What is the official name of Taiwan and why is it called the Republic of China?
Taiwan's official name is the Republic of China (ROC). The name traces to the Tongmenghui party manifesto of 1905, which laid out the goals of the Chinese revolution, and revolutionary leader Sun Yat-sen proposed the name Chunghwa Minkuo when the republic was established in 1912 on the mainland. After the Nationalist government retreated to Taiwan in 1949, the name remained, though the country became commonly known simply as "Taiwan" over subsequent decades.
When did Taiwan become a democracy?
Taiwan transitioned from a one-party state under martial law to a multi-party democracy in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Martial law, declared in May 1949, was lifted on the 15th of July 1987 by President Chiang Ching-kuo. The first direct presidential election was held in 1996, when Lee Teng-hui was re-elected.
How long did martial law last in Taiwan?
Martial law in Taiwan lasted from May 1949 until the 15th of July 1987, a period of nearly four decades. During this period, known as the White Terror, 140,000 people were imprisoned or executed for perceived anti-KMT or pro-Communist sympathies.
Why does Taiwan have so few formal diplomatic allies?
Taiwan maintains official diplomatic relations with only 11 UN member states and the Holy See because the People's Republic of China refuses diplomatic relations with any country that recognizes the ROC. On the 25th of October 1971, UN Resolution 2758 transferred China's UN seat from the ROC to the PRC, and most nations subsequently switched recognition to Beijing.
What was the February 28 incident in Taiwan?
The February 28 incident began on the 28th of February 1947, when the shooting of a civilian triggered island-wide unrest against the Republic of China administration. The government suppressed the uprising with military force. Mainstream estimates put the number killed between 18,000 and 30,000.
Was Taiwan the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage?
Yes. On the 17th of May 2019, Taiwan's parliament approved a bill legalizing same-sex marriage, making it the first country in Asia to do so. The move followed a 2017 Constitutional Court ruling that existing marriage laws violated the constitution by denying same-sex couples the right to marry.