narrow strait. The main island is shaped like a “kamote” (sweet potato), so that native Taiwanese refer to themselves as “children of the sweet potato”. Taiwan SLIDESMANIA.COM Taiwan and Philippines Distance Straight line or Air distance: Kilometers: 1205.91 km. Miles: 749.32 miles. Estimated Flight Time: SLIDESMANIA.COM 1.32 hours. (With average airplane speed of 567mph). History of Taiwan Taiwan’s Earlyday s: until 1683 Taiwan becomes part of China: 1683-1895 Taiwan becomes a colony of Japan: 1895-1945 Taiwan since 1975 SLIDESMANIA.COM Taiwan after World War II: 18451975 Geographical features of Taiwan SLIDESMANIA.COM Geographical features of Taiwan Zhuoshui River - The Zhuoshui River, also spelled Choshui or Jhuoshuei River, is the longest river in Taiwan. It flows from its source in Nantou County up to the western border of the county, subsequently forming the border between Yunlin County and Changhua County, with a total length of 203 km. SLIDESMANIA.COM Geographical features of Taiwan Gaoping River The Gaoping River, also spelled Kaoping River, is the second longest river in Taiwan after the Zhuoshui River with a total length of 184 km. It is located on the southern part of the island, flowing through Pingtung County and Kaohsiung City. SLIDESMANIA.COM Geographical features of Taiwan Jiupeng Desert -is a long sandy beach in Pingtung, Manzhou Township. It's home to the largest sand dunes in Taiwan, some of which are more than 30 meters tall. SLIDESMANIA.COM Geographical features of Taiwan A-li Mountaians - Located in the northeast part of the Chiayi County in Taiwan, Ali Mountain is in fact the general name of the eighteen hills including Zhu Hill and Tower Hill. Its highest peak is Tower Hill with the height of 2,663 meters SLIDESMANIA.COM Geographical features of Taiwan Chung-yang Range SLIDESMANIA.COM -Located in the eastern Taiwan. It trends northsouth and consists of three main ranges (respectively, from east to west): the Chungyang Range, Yü Mountains, and A-li Mountains. Climate of Taiwan SLIDESMANIA.COM Spring SLIDESMANIA.COM Weather: Spring is from March to May. In Taipei, the average high temperatures average about 25 degrees Celsius or 78 degrees Fahrenheit. Clothing: It generally feels warm during the day, and long-sleeve shirts are fine. Special seasonal highlights: Hiking in Taiwan’s high mountains (about 240 mountains over 3,000 meters) is an option before the summer typhoon season. You can also head down to the southern beaches to bask in the sun. You can climb Yangmingshan Hill to see the cherry blossoms. Summer SLIDESMANIA.COM Weather: Summer is from June to August. It is usually hot and humid, and there are occasional thunderstorms and typhoons. The average temperature in summer is about 30 °C (86 °F). Things to do: Summer is a time to head for the beaches. When there are storms out at sea or after a typhoon, people can go and surf. The Computex Taipei (Taipei International Information Technology Show) in June is a favorite tourist highlight. It is the world's second biggest IT show, and it is the largest in Asia. Autumn SLIDESMANIA.COM Weather: Autumn is from September to November. The weather is cooler but still warm and sunny, and October and November have relatively less rainfall, and it is still warm. Special seasonal highlight: It is a fine time to head up to the mountains to see the fall foliage. Winter SLIDESMANIA.COM Weather: Winter is from December to February. Winters are mild and often foggy due to the northeasterly winds from Siberia. Around Taipei, low temperatures can approach 8 °C (46 °F) at night, but there may be warm spells also. Clothing: Prepare a coat and an umbrella. Wearing layers is a good idea. Special seasonal highlight: The Chinese New Year usually falls in late January or early February. Streets will be colorfully decorated for the event. Taiwan’s Contributions to the World SLIDESMANIA.COM List of Contributions Foods 1. Instant Noodles 2. Mongolian Barbeque Games 1. Connect 6 2. Cat Cafe SLIDESMANIA.COM List of Contributions Science and Technology 1. A universal crossed molecular beam apparatus 2. Floating gate transistor 3. N95 Mask 4. USB flash drive 5. Integrated laptop projector Sports and Weapons 1. Woodwall 2. Sniper rifle, submachine gun, machine gun, and pistol. SLIDESMANIA.COM Cultures and Practices The Fear of Four SLIDESMANIA.COM There are unlucky numbers in every culture, but here in Taiwan, they take it to the next level. The number 4 is considered one of the unluckiest digits as in Chinese it sounds similar to the word for death. For this reason, hospitals have no 4th floor, and quite often apartments on the 4th floor are cheaper than those on other levels. People will even refuse cell phone or car registration numbers if four makes too regular an appearance. Cultures and Practices Don’t Finish the Food on the Table SLIDESMANIA.COM This is a strange one for many as in a lot of other cultures an empty plate is a sign of appreciation of your host’s efforts. In Taiwanese culture, a clean plate, or worse, an empty table, means that the host didn’t prepare enough food and that the guests are still hungry. Cultures and Practices The ‘do not’ List for Ghost month Ghost month comes around once a year, and it’s a time when the spirits of the underworld are free to roam the land of the living. This in itself is not all that unusual, it’s the things that locals cannot do during this time that visitors often can’t get their head around. No moving house, no going out alone at night, no whistling especially at night, and apparently no swimming either. SLIDESMANIA.COM Taiwan’s early days: Until 1683 - Terra incognita and has been inhabited for perhaps 30,000 years - In 1544, passing Portuguese seafarers dubbed Taiwan Ilha Formosa, ‘beautiful island’, bestowing a name which