Taiwan's history spans thousands of years, beginning with the settlement of Austronesian indigenous peoples whose descendants still inhabit the island today. In the 16th century, Portuguese sailors sighted the main island and named it *Ilha Formosa* ("Beautiful Island"). The 17th century brought brief periods of Dutch and Spanish colonization in the south and north, respectively, before they were expelled by the Ming dynasty loyalist Koxinga in 1662.
The Qing Dynasty formally annexed Taiwan in 1683, ruling the island for over two centuries and overseeing significant migration of Han Chinese from across the Taiwan Strait. Following the First Sino-Japanese War in 1895, the Qing Empire ceded Taiwan to Japan. The Japanese colonial period lasted until 1945, leaving a lasting impact on Taiwan's infrastructure, railways, and civic institutions.
At the end of World War II, the Republic of China (ROC) took control of Taiwan. In 1949, following defeat in the Chinese Civil War, the Kuomintang (KMT)-led ROC government relocated its capital to Taipei. This ushered in nearly four decades of martial law known as the White Terror, a period of rapid state-led economic growth but severe political repression.
Martial law was lifted in 1987, triggering a rapid transition to a multi-party democracy. By 1996, Taiwan held its first direct presidential election. Today, modern Taiwan is celebrated for its peaceful transitions of power, robust civil society, and distinct cultural identity, even as it navigates complex geopolitical realities regarding its international status.
