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Free area of the Republic of China 中華民國自由地區 [upper-roman 1] | |
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Largest cities | |
Languages | |
Ethnic groups | |
Demonym(s) | |
Area | |
• Total | 36,193 km2 (13,974 sq mi) |
Population | |
• 2018 census | 23,681,968 |
• Density | 650/km2 (1,683.5/sq mi) |
Currency | New Taiwan Dollar (TWD, NTD) |
Time zone | UTC +08:00 (National Standard Time) |
Date format | yyyy年mm月dd日 |
Driving side | right |
Calling code | +886 |
ISO 3166 code | TW |
Internet TLD | .tw, .台灣, .台湾 |
Free area of the Republic of China | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Traditional Chinese | 中華民國 自由 地區 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Simplified Chinese | 中华民国 自由 地区 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Taiwan area | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Traditional Chinese | 臺灣 地區 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Simplified Chinese | 台湾 地区 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Tai-Peng-Kin-Ma | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Traditional Chinese | 臺 澎 金 馬 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Simplified Chinese | 台 澎 金 马 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Taiwanportal |
The free area of the Republic of China, [upper-roman 1] also known as the "Taiwan Area of the Republic of China", the "Tai-Min Area (Taiwan and Fuchien)" or simply the "Taiwan Area", is a term used by the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to refer to the territories under its actual control. [1] [2] As a legal term written in the Additional articles of the ROC constitution and Cross-Strait Act.
The area currently under the definition consists of the island groups of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and some minor islands. The collective term "Tai-Peng-Kin-Ma" is literally equivalent except that it only refers to the islands of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu Area, to the exclusion of the South China Sea possessions—Pratas Island (Tungsha/Dongsha) and Taiping Island. [3]
The term is complementary to "Mainland Area", [4] which is practically viewed as being synonymous to mainland China, [5] despite the fact that the ROC constitution never defined specific territorial boundaries. [6] [7]
The term "free area" or "Free China" was used during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–45) to describe the territories under the control of the Kuomintang led Nationalist Government in Chungking (today Chongqing), as opposed to the parts of China under Japanese occupation, including Nanking (today Nanjing) the capital of the Republic of China until the Japanese invasion in 1937.
The Japanese occupation ended with the imperial surrender in 1945, but the term "Free China" was soon to acquire a new meaning in the context of the early Cold War. Following the Communist Party's victory in the Chinese Civil War in 1949, the newly inaugurated People's Republic of China solidified its control of mainland China, while the Kuomintang government retreated to Taiwan and selected Taipei to serve as the provisional capital of the Republic of China. Mainland China was officially considered to be in a state of "Communist Rebellion", also known as "Communist China" or "Red China", and furthermore all territories still under Nationalist administration were said to constitute the "Free Area" of China, also known as "Nationalist China" or "Free China". This period of mobilization was officially terminated by the government on 1 May 1991 with the implementation of the Additional Articles of the Constitution.
Prior to the Battle of Dachen Archipelago in 1955, the Free Area also encompassed a group of islands off Zhejiang, up to then part of the ROC province of Chekiang. The islands have since been administered exclusively by the People's Republic of China.
Various names used to describe the geopolitical area include:
Short name | The Free Area | Taiwan Area | Tai-Peng-Kin-Ma Area | Tai-Min Region |
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Long name | Free Area of the Republic of China [upper-roman 1] | Taiwan Area [upper-roman 2] | Taiwan-Penghu- Kinmen-Matsu Area | Taiwan-Fukien Region |
Chinese | 自由地區 | 臺灣地區 | 臺澎金馬地區 | 臺閩地區 |
Mandarin | Zìyóu dìqū | Táiwān dìqū | Tái-Pēng-Jīn-Mǎ dìqū | Tái-Mǐn dìqū |
Taiwanese Hokkien | Chū-iû tē-khu | Tâi-oân tē-khu | Tâi-Phêⁿ-Kim-Má tē-khu | Tâi-Bân tē-khu |
Hakka | Chhṳ-yù thi-khî | Thòi-vàn thi-khî | Thòi-Phàng-Kîm-Mâ thi-khî | Thòi-Mén thi-khî |
Matsunese | Cê̤ṳ-iù dê-kṳ̆ | Dài-uăng dê-kṳ̆ | Dài-Pàng-Gĭng-Mā dê-kṳ̆ | Dài-Mìng dê-kṳ̆ |
Notes | "Free" refers to the area that is not under the Communist Party's control. This term is used by the Additional Articles of the Constitution. | Refers to the general area surrounding the island of Taiwan. This term is used by various laws and regulations that governing cross-Strait relations. | Refers to the four main archipelagos under the government's jurisdiction. | Refers to the two historical provinces under actual administration. Namely, Taiwan (Taiwan and Penghu) and a small part of Fukien (Kinmen and Matsu). 閩 is the traditional abbreviation for Fukien. |
The term "free area of the Republic of China" has persisted to the present day in the ROC legislation. The Additional Articles of the Constitution of the Republic of China delegates numerous rights to exercise the sovereignty of the state, including that of electing the President and Legislature, to citizens residing in the "free area of the Republic of China". This term was put into the Constitution with the promulgation of the first set of amendments to the Constitution in 1991 and has been retained in the most recent revision passed in 2005.
