All information of Tawian
Overview
Taiwan has a population of roughly 23 million people and a land area of around 35,980 km2. Mandarin Chinese is the country’s main language, but in rural villages, Taiwanese, Hakka, and the languages of minority ethnicities are also spoken. After the Vietnam War era, Taiwan underwent rapid economic growth with the expansion of technological capabilities and industrial production capacity. The government is now involved in preparing the infrastructure for and promoting the development of next-generation industries
Economy
Taiwan is strong in electronics related businesses, including electronic equipment and parts manufacturing and software development. It is not an exaggeration to say that, in recent years, Taiwan has contributed greatly to advances in both computer and mobile phone technologies.
Cost of Living
Taiwan’s currency is the New Taiwan Dollar(NT$). As for prices, it is possible to cover cost of food with about NT$10,000 a month even if you mostly eat out. Daily goods are available at reasonable prices, so long as they are not luxury or imported items.
Climate
Taiwan straddles the Tropic of Cancer and the northern and central regions are sub-tropical, while the southern region is tropical. Taiwan does not have four distinct seasons, so rather it feels as though having a long summer and a short winter throughout a year. The most characteristic feature of the climate is typhoons. Generally, the best and most comfortable seasons are from March to May and October to December.
Public Safety
In urban areas, many places stay open late, including convenience stores and food stands, and there are usually people out walking around until very late at night. In agricultural areas, villages populated by big extended families still exist, and people there live peaceful lives that seem like something out of a bygone era.
Housing
In Taipei, prices are generally low, so you might expect that housing prices would also be low. However, housing actually tends to be expensive, with furnished one-room apartments costing from NT$8,000 to NT$20,000. There are areas where a lot of foreign residents live, but the rent is higher in those areas than other areas.
Food
Many reasonably priced food stands and restaurants keep late hours, and so they are bustling deep into the night. One of the charms of Taiwan is the ability to enjoy many types of delicious food at inexpensive prices.
Public Transportation
In Taipei and Kaohsiung, the main means of public transportation is the Metro (known as the MRT) and its stations sell tickets with embedded IC chips. High-speed rail is the main means of travel between cities, and convenient mid and long distance passes are sold.
Working Hours
There are significant differences depending on one’s occupation or business, but work hours are generally from 9 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. with one hour lunch time, and many companies give employees Saturdays and Sundays off.
Tips
Although tipping is usually not required, there are exceptions if you request a special favor or have someone carry your luggage at a hotel.