Political divisions of Taiwan

This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2009)

As per the Treaty of Shimonoseki of 1895, Taiwan fell under Japanese rule after the First Sino-Japanese War. The political divisions changed frequently between 1895 and 1898. There were still several changes until the Japanese political system was adopted in 1920. Important changes are listed as the following.

• 1898: 3 counties (縣) and 3 prefectures(廳)
• 1901: 20 prefectures (廳)
• 1909: 12 prefectures (廳)
• 1920: 7 prefectures (州/廳)
• 1926: 8 prefectures (州/廳)

Population

The 1941 (Shōwa 16) census of Taiwan was 6,249,468. 93.33% of the population were Taiwanese which consisted of both Han Chinese and "civilized" Taiwanese aborigines. Tainan had the largest population followed by Taichū and Taihoku. The largest concentration of ethnic Japanese were in Taihoku followed by Takao and Tainan.

Political Division in 1898

• Taipei (Taihoku) County
• Taichung (Taichu) County
• Tainan (Tainan) County
• Yilan (Giran) Prefecture
• Taitung (Taito) Prefecture
• Penghu (Hoko) Prefecture

Political Division in 1901

Administrative divisions of Taiwan in 1901.

• Keelung Prefecture
• Yilan Prefecture
• Shenkeng Prefecture
• Taipei Prefecture
• Taozihyuan Prefecture
• Hsinchu Prefecture
• Miaoli Prefecture
• Taichung Prefecture
• Changhua Prefecture
• Nantou Prefecture
• Douliou Prefecture
• Chiayi Prefecture
• Yanshueigang Prefecture
• Tainan Prefecture
• Fanshuliao Prefecture
• Fengshan Prefecture
• Ahou Prefecture
• Hengchun Prefecture
• Penghu Prefecture
• Taitung Prefecture
• Hualian Harbor Prefecture

Political Division in 1909

• Yilan Prefecture
• Taipei Prefecture
• Taoyuan Prefecture
• Hsinchu Prefecture
• Taichung Prefecture
• Nantou Prefecture
• Chiayi Prefecture
• Tainan Prefecture
• Ahou Prefecture
• Penghu Prefecture
• Taitung Prefecture
• Hualian Harbor Prefecture

Political Division in 1920

Under a "doka" (同化) policy in which the Japanese considered the Taiwanese to be separate but equal, the political divisions in Taiwan became similar to the system used in mainland Japan in 1920.

Structural Hierarchy

• Prefecture (州)
  • City (市)
    • Town (町)
  • District (郡)
    • Town (街)
    • Village (庄)
    • Aboriginal Area (蕃地)
• Prefecture (廳)
  • City (市)
  • Subprefecture (支廳)
    • Town (街)
    • Village (庄)
    • Aboriginal Area (蕃地)

List of Prefectures and Counties

• divided from Takao Prefecture in 1926

Changes in 1945

When the Republic of China began to rule Taiwan in 1945, the government simply changed the names of the divisions and gave names to the Aboriginal areas.

• Prefecture (州) -> County (縣)
  • City (市)
    • Town (町) -> District (區)
  • District (郡) -> District (區)
    • Town (街) -> Urban township (鎮)
    • Village (庄) -> Rural township (鄉)
    • Aboriginal Area (蕃地) -> Rural Township (鄉)
• Prefecture (廳) -> County (縣)
  • City (市)
  • Subprefecture (支廳) -> District (區)
    • Town (街) -> Urban Township (鎮)
    • Village (庄) -> Rural Township (鄉)
    • Aboriginal Area (蕃地) -> Rural Township (鄉)

See also

• Prefectures of Japan
• Administrative divisions of the Republic of China
• List of Governor-General of Taiwan