Taiwan

proper noun Taïwan · Tai-wan · T'ai-wan · Tywan · Taywan · Tay-wan

1. A partly-recognized country in East Asia consisting of a main island and 167 smaller islands. Official name: Republic of China. Capital: Taipei. India was not alone in its predicament or in its policy. While a few developing countries like Taiwan, Mexico, and Thailand had made remarkable progress in agriculture and had experienced success in curbing their population increases, others were nearly as bad off as India, even without a drought.

   Similar: Republic of China, ROC, Chinese Taipei, Formosa, mul:TW, mul:TWN

2. An island between the Taiwan Strait and Philippine Sea in East Asia. The Government claims suzerainty over and receives tribute more or less regularly from Corea, and also from Anam, Siam, Burmah, and part of the Loochoo Islands, and it has recently erected the beautiful and extensive Island of Formosa, or Taiwan, hitherto attached to the province of Fo-Kien, into a

   Similar: Formosa

3. historical A former prefecture of Fujian province in China (Qing Empire) (1683–1885). TAIWAN, or Chinese Formosa, is considered a Foo or district of the province of Fokien, and is governed by a Taoutai extraordinary, who, though responsible to the provincial viceroy, possesses the privilege of memorialising the Throne direct. “The district of Taiwan,” says the Chinese Government Char

   Similar: Formosa

4. historical A former province of China (Qing Empire) (1885–1895). In 1885 Governor LIU determined to reconstruct Taipei and make it the temporary capital until, the railway having on its way to Taiwan reached the old town of Changhua, in about the middle of Formosa, he should build a city near that place and make it, under the name of Taiwan, the capital of the pr

   Similar: Formosa

5. historical A former dependency of Japan (1895–1945). Taiwan (Formosa) and Hōkotō (the Pescadores) were ceded to Japan upon the close of the Chinese War of 1895. Taiwan has a Governor-General with extreme powers, and is now an integral part of Japan.

   Similar: Formosa

6. A province of the Republic of China (Taiwan) (from 1945). Recent reports from Taiwan (Formosa), although fragmentary, begin to give a picture of economic conditions following the conclusion of the war. Now officially referred to as Taiwan Province, the island's former Japanese administration is being replaced by Chinese officials with little change, at lea

   Similar: Formosa

7. The territory currently under the de facto jurisdiction of the Republic of China (Taiwan).

   Similar: Formosa, Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu, Taiwan Area, Free Area

8. A claimed province of the People's Republic of China (from 1949). The eastern part of Taiwan Province is washed by the Pacific Ocean while the mainland coast borders on the Pohai, the Yellow, the East China and the South China Seas, each with its different depth and water temperature.

   Similar: Formosa, Taiwan region

9. historical Synonym of Tainan, a city of Taiwan, former capital of Taiwan Province. The ports of Cháu-chau or Swatau, in the province of Kwangtung, and Taiwan on Formosa in the province of Fuhkien, will be opened to American commerce, and for Americans to reside with their families, on and after the first day of January, 1860.

   Similar: Tainan

10. 2169 Taiwan, a main belt asteroid. For the Massalia family, we only have information on (20) Massalia (pv = 0.21±0.01). Finally, for the Astrid family, we have (1128) Astrid with pv = 0.077±0.010 and (2169) Taiwan with pv = 0.099±0.020. In each of these cases, the values conform to the taxonomic type of the corresponding families.