Taiwan

Taiwan is located in Eastern Asia, bordering the East China Sea, Philippine Sea, South China Sea, and Taiwan Strait, off the southeastern coast of China. The eastern two-thirds of the island consist mostly of rugged mountains, while the west features flat to gently rolling plains, and the climate is tropical and marine with a rainy season during the southwest monsoon from June to August. Taipei serves as the capital, and Taiwan has a population of approximately 23.6 million people who speak Mandarin, Min Nan, Hakka, and approximately 16 indigenous languages.

Taiwan has a high-income East Asian economy that is the most technologically advanced in computer microchip manufacturing. Key industries include electronics, communications and information technology products, petroleum refining, chemicals, textiles, iron and steel, machinery, cement, food processing, vehicles, and pharmaceuticals. The country has small deposits of coal, natural gas, limestone, marble, and asbestos, along with arable land. Taiwan faces increasing Chinese interference that threatens its market capabilities, and longstanding regional socioeconomic inequality remains a challenge.