New - A Timeline of history about Taiwan has been added - click here.

From about the 12th century, waves of Chinese settlers arrived on the island, which became incorporated into the Chinese empire in the 17th century. Taiwan was ceded to Japan at the end of China's disastrous war with Japan in 1895 and was not returned to Chinese control until the end of World War Two.

In 1949, Chiang Kai-shek fled with his Kuomintang (Nationalist) government to Taiwan after it was routed by the communists in the civil war on the mainland.

The Nationalists claim to be the legitimate rulers of China, although they have also said they want to put aside for the time being the sovereignty issue. They say Taiwan is a province under the Republic of China, Taiwan's official name. The communist government in Beijing claims Taiwan as part of China and has threatened to invade if the island declares its independence.

(From an Outsiders point of view, the Taiwanese politics are very confusing, with half the islanders preferring to be recognized as Independent Taiwan and the old KMT brigade followers and families wishing to be back on the Mainland but still maintaining the benefit of being separately governed. The fact that China never actually occupied or ruled Taiwan in modern history, shows the hypocrisy of most countries governments that accept China's claim over the island and fail to allow Taiwan's recognition at the United Nations and other World Organizations).

The security of Taiwan and the tiny offshore islands of Quemoy and Matsu were guaranteed by the U.S. Seventh Fleet against mainland threats to take the island by force in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The U.S. fleet was withdrawn in the 1970s and in 1979 the United States switched diplomatic recognition to China, but it remains an ally of Taiwan.

Fewer than a couple of dozen countries now recognize Taiwan's Nationalist government, which withdrew from the United Nations when Beijing was admitted in 1971. But it is trying to break out of its diplomatic isolation by using its financial power to strengthen unofficial ties with many countries.

The government went through profound democratic changes since the death of Chiang Kai-shek's son and successor, Chiang Ching-kuo, in January 1988. Chiang's hand-picked deputy, Lee Teng-hui, became Taiwan's first native-born president and chairman of the Kuomintang, or Nationalist party. Under Lee, the government continued Chiang's programme of gradual democratic reform, which included ending martial law and opening most civilian travel to Taiwan.

Trade, investment and tourism links between Taiwan and the mainland have blossomed since the late 1980s but the two sides remain bitter political foes. Technical-level talks have been suspended since 1995.

Taiwan's first major opposition group, the Democratic Progressive Party, or DPP, was legalized in 1989. It comprises mostly native Taiwanese and is pressing for Taiwan to declare itself independent from China and abandon its goal of reunification.

In parliamentary elections in December, 1995, the DPP won 54 seats and the fledgling opposition New Party won 21. The Kuomintang won 83 seats, giving it a wafer-thin majority in the 164-seat legislature. Lee Teng-hui was re-elected to office in March 1996 in Taiwan's first direct presidential elections. He was elected unopposed to the Nationalist Party's chairmanship in August, 1997.

Lee stood down in March 2000 and Chen Shui-bian of the Democratic Progressive Party won the presidential election on a pro-independence platform, ending five decades of Nationalist rule. His victory was in spite of a warning from Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji of bloodshed if the island drifted towards independence.

President Chen Re-Inaugurated 20 May 2004 - click here.

For details of the 2004 election just held - see 'Taiwan Election Deadlock'.

New - A Timeline of history about Taiwan

• 1544 ?: Portuguese "discovered" Taiwan, and called it Ilha Formosa, the beautiful island.
• 1582:  A Spanish ship was wrecked on the island of Formosa. This was the earliest mention of the Island in the accounts of European navigation although it had been in the charts previous to 1579 according to James Burney.

Dutch Era

• 1624: The Dutch erected Fort Zeelandia on an islet, named Tayouan or Taywan, close to today's Tainan City, and began to colonize the southwestern part of Formosa.
• 1626: Spanish landed on Santiago, settled in northern Taiwan, and built Fort Santo Domingo at today's Tamsui 2 years later.
• 1642: The Dutch expelled Spanish from northern Taiwan.
• 1653: The Dutch built Fort Provintia in today's Tainan City after Chinese immigrants' unsuccessful rebellion.
• 1661: After being defeated by Manchus (Tartars) in China, Koxinga, the last general of the Ming Dynasty, lead 25,000 nobles, soldiers, and pirates to invade Taiwan in April.

