Taiwan - Government
Based on the etymolgy of Taiwan, it was the name may derive from the Chinese words tai (terrace) and wan (bay), referring to the island's terrain; in 1590, the Portuguese named it Formosa, meaning "beautiful". The Government system in this country is the semi-presidential republic type and the different Administrative divisions includes: includes main island of Taiwan, plus smaller islands nearby and off coast of China's Fujian Province; Taiwan is divided into 13 counties (xian, singular and plural), 3 cities (shi, singular and plural), and 6 special municipalities directly under the jurisdiction of the Executive Yuan
counties: Changhua, Chiayi, Hsinchu, Hualien, Kinmen, Lienchiang, Miaoli, Nantou, Penghu, Pingtung, Taitung, Yilan, Yunlin
cities: Chiayi, Hsinchu, Keelung
special municipalities: Kaohsiung (city), New Taipei (city), Taichung (city), Tainan (city), Taipei (city), Taoyuan (city)
counties: Changhua, Chiayi, Hsinchu, Hualien, Kinmen, Lienchiang, Miaoli, Nantou, Penghu, Pingtung, Taitung, Yilan, Yunlin
cities: Chiayi, Hsinchu, Keelung
special municipalities: Kaohsiung (city), New Taipei (city), Taichung (city), Tainan (city), Taipei (city), Taoyuan (city)
National symbols
White sun with 12 rays on a blue field.
The flag
The National flag of Taiwan has .
Info
The National Anthem
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More about the government of Taiwan
| Date of Independence | |
|---|---|
| National holiday | Republic Day (National Day), 10 October (1911) |
| Legal system | civil law system |
| International law organization participation | has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt |
| Constitution | |
| History | Previous 1912, 1931; latest adopted 25 December 1946, promulgated 1 January 1947, effective 25 December 1947 |
| Amendment process | Proposed by at least one fourth of the Legislative Yuan membership; passage requires approval by at least three-fourths majority vote of at least three fourths of the Legislative Yuan membership and approval in a referendum by more than half of eligible voters |
| Citizenship | |
| Citizenship by birth | no |
| Citizenship by descent only | at least one parent must be a citizen of Taiwan |
| Dual citizenship recognized | yes, except that citizens of Taiwan are not recognized as dual citizens of the People's Republic of China |
| Residency requirement for naturalization | 5 years |
| Executive Branch | |
| Chief of state | President LAI Ching-te (since 20 May 2024) |
| Head of government | Premier CHO Jung-tai (President of the Executive Yuan) (since 20 May 2024) |
| Cabinet | Executive Yuan; ministers appointed by president on recommendation of premier |
| Election/appointment process | president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by simple-majority popular vote for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); premier appointed by the president; vice premiers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the premier |
| Most recent election date | 13 January 2024 |
| Election results | 2024:LAI Ching-te elected president; percent of vote - LAI Ching-te (DPP) 40.1%, HOU Yu-ih (KMT) 33.5%, KO Wen-je (TPP) 26.5%) 2020: TSAI Ing-wen reelected president; percent of vote - TSAI Ing-wen (DPP) 57.1%, HAN Kuo-yu (KMT) 38.6%, James SOONG (PFP) 4.3% |
| Expected date of next election | 2028 |
| Legislative branch | |
| Legislature name | Legislative Yuan |
| Legislative structure | Unicameral |
| Number of seats | 113 (directly elected) |
| Electoral system | Plurality/majority |
| Scope of elections | Full renewal |
| Term in office | 4 years |
| Most recent election date | 13 January 2024 |
| Parties elected and seats per party | Kuomintang (KMT) 52, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) 51, Taiwan People's Party (TPP) 8, independent 2 |
| Percentage of women in chamber | 41.6% |
| Expected date of next election | January 2028 |
| Judicial branch | |
| Highest court(s) | Supreme Court (consists of the court president, vice president, and approximately 100 judges organized into civil and criminal panels, each with a chief justice and 4 associate justices); Constitutional Court (consists of the court president, vice president, and 13 justices) |
| Judge selection and term of office | Supreme Court justices appointed for life by the president; Constitutional Court justices appointed by the president, with approval of the Legislative Yuan, for 8-year terms, with half the membership renewed every 4 years |
| Subordinate courts | High courts; district courts; hierarchy of administrative courts |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | |
| Chief of mission | None |
| Taipei Economic and Cultural Offices (branch offices) | Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver (CO), Hagatna (Guam), Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington DC |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | |
| Chief of mission | The US does not have an embassy in Taiwan; commercial and cultural relations with the people of Taiwan are maintained through an unofficial instrumentality, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), a private nonprofit corporation that performs citizen and consular services similar to those at diplomatic posts; it is managed by Director Raymond F. GREENE (since 8 July 2024) |
| Mailing address | 4170 AIT Taipei Place, Washington DC 20521-4170 |
| Telephone | [886] 2-2162-2000 |
| FAX | [886] 2-2162-2251 |
| Email address and website | [email protected] https://www.ait.org.tw/ |
| Branch office(s) | American Institute in Taiwan No. 100, Jinhu Road, Neihu District 11461, Taipei City |
| Other offices | Kaohsiung (Branch Office) |
Key Political parties and their leaders in Taiwan
Info
International organization participation
All Important Facts about Taiwan
Want to know more about Taiwan? Check all different factbooks for Taiwan below.
