Welcome to Taipei
Taiwan at a Glance
With its unique fusion of cultures, breathtaking scenery, diverse cuisine, exciting city life and well-developed hospitality industry Taiwan is the ideal travel destination for various types of travellers.
Official Name: Republic of China (ROC)
Population: 23 million
Ethnicity: Han Chinese (including Holo, Hakka and other groups which originated in mainland China) 98%; indigenous Austronesian peoples 2%
Capital: Taipei City
Currency: New Taiwan Dollar (NT$)
Official Language: Mandarin (Chinese); Minnan is also widely spoken; the most popular foreign language in Taiwan is English
Time zone: UTC + 8 hours (no seasonal adjustments)
The total land area of Taiwan is approximately 14,400 square miles and nearly 60% of the whole area is covered by mountains. The remaining area is composed of various landforms such as basins, hills, terraces, highlands and coastal plains. The shape of Taiwan looks like a leaf which is narrow at both ends. The island lies off the southeastern coast of mainland Asia, across the Taiwan Strait from Mainland China.
Taiwan enjoys warm weather all year round. The annual average temperature in Taiwan is 71 °F (22 °C) with lowest temperatures ranging from 54 to 63 °F (12 - 17 °C). This genial climate makes Taiwan extremely suitable for travelling. Taiwan's tropical, sub-tropical, and temperate climates provide clear differentiation among different seasons. In addition, the unique landforms and the climates in Taiwan breed about 18,400 species of wildlife, with more than 20% rare or endangered species.
The Friendly People of Taiwan
Taiwan has a population of 23 million. The larger part of the island's inhabitants are the descendants of immigrants from the various provinces of mainland China, but in particular from the southeastern coastal provinces of Fujian and Guangdong. Because the different ethnic groups have been fairly well integrated, differences that originally existed between people from different provinces have gradually disappeared.
Some 510,000 indigenous people, the original inhabitants of Taiwan, still live here; they can be distinguished into mainly 14 different tribes, namely the Amis, the Atayal, the Paiwan, the Bunun, the Puyuma, the Rukai, the Tsou, the Saisiyat, the Tao (or Yami), the Thao, the Kavalan, the Truku, the Sakizaya and the Sediq.
Do you need a visa to travel to Taiwan?
Citizens of several countries are eligible for 30 days visa-exempt entry or 30-day landing visas.
For more information please visit our Visa Guide page or contact Taipei Host Committee team.
Photos by by Tourism Bureau, Ministry of Transportation & Communications , R.O.C
Header photo by AP/Wally Santana