The need to use the term "free area" in the Constitution arose out of the discrepancy between the notion that the Republic of China was the sole legitimate government of China and the pressures of the popular sovereignty movement. In the 1980s and 1990s, there were demands, particularly by the Tangwai movement and other groups opposed to one-party authoritarian KMT rule, to restructure the ROC government, long dominated by mainlanders, to be more representative of the Taiwanese people it governed. For example, until 1991, members of the National Assembly and Legislative Yuan elected in 1948 to serve mainland constituencies remained in their posts indefinitely and the President of the Republic of China was to be elected by this same "ten thousand year parliament" (Chinese :萬年國會) dominated by aging KMT members. However, more conservative politicians, while acquiescing to the need for increased democracy, feared that constitutional changes granting localized sovereignty would jeopardize the ROC government's claims as the legitimate Chinese government and thereby promote Taiwan independence.
While the 1991 revisions of the Constitution granted the sovereignty rights to the Taiwanese people, it did not explicitly name Taiwan and instead used the term "free area" to maintain the notion that the Republic of China encompassed more than Taiwan. In ordinary legislation, the term "Taiwan Area" is usually used, especially in contexts of trade and exchange. In contrast to the "free area" is the "mainland area", which the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area defines as "the territory of the Republic of China outside the Taiwan Area". However, on more practical grounds, the "mainland area" refers simply to Mainland China.
In addition, there are two other Acts defining other "areas": the "Hong Kong and Macau Area" (Chinese :港澳地區). The hand-over of these former European colonies to the People's Republic of China necessitated laws governing the relations of the Taiwan Area with them. The Acts are worded in a manner to avoid discussing whether the Republic of China claims sovereignty over Hong Kong and Macau.
Based on the One China policy, the People's Republic of China (PRC) does not recognize the legitimacy of the ROC. A series of standardized terms called "Taiwan-related terms" (涉台用语) were invented by the PRC government, which are used in official statements, news reports, and press releases, etc., to serve this purpose. Among them, the term "Taiwan area" or "Taiwan authority" (台湾当局) is commonly used to replace "Republic of China" or "Taiwan" (because mentioning only "Taiwan" but not "Taiwan area" or "Taiwan Province" would give an impression that Taiwan is an independent country). For example, the term "Leader of the Taiwan area" (台湾地区领导人) is used to replace "President of the Republic of China" or "President of Taiwan", "Taiwanese citizens" is replaced with "Residents of Taiwan area" (台湾地区居民), and Executive Yuan is called "Taiwan area's executive body" (台湾地区行政管理机构), [8] etc.
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. It is located at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeast, and the Philippines to the south. The territories controlled by the ROC consist of 168 islands with a combined area of 36,193 square kilometres. The main island of Taiwan, also known as Formosa, has an area of 35,808 square kilometres, with mountain ranges dominating the eastern two-thirds and plains in the western third, where its highly urbanized population is concentrated. The capital, Taipei, forms along with New Taipei City and Keelung the largest metropolitan area. With around 23.9 million inhabitants, Taiwan is among the most densely populated countries.
The Taiwan independence movement is a political movement which advocates the formal declaration of an independent and sovereign Taiwanese state, as opposed to Chinese unification or the status quo in Cross-Strait relations.
"Mainland China" is a geopolitical term defined as the territory under direct administration of the Chinese Communist government of the People's Republic of China in the aftermath of the Chinese Civil War. The geopolitical sense of the term includes islands such as Hainan, Chongming, and Zhoushan, even though those islands are offshore of the Chinese mainland. By convention, the territories that fall outside of mainland China include:
The president of the Republic of China, commonly known as the president of Taiwan, is the head of state of the Republic of China (Taiwan) as well as the commander-in-chief of the Republic of China Armed Forces. The position once had authority of ruling over Mainland China, but its remaining jurisdictions has been limited to Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu, and other smaller islands since the conclusion of the Chinese Civil War.
Kinmen, alternatively known as Quemoy, is a group of islands governed as a county by the Republic of China (Taiwan), only 10 km (6.2 mi) east from the city of Xiamen in Fujian, located at the southeastern coast of the People's Republic of China, from which they are separated by Xiamen Bay. Kinmen is also located 187 km (116 mi) west from the closest shoreline of the island of Taiwan across the Taiwan Strait.
Taiwan is divided into multi-layered statutory subdivisions. Due to the complex political status of Taiwan, there is a significant difference in the de jure system set out in the original constitution and the de facto system in use today.
The Matsu Islands, officially Lienchiang County, are an archipelago of 36 islands and islets in the East China Sea governed by the Republic of China (Taiwan), situated alongside the southeastern coast of mainland China. The archipelago forms the smallest county in the ROC-controlled territories by area and population, as well as one of two counties that is a part of the nominal Fuchien Province.
