For more information see the Taiwan profile.

Taiwan, officially the Republic of China, occupies the island of Taiwan and several smaller islands. It is located off mainland China's southeastern coast. Through rapid economic growth and industrialization it is now one of the world's largest trading powers.

Taiwan became the refuge of the Nationalist Chinese government after the Communist takeover of mainland China in 1949. It is shunned politically by the rest of the world for fear of offending Communist China, which still refuses to recognize Taiwan's government. Since free elections in 1987, it has been a multi-party democracy.

Taiwan is a secular state with freedom of religion. Most of the population follows Chinese folk religions, practicing the veneration and worship of ancestors. Only
a small percentage have become Christians.