Taywan Kingdom Era

• 1662: After a siege of 9 months and loss of 1,600 Dutch lives, Governor Coyett surrendered Taiwan to Koxinga. Koxinga died 4 months later, and his son Sya succeeded as King of Taywan.
• 1663-64: Bort, the Dutch Admiral, returned to Formosa Straits with 16 Men-of-War, 1,281 landmen and 1,382 mariners. The fleet helped Manchus expel Koxingans from Amoy & Quemoy off the coast of China, but failed to retake Formosa and Taywan.
• 1673: King Sya recovered part of Fukian (Fujian) province, including Amoy & Quemoy.
• 1680: Sya lost the battles in Fukian across Formosa Straits and retreated back to Taiwan.
• 1681: King Sya died and his son, a minor succeeded.

Manchus (Ch'ing Dynasty) Era

• 1683: Manchus (Tartars) lead by Shilang, a Koxinga's ex-officer, after a fierce sea battle in the area of Pescadores, annihilated the Kingdom of Taywan, and annexed western Taiwan to Chinese empire.
• 1771: Count Benyowsky of Hungary & Poland escaped from captivity in Siberian Kamchatka. On the voyage home, he and his 90+ followers landed on eastern Formosa. They lived among the aboriginal for 2 weeks before deciding not to stay.
• 1867: John Dodd, the pioneer of Taiwan's tea industry, rented two clippers to export "Formosa Oolong" to New York. It turned out to be a great success.
• 1871. 12: A Ryukyu ship met a typhoon. Its 66 crew members landed in the territory of the Botan aborigines in southern Taiwan. 54 of them were murdered by the Botan, and the remaining 12 were rescued by a Han settler.
• 1874: In May, Saigo Tsugumichi lead Japanese Expedition to southern Taiwan to 'punish' the aboriginal for killing Ryukyu mariners. A major skirmish took place at Stone Gate, where 30 Formosan and 7 Japanese killed or fatally wounded and dozens injured. The original expedition forces numbered exceeding 2,000. When they withdrew 7 months later, more than 500 had succumbed to malaria, etc..
• 1884. 8: French forces lead by Admiral Coubert invaded northern Taiwan. Several battles were fought through the following spring. The French managed to occupy Keelung, the seaport, but failed to take Tamsui.
• 1885: In March, Coubert occupied the Pescadores with a vision to transform them into France's Hong Kong. In June, he died of a tropical disease. In June & July, French forces withdrew from Keelung area and the Pescadores.
• 1895. 4. 17: Sino-Japanese War ended. Li Hung-chang and Ito signed Shimonoseki Treaty, and China ceded Taiwan to Japan.

Formosan Republic Era

• 1895. 5.25: Officials and people in Taiwan established the first Republic in Asia to resist impending Japanese rule.
• 1895.5. 29: The1st brigade of the Japanese Imperial Guard landed near Santiago in northern Taiwan. 12,000 soldiers lead by Prince Kitashirakawa & Governor General Kabayama arrived on day 1 & day 2.

Japanese Era

• 1895.10.21: Japanese forces entered Tainan, the southern capital of "the Republic".
• 1898: Kodama Gentaro became the 4th governor-general. He appointed Dr. Goto Shimpei as chief administrator. Taiwan began its painful modernization.
• 1902.5.30: The legendary anti-Japanese leader, Lim Siau-Niau and his followers were killed while defending their stronghold Au Pia Na near Kaohsiung.
• 1930.10.27: A major uprising by the aborigines erupted at Musha (Bu-hsia) in central Taiwan. It lasted for 2 months. In the end, over 150 Japanese were killed and over 600 aboriginal lives perished.

Republic of China Era

• 1945: World War II ended. Japan surrendered on August 15. China's Chiang Kai-shek appointed General Chen-Yi  to take over Taiwan. Taiwan's population consisted of 6,700,000 Taiwanese, 285,000 Japanese civilians, 158,000 Japanese military personnel, 5,000 Okinawans and 2,000 Koreans.
• 1946: By April 25, over 90% of Japanese were expelled from Taiwan. The remaining 35.000 were retained temporarily for their professional expertise.
• 1947: Chinese rule brought widespread corruption to the government, chaos to society, and run-away inflation to the economy. On February 28, a generalized uprising ensued. Chiang Kai-shek responded by sending in troops from China and conducting ruthless suppression. Thousands of Taiwanese, most of them innocent, were massacred.
• 1949: After being defeated by communists in China, Chiang Kai-shek and more than one million followers fled to Taiwan. He was to rule Taiwan with iron fists in the name of "Free China" for the decades to come.
• 1971: Chiang Kai-shek's regime was expelled from the United Nations.
• 1975: Chiang Kai-shek died. His son Chiang Ching-Kuo succeeded.
• 1988: Chiang Ching-kuo died. The martial law was lifted the previous year.
• March 2000: Chen Shui-bian of the Democratic Progressive Party won the presidential election.
• 20 May 2004: President Chen Re-Inaugurated.