Source: Wikipedia
Flag of Republic of China
Capital: Taipei (de facto)
Nanking (de jure) 25°02′N 121°38′E Official language: Mandarin
Government: Semi-presidential system - President: Chen Shui-bian

Vice President: Annette Lu
Premier: Su Tseng-chang

Establishment Xinhai Revolution:
- Declared October 10, 1911
- Established January 1, 1912
- Relocation to Taiwan December 7, 1949

Area :
- Total 35,980 km² (137th) 13,892 sq mi
- Water (%) 10.3

Population :
- 2006 estimate 23,036,087 (47th2)
- Density 635/km² (14th2) 1,658/sq mi

GDP (PPP) 2005 estimate :
- Total $631.2 billion (16th)
- Per capita $27,600 (24th)

HDI (2003): 0.910 (high)

Currency: New Taiwan Dollar (NT$) (TWD)

Time zone: CST (UTC+8)

Internet TLD: .tw

Calling code: +886

The Republic of China is a state in East Asia. It was formerly the national government of all China. However, it lost control of the mainland to the People's Republic of China (PRC) as a result of the Chinese Civil War in 1949, and since then its administration has been restricted to the island groups of Taiwan (Formosa), the Pescadores, Kinmen, and Matsu. Over subsequent decades, the Republic of China has been commonly referred to as "Taiwan", and since the late 1970's the name " China " has been increasingly used to refer to the People's Republic of China . For political reasons, the Republic of China is commonly referred to as "Chinese Taipei" in international organizations.

The ROC was established in 1912, replacing the last Chinese dynasty - the Qing - and ending over 2,000 years of imperial rule in China . It is thus the oldest surviving republic in East Asia . The rule of the Republic of China in Mainland China was scarred by warlordism, Japanese invasion as a predecessor to World War II, and civil war. Major fighting in the civil war ended in 1950 with the Communist Party of China (CPC) in control of most of Mainland China, and the ROC in control of Taiwan and several offshore islands (Kinmen, Penghu, and Matsu). The CPC proclaimed a new state, the People's Republic of China (PRC) in Beijing in 1949. The Republic of China on Taiwan continued to regard itself as the sole and legitimate government of all of China . This was a claim recognized by most states until the late 1970's.

Starting in 1928, the Republic of China was ruled by the Kuomintang (KMT) as an authoritarian dictatorship. In the 1950's and 1960's, the KMT took steps to reform the economy by reducing corruption and reforming land policies which coincided with a period of great economic growth despite the constant threat of war and civil unrest. The political climate changed in the 1980's and 1990's as the government actively pursued a transition to a democratic system, beginning with the first direct presidential election in 1996 and culminating in the 2000 election of President Chen Shui-bian, the first non-KMT president elected.