Where in the World is Brooke?

Here is some useful information about Taiwan. I'm starting with the basics - Where is Taiwan? Take a look at the map above, and you'll see Taiwan in the red box. It is often described as a leaf-shaped island approximately 100 miles off the coast of mainland China. The island (there are actually many smaller islands also apart of Taiwan but which are not usually discussed) itself is slightly larger than the combined land mass of Maryland and Delaware, to put things in perspective. (Information and photo borrowed from a fellow blogger)

Its population is more than 23 million and is growing by 0.6 percent annually. Its three largest cities are Taipei, the capital on the northern tip, Kaohsiung in the south and Taichung in the west.

The population is primarily ethnic Chinese, including 84% Taiwanese, 14% mainland Chinese and 2% original inhabitants of the island.

The climate is humid and hot in the summers with temperatures averaging 89 – 100°F in the summers (must feel like Alabama) and 54 – 64°F in the winter. It is possible to experience typhoons between June and October. The island also experiences numerous small earthquakes. See side bar on this blog for current weather conditions.

The official language is Mandarin Chinese, yet most local residents also speak Taiwanese, the language of the first Chinese immigrants. You can also hear the Chinese dialect Hakka.

Taiwan is guaranteed freedom of religion and much of the population practices a combination of Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism. About 5% of the population is Christian.

Thanks for reading. I will be posting more information in the future. I want all of our family and friends to know abouts Brooke's birth country. There maybe a quiz. JUST KIDDING!!!