Taiwan is an island country in East Asia with a population of over 23 million people. It has a land area of 12,456 square miles and borders China to the northwest. The capital and largest city is Taipei. Taiwan has a multi-party democratic political system and a predominantly Han Chinese ethnic makeup, with Mandarin Chinese as the official language. Notable facts include that Taiwan was formerly known as Formosa and has the world's second largest microchip industry.