"Chinese Taipei" is the term used in various international organizations and tournaments for groups or delegations representing the Republic of China (ROC), a country commonly known as Taiwan.
Fuchien Province, also romanized as Fujian and rendered as Fukien, is a nominal province of the Republic of China without formal administrative function. It includes three small archipelagos off the coast of the Fujian Province of the People's Republic of China, namely the Matsu Islands, which make up Lienchiang County, and the Wuqiu Islands and Kinmen Islands, which make up Kinmen County. The seat of the administrative centre is Jincheng Township of Kinmen County which serves as its de facto capital. The province is also known as the Golden Horse, after the literal reading of the Chinese character abbreviation for "Kinmen-Matsu".
"Taiwan, China", "Taiwan, Province of China", and "Taipei, China" are controversial political terms that claim Taiwan and its associated territories as a province or territory of the People's Republic of China.
Taiwan Province is a nominal administrative division of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The PRC constitution defines Taiwan as part of its territories although the PRC has never controlled Taiwan since the PRC's establishment in 1949. Taiwan is currently administered by the Republic of China (ROC).
The Exit & Entry Permit for Taiwan, Republic of China is the document for the bearer to enter into and/or depart from the Taiwan Area, namely Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu. Currently, there are several types of Exit & Entry Permit that reflect the bearer's residency status. The permit is issued by the National Immigration Agency of the Republic of China (Taiwan). For different purposes, the permit is also known as:
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Taiwan:
Martial law in Taiwan refers to the periods in the history of Taiwan after World War II, during control by the Republic of China Armed Forces of the Kuomintang-led regime. The term is specifically used to refer to the over 38-year-long consecutive martial law period between 20 May 1949 and 14 July 1987, which was qualified as "the longest imposition of martial law by a regime anywhere in the world" at that time.
Period of mobilization for the suppression of Communist rebellion is a political term used by the Kuomintang-led government of the Republic of China to indicate the country's entering into a state of emergency with the raising Chinese Civil War. The term aimed to mobilize the people and resources under Kuomintang's control to fight with the Chinese Communist Party rebellion.
Wuqiu is a rural township of Kinmen County (Quemoy), Taiwan (ROC) made up of a group of islands in the Taiwan Strait comprising two major islands, Daqiu and Xiaoqiu. Wuqiu Township is nominally de jure part of Futian County, Fukien of the Republic of China. It is the smallest township in Kinmen County and is located 72 nmi (133 km) northeast of the rest of the county. The township is 73 nmi (135 km) from the Port of Taichung on Taiwan. The closest territory under China (PRC) control is the neighboring Luci Island, Xiuyu District, Putian, Fujian, which is 9 nmi (17 km) to the north-northwest. Greater Qiu Island is the site of the Wuqiu Lighthouse.
The administrative divisions of China between 1912 and 1949 were established under the regime of the Republic of China government.
Binlang Islet is an islet located in Lieyu Township, Kinmen County (Quemoy), Taiwan (ROC). The islet can be seen from the shore near Lingshui Lake and from the shore near Shaxi Fort (沙溪堡) in the southwestern part of Lesser Kinmen (Lieyu) as well as from Siming District, Xiamen (Amoy), Fujian, China (PRC). The highest point on the islet is 47 m (154 ft) above sea level.
The Fujian–Taiwan relations, also known as the Min–Tai relations, refers to the relationship between Fujian, which is located in mainland China, and Taiwan, which is across the Taiwan Strait. Since the average width of the Taiwan Strait is 180 kilometers, Fujian and Taiwan are adjacent, similar in both climate and environment. Although the relationship between Taiwan and Fujian has changed with the development of history, the two places have maintained close relations in terms of personnel, economy, military, culture and other aspects. At present, Taiwan residents are mostly descendants of immigrants from mainland China, of which the southern Fujian ethnic group is the main group, accounting for 73.5% of Taiwan's total population. In terms of culture, language, religion, and customs, Fujian and Taiwan also share similarities.
Article 2: The following terms as used in this Act are defined below.1. "Taiwan Area" refers to Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu, and any other area under the effective control of the Government.2. "Mainland Area" refers to the territory of the Republic of China outside the Taiwan Area.3. "People of the Taiwan Area" refers to the people who have household registrations in the Taiwan Area.4. "People of the Mainland Area" refers to the people who have household registrations in the Mainland Area
An amendment made to the Constitution in 1991 "to meet the requisites prior to national unification" recognizes the "Chinese mainland area" as opposed to the "free area," and both areas make up the Republic of China.
The Act's use of the spatial language of "area" was a direct reference to the postwar ROC Constitution, which had created two classes of Chinese based on politically differentiated, territorial criteria: those of the "free area," which included Taiwan and the scattered smaller islands under post-1949 ROC control, and those of the 'mainland area', who presumably were not free because they lived under Communist rule.
在台灣,國人對我國疆域範圍的認知,可謂真的是「各自表述」…