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21 January 2016
Formosa: The Beautiful Island
Introduction
Just last week, Taiwan welcomes its first female president, marking a significant milestone for Taiwan’s
democratic practices and global involvement. Famously known as the Republic of China, Taiwan is a small potato
shaped island located next to its neighboring giant, China. Many local Taiwanese call the nation “Formosa”,
meaning beautiful island. The relationship between Taiwan and its neighbor is tense and sensitive. Despite of its
unstable global position and title, Taiwan is filled with cultural magnificent people and landscape.
Brief History of Taiwan
Like many other countries, Taiwan had been under the control of several strong nations. According to the
University of Florida, aborigines arrived on the Island and created a lifestyle in the wilderness. It is specifically
stated that the aborigines were originally from the Pacific Islands (Tung par. 1). However, as Chinese mainly from
the Fujian area moved to Taiwan, the aborigines, like the Native Americans during the colonizing America, were
forced to move into the mountains. Removed from what they know, the aborigines suffered hardships. During the
1500s, the Portuguese landed on the beautiful island, followed by the Dutch. Impressed by the islands scenery, the
Portuguese were the first one to brand the island its name, “Formosa” (Tung par. 3). The Dutch ruled over Taiwan
with its imperialistic ideas and later conflicted with the Spanish, who also desired a piece of Taiwan. In the next two
hundred years, Chinese from the Fujian province continued to migrate to Taiwan, creating a Ch’ing period in which
a governmental system is established. However, China still considers its small neighbor a part of their territory. In
the 1800s, the Sin-Japanese War resulted in China giving the Japanese Taiwan as a result of a Japanese triumph.
Strict rules were limited; however, the Japanese aided in the development of economics and roads in Taiwan. When
the contract was up, Japan handed back Formosa to its previous owner. When communism became the political
system of China, many rebels escaped to Taiwan to experience freedom and liberalization. Taiwan continues to fight
the ambiguous status today.
Geography
Because of its abundant mountains, Taiwan is considered as a tropical island. The percentage of rain is
often high and frequent. Prominent for typhoons and earthquakes, Taiwan is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean. The
mountains that cover approximately two-thirds of the land creates a humid climate. According to Jenny Geib from
Wayne State University, Taiwan is “99 miles (160 km) wide at its narrowest and 242 miles (140 km) in length”
(n.p.). Being relatively small, Taiwan is often viewed as an insignificant country, as it continues its political struggle
with China. Taiwan’s neighboring countries include China, South Korea, Japan, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore,
and Indonesia.
Social Institutions
Robert M. Marsh and Albert R. O’Hara in the American Journal of Sociology, explains clearly about the
