Taiwan history/The Dutch and Spanish rule

With the Age of Discovery, European countries flocked to East Asia to trade and establish colonies. In the 17th century, various colonial powers vied for colonies in the Far East, and Taiwan became a target of their competition. During this period, the Netherlands and Spain respectively colonized Taiwan, marking the beginning of Taiwan's recorded history.

Discovery

The first European country to discover Taiwan is Portugal. In 1543, when a Portuguese ships passed through the Taiwan Strait, the crew accidentally spotted the island and exclaimed "Ilha Formosa!" (Portuguese for "Beautiful Island"), thus giving Taiwan its name "Formosa". Although the Portuguese were the first to arrive in Taiwan, they only engaged in small-scale trade with the indigenous people and had no intention of colonizing it.

Dutch and Spanish Formosa

Taiwan map painted by Dutch

Dutch and Spanish rule

The Dutch were the first country to colonize Taiwan. The Dutch ruled parts of southern Taiwan. They built a fort, called "Fort Zeelandia" in Taioan (now Tainan) in the year 1624. The Spanish also colonized northern Taiwan in 1626 , including parts of Taipei and Yilan. However, they were conquered by the Dutch in 1642, so they no longer ruled the island.

Regimes

• Dutch Formosa (1624-1662)
• Spanish Formosa (1626-1642)