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Taipei

Capital of TaiwanTaipei lies in northern Taiwan, mostly on the Taipei Basin, an ancient lakebed, where the Keelung and Xindian rivers join to form the Tamsui River.

Why it's the capital

Taipei is the capital of Taiwan (officially the Republic of China). It became the provincial capital under the Qing dynasty, stayed the capital under Japanese rule, and in December 1949 the government that moved to Taiwan declared it the provisional capital.

Fun facts

  1. The name Taipei means "the North of Taiwan".
  2. Taipei 101, a skyscraper with 101 floors, was the tallest building in the world for six years after it opened in 2004.
  3. Taipei is completely surrounded by another city, New Taipei City.

Finding it on the globe

Find the island of Taiwan off the southeast coast of China and aim at its northern end; Taipei is about 25 km southwest of the port of Keelung.

Sources: Wikipedia: Taipei