Taiwan Province, People's Republic of China

Taiwan
台湾省
Province of Taiwan
Name transcription(s)
 • Chinese台湾省 (Táiwān Shěng)
 • AbbreviationTW / (pinyin: Tái; Hokkien: Tâi; Hakka: Thòi)
 • Hokkien POJTâi-oân-séng
 • Hakka PFSThòi-vàn-sén or Thòi-vân-sén
Map showing the location of Taiwan Province
Coordinates: 23°42′N 121°00′E / 23.7°N 121.0°E / 23.7; 121.0
Country China
Established from Fujian1887
Cession to Japan17 April 1895
Transfer to the ROC25 October 1945
Claimed by the PRC1 October 1949
CapitalTaipei City
Largest cityNew Taipei City
DivisionsSee boundary change
Government
 • National People's Congress Representation13 deputies
Area
 • Total
35,581 km2 (13,738 sq mi)
 • Rank28th
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
23,561,236
 • Rank26th
 • Density662.19/km2 (1,715.1/sq mi)
  • Rank7th
DemonymTaiwan resident
Demographics
 • Ethnic composition98% Han Chinese
2% Gaoshan people
Time zoneUTC+8 (Beijing Time)
ISO 3166 codeCN-TW
Vehicle registration
GDP (2025 estimate)CN¥5.78 trillion
 • Per capitaCN¥247,439
US$ 34,426
HDI (2021)0.926 very high
Taiwan Province
"Taiwan" in Traditional (top) and Simplified (bottom) Chinese characters
Simplified Chinese台湾
Traditional Chinese臺灣
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinTáiwān Shěng
Bopomofoㄊㄞˊ   ㄨㄢ   ㄕㄥˇ
Gwoyeu RomatzyhTair'uan Sheeng
Wade–GilesTʻai2-wan1 Sheng3
Tongyong PinyinTáiwan Shěng
MPS2Táiwān Shěng
IPA[tʰǎɪ.wán ʂə̀ŋ]
Hakka
Pha̍k-fa-sṳ
  • Thòi-vàn-sén or
  • Thòi-vân-sén
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationTòihwāan Sáang
JyutpingToi4 waan1 Saang2
IPA[tʰɔj˩.wan˥ saŋ˧˥]
Southern Min
Hokkien POJTâi-oân-séng
Tâi-lôTâi-uân-síng
Eastern Min
Fuzhou BUCDài-uăng sēng

Taiwan Province is a notional administrative division claimed by the People's Republic of China. Its claimed jurisdiction includes Taiwan and its affiliated islands, the Penghu Islands, and the Senkaku Islands and their affiliated islands; the islands of Kinmen and Matsu are claimed as part of Fujian Province. The territory of the claimed province, including the entire island of Taiwan, is in actuality administered by the Republic of China (ROC), but is not coextensive with the smaller Taiwan Province of the ROC, while the Senkaku Islands are administered by Japan.

The political status of Taiwan is complex. The People's Republic of China was founded in 1949 near the end of the Chinese Civil War. The PRC considers itself the successor state of the pre-1949 ROC and the sole legitimate government of "China" and claims Taiwan as part of its territory under the One China principle. However, the PRC has not controlled Taiwan since its establishment in 1949. The Taiwan Area, including all of the territory claimed by PRC as a province, has been continuously administered by the government of the Republic of China (ROC) since the Japanese surrender of World War II. The PRC proposed that under a hypothetical unification Taiwan would become a special administrative region rather than a province.

The PRC constitution asserts Taiwan as part of PRC's territories. While the PRC claims Taiwan as part of its territory, it recognises Taiwan is outside its actual territory of control and does not maintain a government in exile for Taiwan Province. However, the National People's Congress reserves a position for legislators that represent Taiwan, most of whom are of Taiwanese descent but were born in and are residents of mainland China. The Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council of China is the part of the PRC government that has responsibility over Taiwan-related matters, but it is neither tasked with, nor presented as, a shadow administration for Taiwan. Instead, the ROC government currently based in Taiwan is referred to by the PRC as the "Taiwan authorities".