Taiwan

TAIWAN

Yes to Taiwan

Our research has lead us to conclude that Taiwan has a dynamic capitalist economy with gradually decreasing guidance of investment and foreign trade by government authorities. We discovered that some large government-owned banks and industrial firms are being privatized. Also that exports have provided the primary force for industrialization. The trade surplus in Taiwan is substantial and worth considering, and foreign reserves are the worlds third largest. Taiwan is a major investor throughout

Southeast Asia. Studies show that China has overtaken the US to become Taiwan's largest export market. Taiwan practices a very conservative financial approach and has many entrepreneurial strengths. Taiwan is experiencing growing economic ties with China and these ties have become a dominant long-term factor, e.g., exports to China of parts and equipment for the assembly of goods for export to developed countries. All of the above reasons make Taiwan an excellent area of entry for the well-established brand of Proctor and Gamble Old Spice deodorant.

Brief History of Taiwan

Taiwan's earliest inhabitants were referred to as "aboriginals", making up less than 400,000 of the countries population today. The majority of the population today migrated from China from the 12th century on. The greatest number of immigration occurred after 1661, when a trader by the name of Koxinga captured the island from the Dutch and Spanish colonists who had discovered this land around 50 years earlier. At that time, 100,000 Chinese followed Koxinga in hopes to escape China's Qing dynasty, however their freedom lasted only a short time as the Qing invaded and concord Taiwan in 1683.

For the next 200 years, Taiwan remained a backyard to the Chinese empire until it was declared a province in 1886. In 1895, nine years after being declared a province, it was conceded to Japan at the end of the Sino-Japanese war. The island remained under Japanese control until the end of the Second World War. In 1945 Taiwan was restored to Chinese command and the rule of the Kuomintag or other wise referred to as the KMT. The story of Taiwan between 1949 and 1980s was one of enormous economic growth. The KMT inherited the island after the Japanese had established Taiwan's communication and transport networks and introduced education.

By the end of the 1980s, only a small number of Taiwan's citizens (mostly elderly waishengren who migrated to the island in 1940) supported the policy of reclaiming the mainland of China. Another minority supported the establishment of an independent "Republic of Taiwan". As where the majority of the population favored prosperity and democracy without prompting conflict with China and the Chinese empire. (The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited 2004)

Geography

Taiwan is an island bordering the East China Sea, Philippine Sea, South China Sea, and Taiwan Strait, north of the Philippines, off the southeastern coast of China. Taiwan has a tropical/marine climate containing a rainy season during southwest monsoon (June to August); cloudiness is persistent and extensive all year. The hottest month of the year would be in July where the average daily minimum and maximum is 24-33 degrees Celsius, and the coldest month of the year being February where the average daily minimum and maximum is around 12-18 degrees Celsius. The Eastern two-thirds of the island consists of mountains where the western portion of the island has flat to gently rolling plains.

There are four Major Cities making up approximately 33% of the entire Taiwan population. The capital of Taiwan, Taipei, has a population of 2,642,000 the next largest city would be Kaohsiung with a population of 1,510,000 and then followed by Taichung (997,000 population) and Tainan (745,000 population).

Climate

Proctor& Gamble should be very concerned with the climate of the region upon which it is entering because the climate will have a direct relationship to the usage patterns of a product like deodorant. Taiwan overlies both tropic and subtropical zones, with a tropical climate in the southern and western flatlands, and a subtropical climate in the north and mountainous regions. Annual Typhoons are an annoyance, which pass through between July and October. Most typhoons cause little more than strong winds and heavy rains over the island. Taiwan's climate does not categorize into four distinct seasons, but rather two: a hot season lasting from May until October, and a cold season from December until March. Research shows that the island remains very humid throughout the year and receives abundant rainfall, with (uplands) receiving more than the west (lowlands). The most pleasant times to live and travel in and around Taiwan are March through May and September through November especially in Taipei(capital city).

Religion

The most followed religion of Taiwan is the Taoist religion that contains approximately 93% of the population. The next most important religion of this country is that of the Christian faith with around 4.5% of the population. The remaining population consists of a mixture of Buddhist and Confucian with a small category of other with 2.5%

Languages

Taiwan consists of three main languages. The official language of the Taiwanese is Mandarin Chinese. A minority of the population of Taiwan speaks Taiwanese and the tribes of the island speak an Hakka dialect. It is unusual that the Taiwanese population consist of only these three languages when the country was under control by the Japanese for fifty years.

The People

The Chinese, much like the Koreans and Japanese, used to bow and clasp their hands together when being introduced to someone new, but today the Western handshake ahs displaced the ancient custom. Nevertheless, the Chinese still shy away from boisterous greetings in public, such as hugs, kisses, and resounding slaps on the back. A firm handshake, friendly smile, and slight nod of the head are appropriate gestures for greeting. Research shows that aside from all of the cultural traditions that the people of Taiwan live a lifestyle similar to many Americans. Typical families are comprised of a mother a father and children and household income is divided pretty evenly between the parents. Chinese value their careers, their religion and their families above all else. Just as most Americans place great importance on personal hygiene, so to do the people and culture of Taiwan. The culture is very conscious of body odors and uses a variety