Abstract
Small country of North-East Asia, Taiwan has experienced numerous developments throughout its history, founding over the centuries its own political identity, from the beginnings as a Ch'ing prefecture and province, to the half-century of Japanese possession and to the last fifty years as the home of the Republic of China. Taiwan has made incredible progress over this half past century, both politically and economically. If its Growth National Product went from two hundred dollars per capita in the end of World War II up to more than thirteen thousand dollar in the end of the century, Taiwan also managed to go from an authoritarian dictatorship to a democratic, multiparty regime.
However, those spectacular improvements don't hide its tricky political situation, both domestically and internationally, regarding its special history. Actually, its official name, Republic of China, makes plain the remnants of its intricate heritage over its current situation. Caught between its giant neighbours, the Unites-States and People's Republic of China, Taiwan had to assert its will during the Cold War, and still has to, in the new global order. The situation still represents a potential cause for an armed conflict and repeatedly comes to make the headlines of our newspapers. Taiwan's economic success and geo-political position in Asia give it a weight far more important than its size (240 miles long and 85 miles wide) or the number of its population (over 22 millions) might suggest.