Westerners used until well after World War II. - The Dutch East India Company founded a small colony on Taiwan’s southwest coast in 1624, at what’s now Tainan (equivalent to Kyoto in Japan). The Dutch called this spot Taijowan, a place name which evolved into the Mandarin term for the whole island, Taiwan. Taiwan’s early days: Until 1683 - Koxinga was an ardent(passionate) supporter of China’s Ming Dynasty, and after the last Ming emperor was overthrown by Manchu warriors (people who lived for many centuries mainly in Manchuria. - He overthrew the Europeans due to disease, hunger and a worsening military situation. - Koxinga didn’t enjoy his victory for long. He changed the name of Taijowan to Anping, then died of malaria. - The state he created in Taiwan, the Kingdom of Dongning, lasted 21 years. When Qing forces attacked in 1683, and the island became part of the Chinese empire. Taiwan becomes part of China : 16831895 -The Qing empire now had possession of Taiwan but didn’t know what to do with it. ( they considered worthless territory) - Migration from the Chinese mainland to Taiwan is prohibited - The 18th century saw the emergence of sizable Chinese towns such as Chiayi, Hsinchu and Taipei, as well as the founding of many of Taiwan’s most important temples. - However, because the government and judicial systems were thoroughly corrupt, the island was often lawless. Banditry (acts of robbery and violence in areas where the rule of law has broken down) was widespread; immigrants from different parts of Fujian fought each other and the aborigines (indigenous people) over land and water rights. Taiwan becomes part of China : 16831895 -By 1811, Taiwan’s population exceeded two million - - - In the second half of the 19th century Taiwan started to attract Western and Japanese interest for economic and strategic reasons. ( late 1871 led to a brief Japanese invasion) In 1884-85, when the French were fighting with China over Vietnam, French soldiers occupied Keelung and the Penghu islands (Part of Taiwan).. Also, Taiwan was finally upgraded to a province in its own right; before 1885, it had been treated as part of Fujian (a mainland Chinese province). Taiwan becomes a colony of Japan: 1895 to 1945 -The war which broke out between China and Japan in the summer of 1894 had nothing to do with Taiwan, but China’s defeat led to the Qing empire giving up Taiwan and the Penghu islands to Japan. (Taiwanese resisted the takeover but they lost due to a disease - The colonial authorities took away their guns and ancestral lands, and forced tribespeople to provide labour for government projects. -During World War II, Japan used Taiwan as a staging base for their conquest of Southeast Asia. Thousands of Allied POW(prisoners-of-war) were held in POW camps in Taiwan; hundreds died as a result of malnutrition and overwork. More than 200,000 Taiwanese served in Japan’s armed forces. Taiwan becomes a colony of Japan: 1895 to 1945 - When World War II ended in Asia, Tokyo renounced its colonies. Yet almost 70 years later, Japan’s influence in Taiwan is still tangible. - Taiwan’s economy suffered greatly during the war, and American air raids killed thousands of civilians. Nevertheless, at the end of the war many Taiwanese people were cautiously optimistic about their future. Taiwan after World War II: 1945 to 1975 - Following the withdrawal of the Japanese, Taiwan became part of the Republic of China (ROC), the state founded on the Chinese mainland in 1911 - ROC’s president was Chiang Kai-shek, leader of the KMT (Chinese Nationalist Party). Unfortunately, the man Chiang chose to govern Taiwan made a bad situation worse. - A lot of Taiwanese opposed and were massacred in what’s known as the 2-28 Incident (so called because protesters attacked government offices on February 28). - In December 1949, Chiang relocated to Taiwan and Over 1.5 million mainland Chinese followed Taiwan after World War II: 1945 to 1975 - the new regime launched a land reform program hailed by experts the world over as a great success. Farmers enjoyed greater security, and many former landowners used the compensation they received to set up factories. - As the island prospered, Taiwanese people began buying electric rice cookers and refrigerators. Between 1950 and 1970, the population almost doubled to 14.6 million. On the streets, motorcycles and cars replaced bicycles and ox carts. Taiwan since 1975 - - Chiang Kai-shek died in 1975. - At the end of 1978, a few months after Chiang’s son Chiang Ching-kuo became president - In the two years before Chiang Ching-kuo’s death in early 1988, 1. the KMT began to loosen their grip on power. 2. Martial law was lifted and new political parties were permitted. 3. The media became far more outspoken 4. Restrictions on overseas travel were lifted, 5. vacations abroad (including to the Chinese mainland) became popular. Taiwan since 1975 - Lee Teng-hui, an agricultural economist born in 1923 and educated in Japan and the US, became the country’s first Taiwan-born president. - In 1996 Lee won the island’s first real presidential election, but four years later the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) – the main opposition grouping – emerged victorious - In 2008 there was another peaceful transfer of power, this time from the DPP back to the KMT. -In 2016, the DPP won both the presidential and parliamentary elections. Taiwan since 1975 - Taiwan enjoyed an economic boom from the 1980s until the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997, powered by high-tech products such as computer peripherals. - Since then growth has been slower, but Taiwan has made progress on other fronts, introducing a much-admired National Health Insurance system and social welfare programs for the disabled, the elderly and indigenous people.