Administrative divisions of Taiwan

The Republic of China (ROC), currently governing the Taiwan Area, consists of the four main archipelagos of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and some minor islands. The whole country is divided into two streamlined provinces (Taiwan Province and Fujian Province) and six special municipalities (Kaohsiung, New Taipei, Taichung, Tainan, Taipei and Taoyuan). The two streamlined provinces are further subdivided into 3 provincial cities and 13 counties. All special municipalities, provincial cities and counties are placed directly under the jurisdiction of the central government (i.e., Executive Yuan).

The Republic of China was founded on Mainland China in 1912. It used most of the same administrative divisions as the Qing Dynasty but divided Inner Mongolia into four provinces and set up several municipalities under the authority of the Executive Yuan. After the end of World War II in 1945, Manchuria was reincorporated into the Republic of China as nine provinces. Taiwan and the Pescadores were also acquired by the Republic of China and organized into Taiwan Province after Retrocession Day. By this time the top-level divisions consisted of 35 provinces, 12 Yuan-controlled municipalities, one special administrative region and two regions (Mongolia and Tibet). After the central government's strategic withdrawal from mainland China during the Chinese Civil War and subsequent relocation to Taiwan in 1949, the jurisdiction of the ROC was restricted to only Taiwan, the Pescadores, Hainan, and a few offshore islands of Fukien and Chekiang. Hainan fell to the Communists in May 1950 and Chekiang was lost to the Communists in 1955. The remaining area is called the "Free Area of the Republic of China" in the Constitution. In most ordinary legislation, the term "Taiwan Area" is used in place of the "Free Area", while Mainland China is referred to as the "Mainland Area".